First real spring sighting in Maryland!

Pavulaan Pavulaan at aol.com
Fri Feb 27 22:40:17 EST 1998


Today, while on a lunchtime walk, I spotted my season's first non-hibernating
butterfly in the Washington D.C. suburbs: Vanessa virginiensis (American
Painted Lady or American Lady), Silver Spring, MD., 2/28/98, in a curbside
herb garden.  A delightfully early record, beating out even the first Cabbage
White or Spring Azure of the season!   Either the critter hibernated locally,
due to the mild winter, or it has been so mild down south, that it migrated
north, earlier than normal, possibly even hibernating further north than
usual.
                                                                              
This is by far, the earliest spring in my memory.  In case anyone is
interested in the status of spring during this El Nino winter here in the
nation's capital: a brief report:

An early indicator of a mild winter to come, was back on Long Island, N.Y.,
over the Christmas weekend, when I found abundant seaside Goldenrods in bloom
at Captree State Park, on the south shore of Long Island.

So far, the only measurable snowfall in the western D.C. suburbs has been
about 3 inches during a week in mid-December.  That moderately cold week would
probably be considered our "winter", so far.  Temps. warmed up during the week
after New Year's Day, with several hibernators sighted locally: Mourning
Cloak, Question Mark and Comma.  The only butterflies seen till today, though
there were several reports of Orange Sulphurs in early January: in Cecil and
Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland.  Weatherwise, no arctic air masses have
made it here all winter, though we did have a grass-dusting of snow a few days
ago, following a day of rain (officially we had 1/10th of an inch of snow this
winter).

My yellow Crocuses bloomed during the week after New Years Day, followed by
the Tiger Crocuses in mid-Jan, followed by the Purple ones in Feb., though
there is a sudden burst of Crocus activity everywhere this last week of
February.  Dandelions, Red Creeping Phlox (though sparingly), Dianthus (also
sparingly) and ornamental Winter Pansies bloomed all winter.  Same for most
low weeds.  Many garden herbs, fennel, etc., have developed lush, thick
rosettes.  Today, I checked out a vegetable garden in Silver Spring, as green
as any in summer: filled with lush Cabbages and some type of Brassica oleracea
variety (Kale?) that were blooming in profusion!  

Grecian Windflowers, Snowdrops, Dwarf Irises and some others have been
blooming for a week or more.  Daffodils started blooming in profusion today,
indicating that spring is "officially" here.  Hyacinths are about to break
into bloom, beating out even the usually earlier Grape Hyacinths.

My Buddleia remained fully evergreen throughout the winter, even putting out
profuse new shoots during the latter half of Feb.!  Some ornamental Maples
(Red and some others) in my neighborhood bloomed and shed their flowers
already, most wild Red Maples have not yet broken bud.  Today, I saw my first
blooming Bradford Pear, a Cherry or Plum of some sort, and several deciduous
Magnolias just opening up.   The forest understory along most highways is
showing a considerable green cast, and Forsythia are starting to bloom in
widespread fashion, though there have been scattered individual blossoms all
winter.

What this will do to our butterflies, is a good guess.  But at the current
rate, many of the usual early species should be on the wing within a week.  If
the Vanessa virginiensis is any indicator, this could be an interesting year
for migrants, in the northeast.  Unless, of course, Winter finally does make a
token appearance in the next few weeks.

Harry Pavulaan
Herndon, VA. 


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