The spring equinox occurred at 11:06 p.m. March 19 That event marked the official end of winter and welcomed the first day of spring to the Northern Hemisphere.

I forgot for the moment that it was a blustery and cold day with snowflakes falling briefly in northern Oakland County. And I forgot that we are more than likely to get more snow; perhaps even a snowstorm before the final warm up arrives. It’s time to look ahead to what spring will bring and of course, as we all know, April showers will bring more than May flowers.   

BLUEBIRDS: I’ve been seeing bluebirds all winter so my assumption is they never migrated south or perhaps I am seeing some that migrated south into Oakland County from more northern regions. I have seen a few that are already taking interest in nesting boxes attached to my split rail fence. Food is not a problem during winter. During spring and summer, they eat mostly insects but those that stayed here, feast on dried berries and fruits and at times they peck away on suet in my feeders.

KILLDEER: It’s been a while since I have seen a kildeer doing its well-known “broken-wing” act, in which it flutters along the ground, feigning injury to lure potential predators and humans away from their nest. They nest on the ground, often in gravelly areas and their eggs blend right in. It won’t be long before I see that conspicuous broken wing show at Independence Oaks Park and perhaps along the spacious sides of some of our larger hike and bike trails. I’ve been asked how can you tell the male from the female? You can’t. They look identical.

CROCUSES: Crocuses are one the first spring bulbs to bloom in our woodlands. I already had crocuses briefly blooming in the first week of March in my yard. The next warm up will most likely bring an appearance of new blooms.

DANDELIONS: It won’t be long until dandelions appear again. Some already made early appearances on the south side of my hillside during the warmer days last week when temperatures climbed well into the fifties, luring a few honey bees.

RED-TAILED HAWKS: Nesting time has arrived for red-tailed hawks. I take great pleasure in watching one that often appears soaring on sunny days over my meadow; most likely just on a hunt for a rabbit. 

ROBINS: Is the American Robin the true harbinger of spring? Many people believe so, but the fact is some robins never leave southeast Michigan. Oakland County is a 365-days-of-the-year home for these much loved, lawn-hopping, worm-slurping birds with rusty-red breasts. I’ve been seeing them all winter but expect activity will increase greatly in a few more weeks. That brings a question. What do they eat when worms can’t be found? These adaptable birds, which are also our official State bird, will simply switch to old berries and fruits. Factoid: In 1931, the American Robin was selected as our official state bird after being favored by the Michigan Audubon Society. Sponsors called the robin “The best known and best-loved of all the birds in the state of Michigan.”

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT: A familiar sight in healthy woodlands of Oakland County, Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) arrives on the scene in May. The intriguing bloom consists of a green and brown striped hood that conceals what is known as a spadix – or jack – covered in numerous tiny green to purple flowers. The unusual flower gives way to a cluster of bright red berries in the summer.  

SPRING PEEPERS: It was a below freezing day as I typed these words and although my swampy wetland at the edge of my woods is prime spring peeper habitat, I was greeted with silence except for something that splashed at the edge, out of my line of vision. However, once the temperature of the water warms up, the peeper’s chorus is unmistakable. I look at that moment as almost magical. Listen here to last spring’s chorus.

MOREL MUSHROOMS: Morels, which I and many others consider to be a delicacy have a honeycomb-like appearance and emerge from the ground for just a few weeks early in spring. Although they usually appear in fertile woodland habitat, I have had them appear in my unkempt lawn and have a favorite spot where I will look for them when I am on South Manitou Island in late May. A word of caution: If you are not one hundred percent sure on your mushroom species identification, leave them be. 

SKUNK CABBAGE: Skunk Cabbage has a secret part of its life that people rarely see, or perhaps feel. It’s abundant in many swampy areas of our county and it has expansive bright green leaves, but this time of year it does not look a bit like that. In fact, it does not have any leaves at all yet. All that appears now is a prehistoric looking “hood” called a spathe that is a purplish green color. What’s the plants’ secret? It can produce enough heat to melt its way through snow and ice! Isn’t that cool?

GREAT EGRETS: Great Egrets in their breeding plumage are one of the most dazzling birds to appear in spring. I photographed this one several years ago at Independence Oaks County Park, a great place to embrace nature any time of the year. The “lore” of the egret, the area located between the eyes and the bill, takes on a vibrant green color during the breeding season. Perhaps that splash of green should remind us that April showers bring more than colorful May flowers.

Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist, eagle watcher and nature education writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.

---

Follow along with Oakland County on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube using #OaklandCounty, or visit our website for news and events year-round.