“Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer.” ‑ Anita Krizzan
The official start of spring or Vernal Equinox was at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday, March 19. However, the weather last Wednesday and Thursday was not very springlike at all.
The Vernal Equinox is “the time when the day-to-night line, called the terminator, intersects both of the Earth’s poles and the Sun is directly over the equator,” said a Facebook post by the National Weather Service Office in Pittsburgh.
“The equinoxes mark the times when the sun passes directly above the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice falls on or around June 21, the winter solstice on or around December 22, the vernal or spring equinox on or around March 21, and the autumnal equinox on or around September 22,” according to a post by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
I was wondering why this year’s first day of spring was on March 19. It turned out that the recent Leap Day was responsible for the calendar change.
I was wondering why this year’s first day of spring was on March 19. It turned out that the recent Leap Day was responsible for the calendar change.
“Because Earth actually travels around the sun in 365.24 days, an extra day is needed every fourth year … This also causes the exact date of the solstices and equinoxes to vary. Additionally, the elliptical shape of Earth’s orbit around the sun causes the lengths of the astronomical seasons to vary between 89 and 93 days,” the post continued.
 | The administration additionally went on to describe the difference between astronomical and meteorological seasons. Meteorologists and climatologists break the seasons down into groupings of three months based on the annual temperature cycle as well as our calendar … Meteorological spring in the Northern Hemisphere includes March, April, and May…, the post said. “The length of the meteorological seasons is also more consistent, ranging from 90 days for winter of a non-leap year to 92 days for spring and summer.” The administration said that this beak down of the seasons makes it easier to calculate weather statistics. While the calendar date of spring appeared a little earlier this year, some spring flowers seemed to be ahead of schedule as well. |
In the yard this year, I had crocuses that were done blooming by March 16. Last year, they only started to boom on March 26.
Back in a snowy 2015, it was March 22 before the snow drops and snowflakes began to pop up. This year by March 22, they were already done and gone to seed.
Back in a snowy 2015, it was March 22 before the snow drops and snowflakes began to pop up. This year by March 22, they were already done and gone to seed.
A Facebook post of mine from March 2012 showed spring blooms on par with this year’s blossoms. The daffodils were out and the maple trees were in bud.
Post from March 2012 showed blooms on par with this year. Daffodils were out, maple trees in bud and the lilacs were showing some green.
Post from March 2012 showed blooms on par with this year. Daffodils were out, maple trees in bud and the lilacs were showing some green.
Mourning cloak
Comma butterfly. Photo taken 2023 Also, out and about were some mourning cloak and comma butterflies. The first photo I took of a mourning cloak this year was on March 16. My first actual sightings of mourning cloaks and commas were during the 70-degree days on March 6 and 7.
Mourning cloaks and commas overwinter as adult butterflies and are the first butterflies to appear in the spring. They mostly consume tree sap.
Mourning cloaks and commas overwinter as adult butterflies and are the first butterflies to appear in the spring. They mostly consume tree sap.
Male ruby-throated hummingbird. Photo taken April 17, 2023. Other critters seemed to be making a later appearance.
This past week I had been seeing red-winged black birds at the feeder and turkey vultures in the air.
The earliest sighting for red-winged black birds was recorded at Feb. 10 and the early date for vulture sightings was listed as Feb. 18 by longtime area birder and author Gary Edwards.
Edwards wrote in his book that the vultures arrive in late February and depart our region by mid-November. Edwards’ Spring Bird Schedule can be found in the Spring 2024 newsletter of the Seneca Rocks Audubon society on their website.
Edwards’ list included the first date for the arrival of the ruby-throated hummingbirds as April 19. I had one stop by here on April 17 last year. He stayed for a couple of days. My regular hummingbird residents didn’t return until May 7 along with some Baltimore orioles.
This past week I had been seeing red-winged black birds at the feeder and turkey vultures in the air.
The earliest sighting for red-winged black birds was recorded at Feb. 10 and the early date for vulture sightings was listed as Feb. 18 by longtime area birder and author Gary Edwards.
Edwards wrote in his book that the vultures arrive in late February and depart our region by mid-November. Edwards’ Spring Bird Schedule can be found in the Spring 2024 newsletter of the Seneca Rocks Audubon society on their website.
Edwards’ list included the first date for the arrival of the ruby-throated hummingbirds as April 19. I had one stop by here on April 17 last year. He stayed for a couple of days. My regular hummingbird residents didn’t return until May 7 along with some Baltimore orioles.
Meanwhile, during the warmer spring days several wood frogs made an appearance. However, as the cold moved in, the only things visible were their eggs.
The eggs were a sign of things to come along with trailing arbutus buds. My observations found that the flowers don’t appear until April.
As the winter-like weather still hung around, so did some of the region’s winter birds. Meanwhile, the arrival of some of our spring birds heralded a sign that spring warmth was surely on the way.
There was more spring on the way. We just simply need to wait for it.
That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.
That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.
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