May Signatures

By Ed Wesely

	Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

Things are happening — Because this is my last spring column, I’ve decided to feature wildflowers that I observed last week. After a cold April, sunny days have been nudging plants into bloom, washing the forest with patches of color. (Most of my sketches are approximately in scale).

Coltsfoot normally blooms in March, but this plant, sketched on April 21, was only a week old. After an early shower, its yellow flowers hung like a damp mop.

These little yellow lilies, erroneously called wild oats, flourish in rich woods. I found an early one near Calkins Creek on April 23.

	Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

Close by were clumps of Dutchman’s breeches, so-named because of their resemblance to white pantaloons hung out to dry.

	Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

Red maples produce thousands of tiny flowers that add a red “flush” to the forest. The three female flowers in the sketch—made in Honesdale on April 24—were setting seed just as the new leaves unfolded.

White bloodroot flowers were peaking on April 27. A large leaf that enfolds each flower stem will remain after the petals fall.

	Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

White flowers of the little shadbush tree are easily mistaken for cherry blossoms, but they open earlier. The shad were running on April 28 when I made this sketch near an old D&H Canal lock.

Wildflower walk — I hope that readers, who enjoy beautiful scenery and a leisurely afternoon stroll, can join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy for a wildflower walk on Sunday afternoon, May 6.

	Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

I’ll be the leader this year, as we hike along John Davis Road, near Milanville, PA, where the path follows a tributary of the South Branch of Calkins Creek.

We’ll meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Conservancy’s Butterfly Barn Nature Center, on the River Road about 1.5 miles south of Milanville. From Narrowsburg, cross the river and go four miles north on the River Road. For information or directions call 570/729-7053.

The conservancy will also host an evening astronomy program (with excellent telescopes) the evening of May 18, then an early-morning bird walk on May 19.

Finally, thanks again to readers who have called and otherwise supported my column.