I had forgotten how far my land is behind home. Going north is like going back in time.
In MA I've seen 6 wildflowers blooming (these + dandelion, ground ivy, and red deadnettle).
At my land...nothing. But there are hopeful signs:
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| American Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium americanum) budding in the forest seeps |
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| Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens) buds aren't swelling yet, but see the tiny new leaf? |
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| Tiny ferns are emerging |
I was also excited to discover that beavers visit my land! I suspect they live upstream where the brook opens into a marshy area:
I also discovered the dead remains of a wildflower that I missed in autumn:
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| Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana) |
It is a parasitic wildflower that draws nutrients from the roots of american beech trees! I looked for it during its bloom time but missed it. Excited to get to add an autumn wildflower to my list in early spring!
I did some early investigation of this potential vernal pool. I'm hoping it is in fact a seasonal pool where salamanders, frogs, and fairy shrimp spawn:
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| Potential vernal pool |
I didn't find any evidence (eggs or critters), but I will keep an eye on it through spring!