Signs of Spring at Great Swamp WMA
Posted By auntie on March 20, 2017
5.7 miles, South Kingstown, RI
Today was the 2017 Vernal Equinox, and I wanted so badly to welcome it in atop Lantern Hill with the Westerly Morris Men as I did last year, but I had made a quick visit to the trailhead the night before, and being a north-facing hill, it was still completely snow- and ice-covered as far as I could see. I decided that the smart thing to do would be to wait till next year.
As a consolation, I headed out later on this first day of Spring to do some snow- and ice-free hiking closer to the coast. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited this extensive Wildlife Management Area, and I’d forgotten just how big it was. I really enjoyed the long, long trail around the empoundment. The swamp was alive with ducks and geese, though I didn’t see any of the ospreys this place is best known for.
Still Not Spring
The weather today was on the warm-ish side, maybe mid-40s. But even here there was still not a lot of “Spring” to be found. Still, no snow and ice, so I was happy.
Alder Catkins
Ok, so further in to the swamp I did manage to find a few tentative signs of Spring. These are the male flowers of the Speckled Alder. The smaller, more upward-pointing things above them are the female flowers. Tra-la-la-la life goes on…
More Catkins!
And not far from the alders, the willows were “getting it on.” Hubba, hubba.
“Comfy” Rock
I just loved this comfy rock, positioned as it was with a fantastic view of the swamp and the osprey nests atop the utility poles.
This New London Day article is a very good online resource if you’re interested in visiting Great Swamp. It includes a trail map. And as always, click on the image above to download my gps track.
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