Flora and Fauna
This time of year, loon activity is slow with one parent on the nest at a time, occasionally rolling the eggs they are incubating.
Hopefully the eggs will hatch by the end of this week. Meanwhile we will share some or our favorite spring flowers and other plants from the woods near the loon nest.
As spring unfolds, like this fern,
we are treated to early spring native flowers. Some obvious flowers like Canada mayflower (Miiantheum canadense),
Northern starflower (Lysimachia borealis),
Blue bead lily ((Clintonia borealis),
and Pink Ladyslipper (Cypripedium acaule)
Others have somewhat hidden flowers like Indian Cucumber root (Medeola viginiana)
and Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) with its flower clusters hidden under a canopy of three compound leaves
Another non-obvious flower this time of year is Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphylium). You would have to take the pulpit apart to find the tiny flowers! Please don’t if you are lucky enough to find one!
These previous three plants, and others, produce berries that are food for a variety of animals.
Speaking of berries, a local favorite (high bush blueberry) is on its way!!!
Greeting and looking closely at these new and old friends as they appear is always a pleasure. As you know some of our local plants are in danger from rapidly spreading diseases. Having watched Hemlock trees disappear from forests south of here, it is always a special treat to find our hemlocks greeting us with new growth and no fuzzy white cocoons of the Woolly Adelgid that carries the disease that is steadily heading North and killing Hemlocks in its path.
So far, New London is not on the growing list of New Hampshire towns that have Adelgid infestations. Do keep an eye out for them and take action if you see them – here is a link to a website that provides more information on identification and treatment options for this pest and others in New Hampshire – nhbugs.org/hemlock-woolly-adelgid
Stay tuned as we and Pleasant Lake await the arrival of two new loons …
