New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

A taste of Summer Today

Wednesday 05/22/2024

Well, so this is what a summer day is like. Our first eighty-degree day here in Central NH this year. With an ever-warming New Hampshire I'm thinking the ninety-degree days are not too far off.

Boy are things changing practically by the minute. One minute I looked out to see my two crab apple trees starting to bloom, then bam, it was completely in bloom. And that was on a cloudy day. Which, by the way, we seem to get our share of once again this spring.

Yes, seems like we were in for our second coolish spring. But then maybe it is just my faulty memory thinking this spring was cooler than usual. So wasn't I surprised about a week ago on the first really warm night when the air was flooded with the trill of American toads down back in the Meadow. The toads were sending wave after wave of sweet toad trills at me through the dark of the warm night. Suddenly I was awash in a perfect summer-like night. How I savor the feel of moments like that. 

This is such a magical time to be witnessing once again. Make sure to at least step outside any chance you get to absorb and sense as much of this week or two. Things are going just gang busters in the wild. Lots of wildlife is on the move right now. First late May into early June is deer fawn production time. Female deer tend to move a lot just before giving birth which means car kills usually go up now. So, avoid driving at night, if you can, and if you are driving use those high beams and be ready to hit the brakes should you detect roadside movement. Female turtles are on the move now too to select that perfect sunny sandy spot to deposit her eggs that will hatch this fall. Yes, brake for turtles.  And just last night as I was returning from a New Hampshire Wildlife Federation meeting in Concord I had three very young foxes crossed the road in front of me not far from my house. And don't forget to slow way down any rain night to dodge the frogs and toads still in spring moving about mode. Or avoid driving any rainy night if you can. 

And haven't we had our share of rain this spring that has kept every river and stream plenty full of water. How quickly the "drought years" have slipped away from our thoughts. Between 2015 and 2022 we had droughts in five of those seven years. And the worse, by far, was 2022. Seems like we've been in this drought, then flood cycle for a couple decades now. This spring's rain sure has given us a sea of lush green growth all around us. Yes, we are swimming in sea of green right now. Now it didn't take me long to replace the early April heavy wet snow laden tree picture from my mind. I wonder if all things are as happy as me it's spring? 

What a wonderful time to be alive!