A new outfit for springtime

When is spring in its full glory? Is it when the trees have all spread their green canopy over the land? How about when the apple trees share the splendor of their delicately hued pink-to-white blossoms? Or is it when the first robin hatchlings peck themselves out of their temporary sky-blue homes? The answer is none of those. There is no sense of definitive arrival in nature, which makes the natural world an endless, ever-evolving source of interest.

Change is a constant in the natural world at all times of year, but in the hyperactive season of spring the changes are more like a continuous series of small but dramatic bursts. Day by day, moment by moment, everything is transforming. A rain shower will cause plants to spring up seemingly overnight. A warmer day will encourage wildflowers to open up, turtles to leave the water to doze on partially submerged logs in the sun, and insects to proliferate, which in turn attract flocks of insect-eating birds. Visit the same place often, and you will have a different experience each time. The riches are far more abundant than a lavish smorgasbord, where there are far too many foods to try, but it’s exciting to know so many options are there for the tasting.

This week Steve and I visited a beloved area nature preserve, our first visit there this year. We love this park because of its large size and varied habitats of open prairie, a lake, marshes and woodlands, which afford opportunities for seeing diverse flora and fauna. As we navigated a short asphalt path in a wooded area leading to the trails, right away we saw one of my favorite native wildflowers of the eastern U.S.: virginia bluebells. These gorgeous plants, which prefer the shade and moisture of deciduous woods, sport lovely blue bell-shaped flowers in clusters at the end of a long stem (up to two feet in length), a taller profile than many other woodland flowers. To me, their blossoms resemble miniature trumpets, grouped together like a merry band to blast a joyous fanfare to herald spring’s arrival. Adding to their appeal, they provide two visual shows for the price of one: before the blue blossoms appear, the blooms sport a lovely pink-purple color.

These are plants that like each other’s company. They proliferate readily when they approve of the conditions, often forming large patches of stunning blue and green when the woods are otherwise still relatively void of bright color. Here is a section of one impressive stand of bluebells we passed along the way.

In addition to focusing our gaze downward to spot blooming wildflowers, we also trained our eyes on the marsh waters, the air and the trees for bird life. As we strolled past a large marsh, we came upon some other birders (always easy to identify by the binoculars slung around their necks) gazing intently at the water. They told us some blue-winged teals were paddling in the middle of the marsh. Neither of us had seen this duck species before, so it was a thrill to point our binoculars on them. They prefer quiet, calm bodies of water, like small lakes, ponds and marshes, and are often found along water edges in concealed spots to find food. The blue wing of their name, seen on the males, was not visible to us, as it is most apparent in flight, but we enjoyed seeing their interesting plumage of dark-speckled breast and back, white crescent behind their bill and white patch above their rear. Here is one in flight, proudly showing the blue on his wing.

Spring is perhaps the best time of year to be a bird watcher. It’s migration season, when we welcome the many different species that return after spending their winter in warmer climes. Some of them are arriving here to stay in their local breeding grounds, while others are here for a brief visit before continuing to their more northerly seasonal home. Warblers fit into that second category. These small songbirds stop for a respite on their way from Mexico and Central and South America to their breeding territory in the northern tier of North America. Starting in mid-April each year we start to watch for them in local forest preserves and along the Fox River, as they are a delight. Males of many of the warbler species have strikingly colorful plumage that, despite the birds’ compact size, helps in their identification. Yet spotting and identifying them can still be a formidable challenge. Their small stature means that, once trees and shrubs fully leaf out, they are often well hidden among the foliage. In addition, they are most uncooperative viewing subjects: they never sit still. As insect eaters, they are always on the move, foraging for insects along the branches of trees and bushes or on the ground.

It was that sort of constant, restless motion of a small bird in a shrub that caught our attention during our walk. We stopped and concentrated, carefully following its rapid, unpredictable movements as it explored one bush after another. Suspecting it was a warbler of some kind, we weren’t sure until those same kind birders who pointed out the teals confirmed our suspicions: we were seeing yellow-rumped warblers. Affectionately called “butter butts” by some birdwatchers, the males of these gorgeous songbirds have striking plumage of blue gray, white and black, punctuated by brilliant patches of golden yellow on the top of their heads, each side and just above their tail. A western subspecies also displays that same bright yellow on the front of its neck.

These handsome birds are usually the first warbler species to visit our area, so they represent a welcome harbinger of the other beautiful warblers still to come. And during their spring migraton is the most exciting time to spot them in these parts. Like a number of other bird species, the male yellow-rumped warblers wear their lively, colorful plumage only during the breeding season. In the fall, they shed their spring and summer feathers – a process called molting – in exchange for a much drabber outfit. Instead of the bold contrasts of blue gray, black, white and yellow, the predominant color is a dull medium brown. The only showy yellow patch they keep is their namesake spot of golden yellow on their rump, along with a faint hint of yellow on their sides.

For warblers, as for other species that wear their showiest outfit during the breeding season, the objectives of this seasonal molting extend well beyond attracting a potential partner. Molting is a critical survival mechanism. Feathers are subject to a lot of daily wear and tear as birds fly and brush up against tree branches, for example. Just as we need to replace our worn-out clothing, they periodically need to grow a new coat of feathers to ensure they’re in optimal condition for flight and insulation. When the warblers are molting in the fall in preparation for migration and their plumage is a hybrid of their breeding and non-breeding outfits, they can be that much harder to identify.

As we watched the yellow-rumped warblers energetically flitting and fluttering and showing off their spring finery along the marsh shore, I felt grateful for this day to see them and wish them well on the remainder of their journey.

“I have a Bird in spring,” by Emily Dickinson

I have a Bird in spring
Which for myself doth sing —
The spring decoys.
And as the summer nears —
And as the Rose appears,
Robin is gone.

Yet do I not repine
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown —
Learneth beyond the sea
Melody new for me
And will return.

Fast in safer hand
Held in a truer Land
Are mine —
And though they now depart,
Tell I my doubting heart
They’re thine.

In a serener Bright,
In a more golden light
I see
Each little doubt and fear,
Each little discord here
Removed.

Then will I not repine,
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown
Shall in distant tree
Bright melody for me
Return.