News from the Friends of Reinstein

Nature Sightings

The spring greening is just beginning. The herb layer of the forest floor is coming alive with sprouting mayapple and trout lily. In wetter seep areas, marsh marigolds are blooming, not to be confused with invasive lesser celandine. Many people have lesser celandine flowering in their yards right now. Wild leeks are also forming dense patches. Spicebush is showing off its small golden flowers and black cherry are beginning to leaf out. The preserve is a bit quieter now that the Canada geese are on their nests. Ruby-crowned kinglets group together and frantically flit about gleaning insects from dense trailside vegetation. Hermit thrush and yellow-rumped warblers have also returned. Large bullfrog tadpoles explore the warmer shallow waters of ponds. The long trills of American toads resonate through the preserve. Garter snakes slither through the sunlit papery leaves on the forest floor. Keep an eye out for Baltimore orioles and ruby-throated hummingbirds returning shortly.