Last Updated on May 15, 2017
Winter is still departing us, but some early crocuses are blooming in gardens, so there is hope for spring. Walking the Nature Trail at this time of year is an adventure, and not yet recommended for several weeks. Testing it out in late February, I found that I could slip on snow, ice, or mud, depending on where I was. In fact, my shoes got sucked off twice in mud, so wear something tight and sturdy if you venture out now.
On April 6 members of the Nature Trail Committee will have a Trail Clean-up Day, during which we will also clean any trash out of the Run and off the adjoining hillsides. This is not only spring cleaning, but is also preparation for our biggest day of the year, Wildflower Day, which this year will be on Friday, April 22, Earth Day. We will have Trail and nature displays, movies, raffles, and homemade cookies in the Cross Creek and Chesapeake lobbies from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will also have at least one guided walk on the Nature Trail to discuss its features, especially any spring flowers in bloom.
One additional thought: The other day as I was entering the skywalk from Brookside to Edgewater, I looked down to the left (east) to see the Nature Trail. On the first windows you come to, I noticed ghostly images on the outer glass. There were more than a dozen before recent rains washed many off, but they were impacts from where doves flew into the glass. The reason for this was people feeding the birds from upper Brookside balconies. The birds would wait in nearby trees for the food and then either fly from the trees or balconies, with some hitting the glass of the skywalk. I looked on the ground below the skywalk and did not find any stunned or dead birds, so hopefully none were killed. The folks who were feeding the birds this way were asked by management to cease and desist, so this problem should be over, not to mention ending the rain of bi
rd poop on lower balconies and patios. At the end of February you could still see a few birds waiting in the trees, hopeful for a winter handout, but they will learn to look elsewhere. The attached picture (looking up at the eave of the skywalk) is my best effort to show the impact image of one bird, and if you look closely you can see the outline of the body and wings on the glass. Nature is always interesting, and animals will always take advantage of whatever food source they can find, even if they get knocked silly in the process.
Bert Clegern
Co-Chairman, Nature Trail Committee