The spring picture thread

I hate to have to mow the first time each year--its violets time


the magnolia just smells great




The two new nectarines and the old one are blooming and the peach is just starting (not in picture)


the front yard has been in bloom (daffodils, hyacinths, tulips) for a while; and ceta, hosta, star flowers, lilies, and lilies of valley, red peonies (short red stalks) are coming up all over


some ferns are still in fiddlehead, more lilies of the valley----the flower petals of the magnolia will turn the ground pink and white for a while--then, turn rust color, dry out and the worms eat them all within a couple weeks:


worm mounds--last year, I think--but its the same every year
The worms reach out of their hole at night, and drag the blossoms back to the top of their hole to munch on (day and night)from the protection of their hole

 

Wow, nice action shot of that photographer. This one was well camouflaged, good find!

 

Ferns are great for photographing

 

Heh! I took some very similar pictures of younger ferns last spring.

 

do I have quote that one about great minds?

 

If the ferns are ostrich ferns, the young "fiddleheads" are very tasty. Steam them and serve with butter and a bit of cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

We don't have too much new spring foliage, apart from some new tiny leaves on willows, etc. So here's a picture of what we do have - snow-capped mountains. We got snow both days last weekend.

 

Ferns and baby ducks-can't get any more spring-like than that!

 

Well, it's mating-season for crane flies. This amorous couple was on the back deck, and when I startled them, they flew onto the wall. Very clumsy flying, BTW, because they were hooked together, but somehow they pulled it off. By the way, the female crane fly (on the top) is a couple of legs shy of a full complement.

Honeybees are here early (though no pictures). We haven't had many around the past few years, but today I saw several, comfortably ahead of the flowering of my apple trees. Fingers crossed for good pollination and a great crop.

 

The best sign of spring here, Moral Mushrooms!

 

At first, I thought it's a sponge or somthing, nice hypatia.

Wow Andre, those little chicks look so cute, kind of unique-looking creatures.

 

Wow :!!) what a great shot, Andre!

And can a little chick really eat a meal that's almost as big as his own head?!?

 

Spring means apple-blossoms. Hoping for enough warm dry weather this week to get them well-pollinated. Last year's crop was terrible due to the cold wet spring.