This year in the Catskills, it was as if nature couldn’t quite decide whether to continue with winter or to get going with spring. April showers were rare this year, only happening in the last few days of the month. Instead, for most of the month, we had a wild ride between vigorous snowstorms and sudden episodes of July temperatures.
April 3 gave us a snow storm just after warm and sunny days. On the 8th, a wild sun-drenched frog party led to ponds full of gelatinous egg masses the next day. Streams were rushing and overflowing with water. Mid-month saw July temperatures tricking the maple trees into blooming ahead of schedule only to have their delicate blossoms frozen by an ice storm the next day.
Despite the volatility of the April weather, the migrating birds came back—Canada Geese, Mallards, Bufflehead diving ducks, even a pair of migrating Loons. This was my first time seeing loons—most magical and special.
There was a sense of life returning even though the trees were bare, the grasses dry and bleached. The rich rain-soaked textures of the forest—bark, fungi, lichen, and rock—took on a new prominence in the landscape. Bare-limbed trees and barren meadows cradled the glow of dawn reflected in the silent waters of the lake.
Click on the photo grid to see larger images:-)