Catching Up With Spring

The weather has been so beautiful here in Connecticut lately! Just a string of perfectly sunny, mid-60 degree days. By yesterday afternoon, I couldn't resist the outdoors anymore, so I headed off to Osbornedale State Park to soak in the feeling of spring.

I love all the color and activity going on right now! I've been craving the sight of wildflowers recently, and this walk gave me lots of pretty blooms to admire. Small patches of dainty Dog Violets (Viola conspersa) dotted the path:
 

And Trout Lilies were all over the place, bright yellow lanterns lighting up the forest floor:

These are definitely some of my favorite flowers, and I'm very happy I got to see them in full bloom. Those mottled leaves make this plant even more cool-looking:

So pretty:

The Spicebush blossoms were already fading (but with little green leaves coming out):

In the meadows next to the woods, a couple of Yellow Warblers were singing loudly, an Eastern Phoebe was catching flies, and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks circled in the sky:
 

A pair of Northern Flickers made their presence very clear with lots of calling and drumming, and I even caught one of them with its head poking out of a hole in a tree. Will there be babies soon?
 

And look! Turtles! Now I know it's spring.
 

I saw mostly Painted Turtles at this pond, but that one on the right is a Red-eared Slider, a non-native species and probably someone's released pet (or its descendent).

This is such a great time of year, with a constant stream of new things to see. Here's hoping it won't be too long before I'm able to get out into the woods again!