What do you do when it approaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit in February? Many people get outside to soak up the sun and warmth. Many animals are doing the same. There are already painted turtles that are basking on pond logs in the preserve. The mild weather and rains have likely awakened spotted salamanders which will soon make their journey to our vernal pools. Most of the year these salamanders are underground. Spring peeper frogs are peeping along the perimeter of ponds and marshes. Red-winged blackbirds, an early migrant, sing in the cattail marshes. Next time you are on a highway, look for turkey vultures soaring on updrafts during on their migration North. Black-capped chickadees have turned to their “fee bee” call. Local sugar maple trees are being tapped early for sap to make maple syrup. Soon, spring ephemeral flowers will be carpeting the forest and frog choruses will echo through the preserve.

The ice and snow have melted at Reinstein Woods, and signs of spring are all around. Quaking aspen and red maples are beginning to flower. Spotted salamanders (pictured) have made their way to woodland pools to lay their eggs. A chorus of spring peepers, chorus frogs, and leopard frogs can be heard along pond edges as you walk through the preserve. Wildflowers are beginning to sprout and soon the forest floor will be green with life. Trout lilies are showing their mottled green leaves. A patch of bloodroot is already flowering, but most of their blossoms remain wrapped in their leafy cloak. Mourning cloak butterflies are seen perched on sunlit logs and leaves on the ground. Green Darner dragonflies have completed their journey north. On warm, sunny days they lay their eggs in ponds at Reinstein Woods.

Are you interested in what’s happening on the trails of Reinstein Woods? Check back periodically for updates on “Nature Sightings at Reinstein Woods”. Feel free to leave a comment below if you would like to add your own wildlife sighting.