Springfield, Illinois. Spring

photographs taken March of 2016

If you will click on any pictures you will be able to view much larger versions of the images.


Some buds on an Asian Pear tree in our front yard. March 15th, 2016.	More buds on the Asian Pear tree in our front yard. March 15th, 2016.	Some buds on an Asian Pear tree in our back yard. March 15th, 2016.	Buds on an Asian Pear tree. March 15th, 2016.


Asian pear branch buds.	Buds on the peach tree on March 15th, 2016.	Peach tree buds about to blossom on March 15th, 2016.	The peach tree in our backyard is about to bloom.


In the middle of the afternoon on March 15th, 2016, our daffodils were about to bloom.	By the late afternoon on March 15th, 2016, a few of the daffodils had bloomed.	On March 15th, 2016 our first daffodils bloomed.	Raspberry bud about to open into leaf on March 15th, 2016.


Mid-March is when we start to get some leaves on the bushes in our yard. These are the new leaves along the back of our house.	The first blossoms of the year appeared on our forsythia bush on March 15th, 2016.	On March 15th, 2016 we were delighted to see the yellow flowers of our forsythia break out of their buds.	The little forsythia blossoms started to appear on March 15th, 2016. Our bush only had a few, but in a few days it would be covered with yellow blossoms.


Here are hyacinth blossoms just minutes after they opened from their buds.	Late in the afternoon of March 15th, 2016 the buds on our pink hyacinth burst into blossoms.	On March 15th, 2016 we saw the purple hyacinth begin to bloom in the middle of the day.	Flower in our backyard on March 15th.


Our maple trees were far along in their blooming on March 15th, 2016.	Tulips in our front yard were still many days away from blooming on March 15th, 2016.	We viewed the new tulips we had planted in October with anticipation on March 15th, 2016.	The Angel of Hope in Washington Park reminded of us our little Elliot, who would have been eight years old in March of 2016 if he had lived. This is a monument for all children who have died.


Canadian geese in Washington Park on March 15th, 2016.	Canadian goose and a mallard duck in Washington Park on March 15th, 2016.	Canadian Goose	A cute white goose in Washington Park


The first magnolia blossoms begin to bloom in Washington Park on March 15th, 2016.	I noticed a few magnolia blossoms in our neighborhood on March 12th, but here is the first one I saw in Washington Park, on March 15th, 2016.	A newly blossoming magnolia flower on March 15th, 2016.	A goose in Washington Park, Springfield, Illinois on 15th of March, 2016.


Willow tree and pond in Washington Park on March 15th, 2016.	The willow trees are among the first trees to regain their leaves in spring. Here is one in Washington Park, which has turned green by March 15th, 2016.	The pond with geese in Washington Park on March 15th, 2016.	The Washington Park botanical garden in Springfield, Illinois.


Sunset in Washington Park on March 15th, 2016.	Mammatus clouds over the carillon in Washington Park, Springfield, Illinois, on March 15th, 2016. About 70 minutes after this photograph was taken, a tornado touched down a few miles from this park and damaged houses.	By Saint Patrick’s Day the peach tree is very nearly ready to burst into bloom.	The purple flowers are lovely in March.


The white hyacinth is quite lovely on Saint Patrick’s Day.	The hyacinths aren’t in thick clusters on these plants.	The pink hyacinths have a sweet scent.	The hyacinths on Saint Patrick’s Day.


Purple hyacinth on Saint Patrick’s Day.	White daffodil	Yellow daffodils on Saint Patrick’s Day	The purple flowers are lovely in March.


The bird house (actually used by squirrels) has some nice maple tree flowers near it.	On March 19th the bird house still has lovely maple tree flowers decorating the branches.	On March 19th some plants have emerged from he ground with lovely new leaves.	On March 19th the raspberry cane has leaves that have just come out of their buds.


On March 19th the first buds begin to break on the Asian pear trees.	Peach blossoms show their color a few days before they open into blooms, on March 19th.	Peach blossoms are starting to emerge on March 19th, but no blooms have appeared.	On March 19th the peach tree blossoms are coming out of their buds.


Easter Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in a tree in our front yard (6th of March)	Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) seen along the Lost Bridge Trail on March 6th, 2016.	An Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a form of ground squirrel that, although it does not hibernate, does not appear much in winter. This was the first chipmunk I had seen since October (seen on March 6th)	This robin perched on the fence. Robins are year all through the winter, but most go south for the winter, and it is uncommon to see them in December and January. I started noticing them in late February, and this one posed for me on March 4th, 2016.


A white-breasted nuthatch with a seed in its beak perched along the Lost Bridge Trail on March 6th, 2016.	Dark Eyed Juncos like to peck among the seeds under our bird feeders. This one was eating fallen seeds on March 4th, 2016.	This is a white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) eating seeds on March 4th, 2016.	Female downy woodpecker (Piccoides pubecens).


Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a common woodpecker around Springfield.	Honey bee on peach blossoms on Easter Saturday (March 26th, 2016)	Honey bee on peach blossoms on Easter Saturday (March 26th, 2016)	Honey bee on peach blossoms on Easter Saturday (March 26th, 2016)


South Fork Sangamon River from Lost Bridge Trail on March 6th. The maple tree on the bank was already in bloom, about a week or two earlier than usual, but the winter was mild, so early blooming was expected.	The crescent moon above branches at Camp Illinek on Friday evening, March 11th, 2016.	Asian pear buds on March 22nd.	Asian pear buds on March 26th. Leaves are breaking out.


March 22nd was the day the buds on the Asian pear started to break.	This Asian pear bud was already revealing a cluster of flower buds on March 22nd	March 26th. Asian pear.	On March 26th the Asian pear tree was almost ready to bloom.


Maple tree blossoms were turning into maple seeds by March 26th.	On March 24th I admired this magnolia tree on the UIS campus.	On March 26th we enjoyed this magnolia tree on our street.	The sight of white magnolia blossoms against a blue sky is a joy of March.


Our first peach blossoms of the year appeared on March 22nd, 2016.	The first peach blossoms seem a little pale.	Pink hyacinth in our back yard on March 22nd.	White hyacinth in our front yard on March 26th.


The bush along the back of our house has new leaves on March 26th.	By March 26th many trees are starting to show their new leaves.	One of our raspberry bushes had its new leaves by March 26th.	This daffodil was looking nice on March 26th.


Peach blossoms on March 26th.	Peach blossoms on March 26th.	Peach blossoms on March 26th.	Peach blossoms on March 26th.


Tulip bloom on March 31st.	Tulips on March 31st.	An early tulip nearly ready to bloom.	Sunlight on the earliest tulip to bloom on the last day of the month.

Peach blossoms on March 31st.	Forsythia blossoms on March 31st.	Asian pear blossoms on March 31st. This is the first, and only, cluster of blossoms open on any of our three Asian pear trees in March.	Asian pear leaves on March 31st.

Azalea bush has new leaves on March 31st.	By March 31st many plants that haven’t already flowered or produced leaves are nearly ready to burst into leaf or flower.	The hyacinths have been blooming for nearly two weeks by March 31st.	Looking across the street from our home on March 31st.

The Divine Springtime

The Divine Springtime

By Eric Hadley-Ives

Book Preview