Monthly Archives: April 2010

Spring Azures

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One of my favorite signs of spring is seeing my very first spring azure butterfly. There is a whole family of small blue butterflies–they are about the size of a dime–but the earliest ones we see here on the Cape are simply called spring azures by most people. I think that technically they are eastern spring azures. Usually they land and keep their wings closed so I was lucky to catch this one with open wings.The bottom picture shows the azure with its wings closed and you can see how well camouflaged it is like this.
I often see the azures when I find mayflowers but I am not sure if they nectar on these sweet flowers. You may also see them around blooming crow berry and other blossoms close to the ground at this time.

Watch for these tiny but lovely butterflies along sunny paths at the edge of woodlands or even inside the woodlands before the leaves come out. You may often see several “dancing” through the sunlight, a happy sight for winter tired eyes.

More Mayflowers

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Mayflowers, also called trailing arbutus are so close to the ground and so early in the spring that many people never see or notice them. They can often be found along wooded paths where the leaves haven’t come out on the trees yet and where the ground is sort of hilly, dry and maybe even a bit poor or rough. Here you can see a little patch of them along a path. If you weren’t looking for them you might not see them.Here’s a close up view. You can see they barely peek out of the leaves on the forest floor.
These blossoms had a nice pink color. They can range in color from pure white to pinkish to these almost pink flowers.
Mayflowers are in bloom all over Cape Cod right now so if you’re out and around, go see if you can find some. The top two photos were from the Hathaway’s Pond trails in Hyannis the bottom was from the Skunknett Audubon Sanctuary in Osterville.

Go See the Whales….

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Now!

The right whales are feeding in Cape Cod Bay and so are the returning humpback whales, pilot whales and dolphins. You can see them from the Provincetown beaches with both binoculars and your bare eyes. Having said that, young children may have difficulty because the sightings are quick and far away….
But if you can, skip work, skip school, skip your appointments and run, don’t walk, to Provincetown and go see the whales!
Seriously…..it is a most amazing show!