Spring has sprung and the grass has riz!

Welcome to spring time at Wolverton Hills.

The spring buds on the trees are bursting all over as you will notice when you hiking through the woods. The fluffy seed catkins are dangling from the Aspens, which are a nice treat for the birds after a long winter.

Even though the nights may be still chilly, I would encourage you to venture out at night where you might hear our Great Horned Owl. He is certainly ‘Great’ as he stand up to 25" tall. His call is a resonant hooting of 3-8 hoots. Males usually 4-5 Hoo,hoo-oo,hoo,hoo. Female lower pitch, 6 to 8: Hoo,hoo-hoo-hoo,hoo-oo,hoo-oo! Or you may hear the Barred Owl, a stocky owl of 22", whose call is often mistaken at first of a dog barking... but it sounds like hoo,hoo,hoo,hoo,hoo hoo-hooo-aw!

On a clear night you can see millions of stars, which you can’t normally see in the city because of the light pollution. Recently a comet was a familiar sight in the northwest sky and the International Space Station could be seen circling the earth and first seen in the southwest sky at dusk.

Sightings of the Pileated Woodpecker are always exciting. If you are fortunate to see the Pileated Woodpecker you can identify it by it’s large size as it is a remarkable 17" inches tall and somewhat prehistoric looking bird. Recently one flew nosily overhead making a loud ringing cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk call telling me to stay away. I suspected its nest was near where I was walking. I was checking on any activity at the fox dens on the hillside, hoping they don’t take up residence again this year because they favor our chickens too much.

As I took a step out on the deck I was greeted with a warning call from a flock of Wild Turkeys. Wild Turkeys are beautiful large brown birds with iridescent feather on their wings and tail and have a strange tassel like beard hanging off their chest. Several males in the flock of 25 paraded around with their tails spread in full display trying to impress the ladies. I know that I was impressed and called out to them in a turkey call. They all froze in their tracks, some with there heads outstretched in a comical position. They answered back and after a couple of calls back and forth, they must of thought that I was an odd sort of turkey, gradually changed their direction and headed for the shelter of the treed hills.

If you hear a drumming sound while you are walking on the trails, stop and listen to the interesting beat of the Ruffed Grouse, also courting the ladies with his powerful love sound. The amorous male sits on a log and beats the air with its winds, creating a drumming sound that increases in tempo. The grouse hide in the protection of the cedar bush and if you startle one as you walk by, you can be sure you will be more startled as they exploded from the bush with a sudden flight to safety.

The woodlands are awakening with the delicate spring flowers on the forest floor. The Enchanted Forest hillsides are the favorite spot for the Trilliums. They are just opening their sleepy heads. The Trout Lily, called this because of the single basil colored erect leaf, has spots on it like a brook trout. I am looking forward to its bloom of a single yellow delicate flower, as we have so many on the property.

I found myself tiptoeing through a ravine trying not to step on the Hepatica, which are in full bloom. They have a 6 pedal flower, which can be blue-lavender, white, or pink and a broadly rounded lobed leaf. Another woodland beauty is the Wood Anemone is blooming with its delicate white 5 pedal paper-thin white star like flower. The yellow flower of the Cinquefoil is blooming in the open meadows. Despite looking like a buttercup is a member of the rose family.

We always look forward to the return of our beloved Blue Birds. These birds are making a comeback after almost be exterminated by the herbicide used in our province all too frequently. We make a point of not spray anything that could hurt them. They nest in the bird box on the east side of the main residence and every year they combat the Tree Swallows and Starling for that box, but always win victoriously.

The Blue Birds will raise two clutches of eggs and in late fall return to the bird box with some young ones. They are actually picking their next years nesting box. They sometimes can be found huddled in the nesting box late in the fall if they are caught in the cold weather. Last winter I was quite concerned to see them still here when the weather turned snowy. I quietly pleaded with them to hurry, hurry south because winter was coming fast. I know they don’t always make. They rely on bugs in their diet and really cannot tolerate the cold.

Last year I was kneeling on the ground under the bird box weeding the garden and trying to coaxes the earth, to no avail, to let some flowers grow, which is difficult on our sandy land, and was dive bombed by the parents of the baby Blue Birds. They are not usually aggressive, so I looked up in surprise and I noticed that the babies where ready to fledge. I quickly moved away and was thrilled to witness the first flight of the three young ones. I think I was just as anxious as the parents as I saw them fly straight at the wall of the house. They managed to fall down the wall without being injured and successfully landed on the railing. I breathed a big sigh of relief. My husband just chucked as I told him how emotional I got at seeing such a precious sight. I don’t think he quite understands me when I get emotional over something like this…but I tend to ‘wear my heart on my sleeves’ at times.

When you are out walking the trails of Wolverton Hills, remember to walk softly and listen and watch for other birds that will be heralding the arrival of spring. These are some of the recent spring sightings we have had:

• Meadow Lark
• Yellow Shafted Flicker
• White Throated Sparrows
• Song Sparrows
• Field Sparrows
• Slate Colored Juncos
• Cardinals
• Canada Geese
• Mallard Ducks
• Bufflehead Ducks
• Goshawks
• Red Tail Hawks
• Turkey Vultures
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Marsh Hawk
• Sandpiper

If you see any interesting birds, vegetation or wildlife - let us know and we will record it in our journal.

Spring and winter are still battling it out. Our little tree frogs, called Spring Peepers, where just getting their voices warmed up in their mating crescendos at night have had to quiet down because of the weather turning cold. When the weather warms up I sneak the window open at night, hoping my husband won’t notice, and lay in bed listening the thousands of peeps coming from the wetland. Every once in a while they suddenly stop, perhaps an other critter is walking by, but start up again to fill the night air with their songs. We always miss hearing them once mating season is over.

Winter was so too long for me and I feel great pleasure in seeing the beautiful spring flowers reassuring me of a fresh start to a new season. My husband reminded me to put out the hummingbird feeder. I expect them around May 24th weekend, but last year they arrived early. One little fellow flew from one window to another looking in asking where his feeder was. So I best get it cleaned up and hanging in the same spot for him to find it.

Enjoy your stay and the spring at Wolverton Hills. We are please to share with you our ‘ ‘lil piece of Heaven’.

Your Hosts,
Debbie & Dan White