Looking back at posts from the past few years that were written around this time, I am seeing some slight differences in the patterns of the critters that live around our Cape Cod home. I usually get large black ants running around my kitchen for several days in late April. Then these ants suddenly disappear. For some reason, I didn’t get that influx this year.
The groundhog that ate most of our plants last year seems to have moved elsewhere, but apparently there is a bunny in his place. I never see the rabbit, but G has caught him several times either about to snack or just finishing up.
As for birds, the catbirds and the hummingbirds have returned. A previous blog mentioned the American Woodcock we spotted with her babies last week, that was a rare sight! The only other thing that comes to mind is that I have seen more goldfinches than ever before. Our native plantings have matured since we started a few years ago, it’s gotten lush, and our yard is a great place for birds to hang out, hide from predators and have babies. Great example – we were about to get rid of an old grill and noticed bird activity around it, some carolina wrens had created a nest inside so we won’t be throwing it out anytime soon. Those guys are crafty!
Carolina wrens build an immense nest. They are quite industrious little birds.
The wasps who always return to our kitchen window are back – but it is a good week later or more. An acquaintance told me last week that I will be wasp fan until they sting me, but I must say the only word I can use to describe the tiny beginnings of their little paper nest is cute. We have a birds’ eye view, their wasp nest literally against the glass of our kitchen window and it’s not unlike the honey bee exhibit at the Cape Cod Natural History Museum in Brewster.
Speaking of the museum, we are very honored that the folks at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History have asked Cape Cod Woodland Garden bloggers to give a presentation on Saturday June 7 during a day at the museum devoted to plants! G will be creating a slide show of – I believe – stories about his native plant experiences on Cape Cod. He will also be available to answer questions about the topic of native plants on Cape Cod.
It’s nice to say final good-byes to the cold snowy winter on Cape Cod, which was much colder and snowier than I have experienced in the past few years. Winter really put a damper on my outdoor walks this past year. The spring wasn’t much better temperature wise, and now it has actually become hot. But I have to say as much as New England weather can be crappy, walking around last week on 6A, I felt the cool breeze and thought to myself – people who live in climates that are warm all year are really missing out. There is nothing like the first few days of springtime where the trees are that glorious yellow green color which quickly turns to leaf green, and you can feel the cool air touching your newly-liberated-from-winter-clothing-skin.
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