Now that it’s cold we’re all wearing winter coats.
We humans make decisions every day about what layers to put on, but birds and animals changed into their winter coats a couple of months ago.
White-tailed deer have two different coats of hair during the year. The gray winter coat is comprised of longer guard hairs and a soft wooly underfur that provide insulation from the cold. This thicker winter coat is shed prior to the hot summer months. The shorter summer coat is reddish-brown and lacks the thick insulating underfur. The summer coat hairs are short and wiry.
Non-migratory birds molt into fresh new feathers with added insulation in late summer. House sparrows (Passer domesticus) increase their plumage weight by 70% between August and September. Their typical summer plumage weight is 0.9 grams, winter weight is 1.5 grams, but they won’t look heavier until it’s really cold.
Ginkgo leaf with beads of water, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
15 Nov 2025
After my 11 November article about The (Pittsburgh) Ginkgo Map I kept my eye out for local ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) but I was already too late to see them drop their leaves.
That afternoon I went back to photograph the Garetta Street trees, shown in my article from 11 November 2017.
Ginkgo trees at Jewish Association on Aging, Garetta Street as seen from JHF Drive, 11 Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)
But the 11th of November was too late this year. All the leaves had fallen and the landscaping crew was sucking them into the red truck (at right, below). Oh no! I was just in time to see part of their yellow carpet.
Ginkgo trees at Jewish Association on Aging, Garetta Street as seen from JHF Drive, 11 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
On Friday I photographed the ginkgo leaf carpet at Phipps Conservatory’s lawn. Someone had picked up a bunch of leaves and made a smaller pile in the distance. I picked up one leaf beaded with water, above, and took its photo.
Carpet of ginkgo leaves at Phipps Conservatory lawn, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Ginkgos weren’t the only yellow.
Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is blooming in Schenley Park. Its pale yellow flowers are fertilized at night by owlet moths that survive cold weather by hiding under leaf litter during the day. They shiver to warm up and fly at night.
Witch-hazel in bloom, Schenley Park, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
The wind made waves in Panther Hollow lake on 13 November, turning the sunlight from yellow to gold.
video by Kate St. John, 13 Nov 2025
Light reflects on wavy surface of Panther Hollow Lake, video by Kate St. John, 13 Nov 2025
Black tupelo fruits and fall color, Schenley Park, 6 November 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
8 November 2025
Fall color faded quickly after yesterday’s gusty winds blew all the best leaves off the trees. The colors were brilliant in Schenley Park on Thursday 6 November as seen in these photos.
Fall color in Schenley Park, 6 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)Fallen sweetgum leaf, Schenley Park, 6 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)Fall color in Schenley Park, 6 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
We found yellow black walnut leaves at Moraine State Park on Monday 3 November. The leaves and stems felt soft because they are fuzzy.
Fall color on black walnut leaves, Moraine State Park, 3 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Yesterday Schenley Park was at “Half Leaf” — about 50% of the leaves had fallen — and the remaining leaves were not as brilliant. The colors have faded fast.
Beech trees are the last to show fading fall color, Schenley Park, 7 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Soon the only brilliant colors will be in the sky.
Fall color in the sky at sunrise, 7 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Green hawthorn fruits (probably Winter King cultivar), Frick Park, 28 Oct 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
1 November 2025
This week the brightest fall color disappeared from the landscape as rain and wind took down the reddest leaves. This showed off many colorful fruits to attract attention.
Above, a hawthorn tree at Frick Environmental Center is loaded with bright red fruit. I believe this is a cultivar of the green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis) chosen for its winter hardiness.
Below, on Flagstaff Hill I found one tree that still had red leaves on Wednesday. Thursday’s rain and wind probably stripped it bare.
One red tree left on Flagstaff Hill, Schenley Park, 29 Oct 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) was so colorful that even the bud scales looked red.
Fragrant sumac leaves and buds near Phipps, 29 Oct 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Western goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius) at SGL 117, 1 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
9 June 2025
While this blog has been All Peregrines All The Time for the past couple of weeks, I’ve neglected flowers and phenology. Today I’m catching up with a few June blooms.
On a visit to State Game Lands 117 (SGL 117) on 1 June we saw many flowers blooming by the gravel road. The most striking was a biennial Eurasian plant called western goatsbeard or yellow salsify (Tragopogon dubius). A related species in the U.K., Tragopogon pratensis, is nicknamed Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon because it opens in the morning and closes by late afternoon. So does this one.
Western goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius) at SGL 117, 1 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
This deep blue flower, Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana), has a long blooming season. I saw it at Frick Park on 19 May and yesterday at Schenley.
Virginia spiderwort, Frick and Schenley, 19 May & 8 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Common nipplewort (Lapsana communis) is a Eurasian member of the aster family that’s become naturalized in North America. Its flowers look like hawkweed but not its leaves.
Common nipplewort, Frick Park, 7 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Also seen at SGL 117 on 1 June, a sometimes invasive plant called bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) or “eggs and bacon.” The first name describes its leaves, the second name its flowers.
Bird’s-foot trefoil, SGL 117, 1 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Topping off the invasive plants in Schenley Park is this Eurasian plant, goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) or ground elder. It was blooming yesterday in heavy rain.
Goutweed in bloom, Schenley, 8 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Bent and broken tree leans at Raccoon Wildflower Reserve, 13 April 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
18 April 2025
Several days were sunny this week so I made sure to get outdoors.
