March 2016 Column as published in the Woburn Advocate
“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” So the saying goes about March. It has been fairly windy this month. I notice this because it makes it hard to take photos of natural subjects when it is windy. Another thing I notice is the rattling of leaves when the wind blows. Leaves? What leaves you ask are rustling before the trees have even leafed out? Dry leaves! Have you ever noticed that there are some trees that still have last year’s dry leaves still clinging to their branches? Most trees this time of year still lift bare branches skyward, waiting for spring when their buds burst open and the woods turn a beautiful shade of light green. Except some trees, oak in particular, still hold on to dry, brown leaves that even a high wind can’t seem to dislodge. There is even a name for this trait. It is called marcescence and it is most common in many of the oak species of which Horn Pond has an abundance. It is also found in American beech which I noticed there are more of than I realized. (The oak and the American beech both belong to the same family) Most of these beeches are small, barely more than shrub size, but in otherwise bare woods, are quite noticeable adorned as they are in translucent pale gold leaves. If you look carefully, the oaks that still have their leaves are also rather small in comparison with say, the huge, old, stately oaks that line the Parkway, especially starting from the Water Street gate. These oaks are quite bare, with nary a leaf. For some reason it is only these small, young oaks and also the lower branches of some of the taller, but still young specimens that cling to their dry, curled leaves.
There are a few different ideas about why this phenomenon occurs. One of the more popular theories is that the old leaves seem to offer some protection to the coming year’s buds against browsing animals, especially deer, which love to eat these same buds. If it were so, it would make sense that only small trees or lower branches would need this kind of protection. One good theory you might say. Another theory is that these leaves act like a snow brake so that the snow piles up under these younger trees. When it melts it adds extra needed water for better growth to help young, smaller trees compete with the larger trees in the forest. Another good thought. Then there are those that think that having the leaves drop in the spring helps add needed nutrients, again for these trees to better compete. If they had dropped them in the fall, most of the nutrients would be leached out by the spring when these trees start growing again. All good ideas. But in actuality, even the scientists don’t really know why this happens. And we can’t ask the trees!!!
It’s getting to be that time of year when the birds start mating. When you walk down the Pond if you see ducks you will notice that they are starting to pare off. Even when you see a whole group, there will usually be equal amounts of males and females. All the birds are starting to pare off, but it is hard to tell with the Canada geese as both genders look alike. But all, including the Mute swans (easy to tell they are mated because they keep far away from other pairs) and all the song birds (just listen to the cacophony of bird calls on any given day, especially in the morning) are getting ready to start this year’s brood. The swans, especially, can be very aggressive this time of year. There are three juveniles around right now. Don’t know if they are from last year’s Horn Pond brood, or if they are strangers. I saw them over in the Cattail Marsh last week and when the adult pair showed up, with wings up in their aggressive posture, the juveniles took off out of there like their tails were on fire! That marsh is that pair’s territory and even if the juveniles were theirs from last year, they would still chase them away since they are getting ready to nest.
Look for the ‘Full Worm Moon’ on the 23rd of this month.
“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” So the saying goes about March. It has been fairly windy this month. I notice this because it makes it hard to take photos of natural subjects when it is windy. Another thing I notice is the rattling of leaves when the wind blows. Leaves? What leaves you ask are rustling before the trees have even leafed out? Dry leaves! Have you ever noticed that there are some trees that still have last year’s dry leaves still clinging to their branches? Most trees this time of year still lift bare branches skyward, waiting for spring when their buds burst open and the woods turn a beautiful shade of light green. Except some trees, oak in particular, still hold on to dry, brown leaves that even a high wind can’t seem to dislodge. There is even a name for this trait. It is called marcescence and it is most common in many of the oak species of which Horn Pond has an abundance. It is also found in American beech which I noticed there are more of than I realized. (The oak and the American beech both belong to the same family) Most of these beeches are small, barely more than shrub size, but in otherwise bare woods, are quite noticeable adorned as they are in translucent pale gold leaves. If you look carefully, the oaks that still have their leaves are also rather small in comparison with say, the huge, old, stately oaks that line the Parkway, especially starting from the Water Street gate. These oaks are quite bare, with nary a leaf. For some reason it is only these small, young oaks and also the lower branches of some of the taller, but still young specimens that cling to their dry, curled leaves.
There are a few different ideas about why this phenomenon occurs. One of the more popular theories is that the old leaves seem to offer some protection to the coming year’s buds against browsing animals, especially deer, which love to eat these same buds. If it were so, it would make sense that only small trees or lower branches would need this kind of protection. One good theory you might say. Another theory is that these leaves act like a snow brake so that the snow piles up under these younger trees. When it melts it adds extra needed water for better growth to help young, smaller trees compete with the larger trees in the forest. Another good thought. Then there are those that think that having the leaves drop in the spring helps add needed nutrients, again for these trees to better compete. If they had dropped them in the fall, most of the nutrients would be leached out by the spring when these trees start growing again. All good ideas. But in actuality, even the scientists don’t really know why this happens. And we can’t ask the trees!!!
It’s getting to be that time of year when the birds start mating. When you walk down the Pond if you see ducks you will notice that they are starting to pare off. Even when you see a whole group, there will usually be equal amounts of males and females. All the birds are starting to pare off, but it is hard to tell with the Canada geese as both genders look alike. But all, including the Mute swans (easy to tell they are mated because they keep far away from other pairs) and all the song birds (just listen to the cacophony of bird calls on any given day, especially in the morning) are getting ready to start this year’s brood. The swans, especially, can be very aggressive this time of year. There are three juveniles around right now. Don’t know if they are from last year’s Horn Pond brood, or if they are strangers. I saw them over in the Cattail Marsh last week and when the adult pair showed up, with wings up in their aggressive posture, the juveniles took off out of there like their tails were on fire! That marsh is that pair’s territory and even if the juveniles were theirs from last year, they would still chase them away since they are getting ready to nest.
Look for the ‘Full Worm Moon’ on the 23rd of this month.