March 1, 2025 - Winter 2025 recap

Here we are already, the first days of March.
In like a lion, truly. Out like a lamb? We will see.

This winter has been very wintery, cold, snowy, the pause we need to reset. I know many people live without the different seasons, I’m grateful we have them. The day the snows melt and the temperatures rise about 50 degrees you can feel a palpable change. Smiles on the faces of everyone, a spring in the step, in the air the call of the redwing blackbird. 


On February 21st the season broke. From the trees, the familiar “ker chee woo” call of the redwing blackbirds filled the air. They’re the first to tell you about spring. 

On the 22nd the wetlands began to thaw. As the flood waters receded under their frozen ice top, an echoing “crash, boom, splash” filled the Killbuck valley.

The 24th I went to visit our local skunk cabbage area, while many are still sleeping, I was able to find 3 up and blooming, the hidden spadix covered in petal-less flowers in the red/green spathe attracting the earliest emerging flies and beetles with their skunky scent.

The 25th our male bluebirds started showing off for the female sitting on the nesting box

February the 28th the first large kettle of turkey vultures flew over the village of Shreve. Easily 75 split between two groups. 

I can’t say when it happened, but when you look close, the buds on the trees are noticeable. 

And now we’re here. Hello March. I know you’ll have lots to show us.

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January

It's been a snowy, icy winter this year. Below you can see some of the sights. 
​The marsh icing over. Large rocks stand out in the forest under a dusting of snow. The white-throated sparrow visits us in these cold months. The first buds appear on the silver maples. A lot of the witch hazels are still closed, but I found one at the arboretum that was blooming. The buds of the dogwood tree remind me of tiny dumplings. Robins eating whatever berries they can find this time of year. When cold, the common polypod, an evergreen, curls up and waits for a warm sunny day. 

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February

February brought more snow, a beautiful coat of sparkles covering everything. By the end of the month it will have all been a beautiful memory. 
The first two images I found striking. This is the inside of a pine tree! The tree had split in two revealing how the branches and bark grew in tandem. Image one is up close, image two is a wider view. Curiously enough, this tree is still alive! Not thriving, but surviving. You can see it along the trail at Kidron Community Park. 
With the beautiful freshly fallen snow, I made my way to Brown's Lake Bog. I was the first to set tracks in the snow along the boardwalk. The snow clung to the branches and trees. On this same trip a bald eagle flew over. 
The next outing was an icy, snowy, stroll around Wooster Memorial.
Visiting the wetlands, ice sculptures clung to trees. A chandelier of ice drops hanging from a branch over the Killbuck. Ice clings to the trees where it froze when floodwaters filled then froze in the area. As I walked along, loud "crash, boom, splashes" echoed out in the valley. Slowly but surely, these ice trays fall down. 
The first skunk cabbage I found in bloom was at Clear Creek! Many were up but not yet open. Everything in its time.
​The next hike was at Wooster Memorial one week after the first one, and what a difference! The snow had all melted and the low evening light gave everything a beautiful glow. 
Mosses are filling out, new hepatica leaves are emerging from the leaf litter, the turkey tail fungus is showing off its variety of color (in latin it's named versicolor, very appropriate). A pair of sandhill cranes were playing in the strong winds, flapping hard into the breeze, then catch the wind and go zooming back to where they started! A bald eagle gives me the side-eye as I climb a hill as high as it flys.