2016 Mar 31 - bloodroot and bluebirds

Post date: Mar 31, 2016 2:53:17 PM

Bloodroot is the first to bloom in the woods, and every year I am on the hunt to find the first blooms. The blooms only last a few days, and the plants are scattered all over, ants aid in the sowing of seeds, and the plants tend do pop up anywhere.

I found 4 blooms 2 days ago, and a couple more today. The plants should continue to bloom for 2-3 weeks; so I will have the fun of checking daily.

We have a pair of bluebirds interested in the west-end box; good news since we replaced it with a new one this year; I wonder if they notice the new box smell...

We have 2 more boxes to fill, most years they are all taken.

Opportunistically, I've been recording my bird watching checklists on eBird. It is a great resource for exploring data submitted for McHenry County.

Many of the local birders create checklists for the same spots, so you can check ahead to see if any migratory birds have been spotted the day prior.

Hot spots are highlighted also.

You can never get enough data, so I have re-started my Life List, eBird helps with data organization.