Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is home to a system of marshes. The marshes above the main salt marsh are prone to flooding from the spring rains. What appears during most of the year as grasslands become large shallow lakes. Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag Archives: Spring in Maine
Starflower
The starflower, Lysimachia borealis, has colonized a part of our forest. It is a small, but striking plant, blossoming in the late spring to early summer. The flower commonly has seven petals, but the number can vary; one of our plants has nine. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Fern
Our woodland gets an amazing understory of fern in the spring. If you had walked through our forest a month ago, all you would have seen on the ground was a carpet of brown leaves. We have several varieties of fern, each opening in their unique way. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Forest
Naomi and I live on four and a half acres of woodland in central Maine. Spring is a wonderful time. The green of the new foliage is radiant. A slight breeze sets the entire forest dancing from the floor to the canopy—a long-exposure photograph can reveal this. Click on the image for a larger view.
Like most forest in Maine, ours is second growth, having been cut down for agricultural use at some point in its history. A study on woodland regrowth in New York state shows that the forest that grows up from a clearcut is not the same as the one that was cut down, even after a hounded years. The species of plants and trees differ in type and distribution. A neighboring old-growth forest has no influence on a regenerating woodland.
A Snake in the Wood Pile
I was stacking firewood for the winter this weekend and came across a common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, sunning itself at the top of the pile. It did not seem too bothered by me and slowly moved through the stacked logs. I have often found discarded snake skins in our firewood, but this is the first time for me to see a live animal.
This snake is very common in New England and is fairly harmless—if handled or threatened, they can smear you with their pungent musk and may bite, but they are not venomous and the bite rarely breaks the skin. Small snakes mostly feed on earthworms and insects. Larger snakes, two to three feet in length, also eat amphibians and rodents. They will occasionally eat nesting birds. Click on the image for a larger view.
The Violet Harvest
We have been out collecting violets from the garden. The flowers and leaves of the Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia, are a good source of vitamin A and C and can be used fresh in salads or cooked. The flowers can also be dried for tea. We intend to make violet honey from these blossoms. To remove excess moisture, simply let the flowers wilt before adding them to the honey. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Door in Belfast
Belfast, Maine is one of those places that people drive past as they head north or south on Route 1 along the coast. But Belfast is a great little town with wonderful historic architecture and a vibrant downtown. It is an eclectic mix of a traditional New England town and a bohemian enclave. Well worth a visit. Click on the image for a larger view.
Passing Spring Storm
The changing seasons bring unsettled weather. Storms can be violent, but they are also beautiful. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Arrives to the Forest
Spring is starting to make its mark. The long winter this year has delayed this season. Our trees are starting to show their foliage and fern is rising from the forest floor. Click on the image for a larger view.
With Spring comes Pollen
The waterways that meander through the salt marshes in Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area have their surface covered with pollen from the nearby conifers. The course of the ditches and the tidal period create patterns with this fine yellow dust on the water. Click on the image of a larger view.
