The spice bush is just starting to bloom today.  This is the food of the little caterpillar we saw on the trail last fall.  I saw a king fisher today flying along the little creek.

Yesterday was a great day for a walk in the woods at O'Loughlin.

We had a real treat today when we found this unusual looking caterpillar on the O'Loughlin trail.  At first I thought it might be a small rubber child's toy. On closer inspection, I found it was a caterpillar and  very much alive.  While graciously photogenic in the middle of the trail, we moved the caterpillar to the side so no one would inadvertently take a wrong step.

Once home I googled the caterpillar to find it is a Spicebush Swallowtail, Papillo troilus, which turns yellow before it pupates.  More information can be found at http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-troilus

Met a very nice woman today who has just discovered the conservation areas and is burning through the trails.  She wondered why some are marked and others aren't.  I pointed her in the right direction.

Glorious late summer day with asters and golden rod blooming.

Even the elderberries are early this year....in July?

Lots of partridge berry blooming under the hemlocks.

We shared the paths today with a painted turtle and a garter snake.

Forgot the camera last week when we went walking so I brought it this time. The spring beauties are blooming along with skunk cabbage and the spice bush. Things are growing at an amazing clip with all of the record warmth we have had this late winter and early spring.

Got to love March...is this what March madness is all about? Wind, snow, 50 degree days?

Just a super day to be outside! The warmth in the air negated the mud underfoot.

We always get a kick out of seeing pileated woodpecker holes so close to the ground. You wonder how they were holding on to the tree.

This shot is from our walk on Sunday. A great day to be outside. We went up the red trail at the O'Loughlin property and speculated about all of the stonewalls on the face of the hill.

The weak sun shone as we walked up the red trail on the O'Loughlin property. We saw these tracks in the snow.

Lovely afternoon walking through the woods. I spotted this witch hazel on the side of the O'Loughlin trail. As I was leaving a bow hunter was walking in. He said bow season started last weekend. I want all those who use the properties to know hunting is permitted and to proceed with caution.

Lovely blackberries growing along the trail.

At the O'Loughlin property there are lots of great lobelia blooming. You can find it near the bridge and going up the hill to the left.

From the bridge on the O'Loughlin trail, all of the spring's rain has turned into a lush landscape.

The frogs were croaking away as we walked along the east side of the Gully Road pond. We also noticed the remains of turtle eggs on the east side of the pond. The holes looked quite fresh. This little red eft skittered across the path as we headed up the O'Loughlin trail.

We walked the O'Loughlin property today and the deer flies were very fierce. Stopped awhile to watch the damsel flies jump from leaf to leaf.

A quick walk on the O'Loughlin trails today showed us these spring beauties.