At Raccoon Wildflower Reserve on 13 April I encountered a broken tree which I have seen many times before, but this time it had a shadow that nearly touched the far end. The brightly lit forest floor also shows why wildflowers bloom in April. They are flooded with light before the trees leaf out.
Best Photo of the week, though not a native wildflower. Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is blooming throughout western Pennsylvania.
Purple deadnettle, Frick Park, 14 April 2025 (photo by Kate St. john)
The day warmed up considerably at Raccoon Wildflower Reserve on 13 April. I could almost watch the flowers opening.
Trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) were just beginning to bloom along the south-facing cliff.
Trout lily, Raccoon Wildflower Reserve, 13 April 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Tulips in a garden in Shadyside, 3 April 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
5 April 2025, 6am
This week the tulips bloomed on Thursday, and then it rained and rained.
There are lots of showy tulips in Oakland and Shadyside where there are no deer to eat them.
Tulips on Fifth Avenue, 3 April 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Rain! Pittsburgh received 1.33 inches of rain in the past 36 hours so that, by 6am this morning, NOAA predicts minor flooding at the Point, the head of the Ohio. Of course that could change.
Ohio River at Pittsburgh flood gauge prediction as of 5 April 2025, 6am
Other parts of the country from Ohio and Kentucky to Arkansas are not so lucky. The purple spots on the map below are Major Flooding areas.
The map is derived by tracking daily weather conditions that prompt honeysuckle to leaf out. Yes, honeysuckle is invasive but it’s so pervasive and its leaves are so early that it’s a good common indicator of spring status across the country.
Here in Pittsburgh honeysuckle leaves began to emerge on 15 March in the city …
Honeysuckle status on 15 March 2025 in Frick Park (photo by Kate St. John)
… and were big and bushy yesterday, 2 April.
Honeysuckle leaves in Schenley Park, 3 April 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
It’s fascinating to watch Spring move north this year. 1 January through 2 April 2025 are shown in this animated map.
Yesterday morning it was sprinkling when I left for the Duck Hollow outing. It looked like more rain would come so there were only three of us: Andy, John and myself.
At the start we saw a common merganser pair, a flock of three lesser scaup, two wood ducks in flight and one bufflehead (as promised).
The most numerous two species are usually mallards and Canada geese but yesterday they were topped by northern cardinals and red-winged blackbirds conspicuously singing, chasing, eating and chasing again. (The photos are from Wikimedia, not our outing.)
Red-winged blackbird (photo from Wikimedia Commons)
Andy found a tiny snail on the move with its antennae leading the way. By the time I took its picture it was hiding under leaves. Its outstretched neck and head are inside the pink circle but it is so dark that it’s hard to see.
Tiny snail on the move, Duck Hollow, 30 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Back at the parking lot John pointed out a northern rough-winged swallow flying over the river, considered “rare” by eBird because it showed up in March.
If you haven’t seen or heard another new arrival yet, the eastern phoebe, visit Duck Hollow. We saw/heard three.
Sharp-lobed hepatica, Barking Slopes, 25 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John) …Those are not its leaves.
29 March 2025
This week saw the real beginning of flower and leaf activity at Schenley Park, Aspinwall Riverfront Park, Barking Slopes and Raccoon Wildflower Reserve.
Flowers and …
Weather makes all the difference for spring wildflowers. They show off on sunny days.
The best weather by far was on 25 March at Barking Slopes where I found a single blooming sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba), lots of harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa), cutleaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) in the bud, and coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) opening to the sun.
Harbinger of spring, Barking Slopes, 25 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)Cutleaf toothwort flowers in bud, Barking Slopes, 25 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)Coltsfoot, Barking Slopes, 25 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Ramps! Barking Slopes, 25 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Yesterday it rained while I visited Raccoon Wildflower Reserve, though it was sunny for half an hour at the start. These spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) were open early on … before I got wet.
Spring beauties, Raccoon Wildflower Reserve, 28 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Speedwell (Veronica persica) was hiding in the grass at Aspinwall Riverfront Park last Monday. Beautiful color.
Speedwell, Aspinwall Riverfront Park, 24 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Trees: A Hint of Green and First Leaf Out
Leaf out begins in the City long before the outlying areas. On 27 March at Schenley Park the willows gave a hint of spring and native buckeyes were already leafing out.
Willows greening up at Schenley Park, 27 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
At this time of year a tree that looks red at the top is a probably a flowering red maple (Acer rubrum) — like this one in Schenley Park.
Red maple in flower, Schenley Park, 27 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
I always search for low hanging branches to photograph the flowers. On 19 March this female red maple flower was easy to reach. The male flowers are yellowish because of pollen.
Red maple flowers, The Carnegie, 19 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Also on 19 March, yellow buckeyes (Aesculus flava) were already leafing out.
Yellow buckeye leafing out, Schenley Park, 19 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
By 27 March the bottlebrush buckeyes (Aesculus parviflora) had sizable leaves.
Bottlebrush buckeye leafing out, Schenley Park, 27 March 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
For the next three days it will be very cloudy in Pittsburgh but the temperature in the city will range from 59°F to 78°F — basically 60-80°.
I expect more flower and leaf activity before it turns cold on April Fools Day. Cold. No kidding.
