4 April 2026

Woodlots in the City are greening up with the first tentative leaves …

… and full leaf on the yellow buckeyes in Schenley Park.

New flowers bloomed in the summer-like heat: Virginia bluebells near the Visitors Center and a star magnolia near the Westinghouse memorial.

The star magnolia’s flowers were in bud during the mid March freeze so it recovered well. Unfortunately, the forecast for Tuesday night, 7 April, calls for a low of 27°F. 🙁

Invasive garlic mustard leafed out on 15 March and was blooming this Friday.

Coltsfoot went from flowers in snow on 19 March to full bloom on 3 April.

The photo below shows how many trees are greening up near the Panther Hollow Bridge which is covered in tarps for the current rehab.

What you can’t see is the female American robin carrying mud and grasses in her beak. She’s building a nest that she believes will be very safe, inside the tarp in the construction zone. The gap lets her in. Maybe the nest will be very safe. Maybe it’s a bad idea. She’ll find out.

And finally, more evidence of a bird that’s not in the photo. These track lines are small holes drilled by yellow-bellied sapsuckers. The tree heals the holes by growing more bark. Sapsuckers only visit Schenley Park on migration. I saw two yesterday.