Ups and Downs and Much Confusion

Male Red-wing blackbird*

Late yesterday afternoon, I heard a familiar whistle in the meadow, and saw the year's first Red-wing blackbird perched on top of a mulberry bush. I've been listening for that sound; late February is the time the Red-wings return, and I've been expecting them. Hearing that whistle, seeing that flash of the male's bright red "epaulets" always brings a smile.

Day-lily

Bearded iris

In past years, the appearance of the Red-wings means Spring is coming. This year, the Red-wings are behind the appearance of Spring, which started here during January. Out of January's 31 days, fourteen record-setting high temperatures were recorded for this area, and two other days tied the record highs set in 2016. In mid-January, the lawn was dotted with dandelion blossoms, every day-lily and bearded iris, and most of the yarrow had put up green shoots. They've grown since then.

Sugar maple in bud

This month the temperatures have been on quite a roller-coaster ride. Average highs for February range between the mid-30's to mid-40's. The month began with highs slightly below average, then February 5-8, they ranged from 8 to 27 degrees above normal (with a record high of 61 degrees set on February 7). Next came two days of normal highs, followed by four days of highs from 7 to 22 degrees above normal. Temperatures were normal the next two days, but on February 17 a warm-up began that was predicted to  extend over the next 7 days. During the first four days of this "heat wave", one day was an almost modest ten degrees above normal, with the other three ranging from 17-22 degrees above normal. Today we're on track for another 20-something degrees above normal, to be followed by three more days of highs 22-30 degrees above normal.

Lilac buds

I love the Spring, and so have enjoyed working in the gardens in shirt-sleeves, and taking Kaytee for walks in the meadows and the woods these last several days. However, I also feel sad for the Earth. This weather would be fine at this time of year if we lived around Chattanooga, but here and now it's throwing everything off kilter. The Red-wings might have arrived at their usual time, but the sounds all the birds are making are the ones they make in April. The other day we saw a sparrow begin to examine one of the birdhouses as a potential nesting place.

Cork-screw willow greening up

When this recent spate of too-warm weather began, I photographed a few of the unsettling signs of Spring coming too soon. What I didn't get on camera were the two bullfrogs and their small companion sitting on the edge of the pond, watching the very active fish, and the parrot plant, an annual marginal pond plant in these parts, that not only is alive and well, but is putting out new shoots.

* I'd love to take credit for this photo, but in all my years of bird photography, and despite all the Red-wings that hang out at Bean Hill, I've been unsuccessful in getting a good photo. The license granting permission to use can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Introduction

Nineteen years ago, we built a home on 5.6 acres in a rural residential area of central Ohio. When we bought the land, it was covered in soy beans, and because it was on a slight rise, we began calling it Bean Hill. The name stuck.

We were city people, and didn't know what to expect of life in the country. As birders and gardeners, what we soon realized was we had the opportunity to create our own sanctuary. Simultaneous to the house construction, we established the first perennial garden, and erected the first bird feeder. And we just kept on going. Today Bean Hill has 16 perennial gardens and 21 bird feeders. We also maintain a ground feeder for various "woodland creatures" at the edge of the Jersey Woods, a 7-acre wooded area adjoining our property.

Living at Bean Hill has made us better nature observers. We're attuned to the small changes that signal seasonal changes, and always find delight in them. Our sense of unity with all things has made us more aware of our responsibility to the earth; we take seriously the call to be good stewards.

It's a privilege to live close to nature, and to have the many opportunities to observe and learn that Bean Hill provides. What we're seeing and learning lately, however, is more unsettling than delightful. The plants and the animals have begun to show us the reality of climate change. Some changes were noticed over the last four or five years but not particularly remarkable. In 2016, on our 5.6 acres, there were too many changes to ignore.

We knew 2014 was the hottest year on record world-wide, that 2015 surpassed it, and not surprisingly, given the abnormally warm winter and the extremely hot summer, 2016 surpassed both. Now it's 2017, and already 14 record highs have been set here at Bean Hill, and the climate-deniers are in charge of the nation.

This blog has two purposes. The first is simply to share the beauty of Bean Hill through a year. The second is to record the effect of the changing climate on a relatively small patch of land in central Ohio. Perhaps that record will provide evidentiary talking points we can use to change hearts and minds--one person at a time.

Pictured above: Winter and Spring in the Jersey Woods.