Swamp maple leaf buds
Thursday, April 14th, 2005
Instead of pointing the long lens at birds I figured I might as well record a rite of spring: the opening of the early swamp maple leaf buds right outside my office window. Lovely to see, even though as these things continue to open they release a small amount of dust that contains a mold (from winter dampness no doubt) that I’m allergic to. Some years are worse than others, nothing yet this year but it’s a bit early to tell. The swamp maples (a variety, there are many) are the first to “bloom” and the first to change color and lose their leaves. In New England, when driving by swamps in the fall these are the trees responsible for most of the red colors. We have 30 or 40 odd ones scattered around here.
That’s a sweet image of those buds, Richard. I bet it’s cause for celebration around your place when you first catch sight of them in the spring.
beautiful shot, richard, – so vivid it made me….sneeze! here in boston where it’s a bit cooler during the day than in the litchfield hills the buds are slowly appearing and even the forthysia is opening…saw two tufted titmice outside my building today; they were flitting about an ornamental pine. makes me want to play hooky and birdwatch all day around quabbin!
Thanks Will. I’m sure you clicked on it to see the larger flickr version but if not, do.
Yes, the birds are all atwitter with spring around here too. I can’t wait to take more pictures of them and I’m going to have to figure out a way to do it outside without scaring them. Might have to build me a blind.