Tuesday’s full moon shines on April Fool’s Day. As the first full moon after the vernal equinox, it determines the moveable holiday of Easter—always the first Sunday after the full moon closest to the spring equinox. This ancient holiday of rebirth, welcoming the new life of flowering plants and baby animals, also mingles with Christian traditions.
As more and more wildflowers brighten the landscape, many trees and shrubs are also in bloom. The dogwood along Bear Valley Trail has creamy white blossoms along its lower branches, while pale yellow puffs of red elderberry blooms and the blue flowers of ceanothus shrubs may be seen along local roads. Look carefully, as the high grass can obscure smaller flowers.
Construction zones are everywhere in the woods. Woodpeckers may be heard especially in the morning quiet. Pileated woodpeckers like the soft wood of alders and the dead trees left from the Woodward fire to chip out their nest holes. The osprey nest on Bear Valley Trail is being refurbished with a few new twigs as the pair begins their nesting season. Western snowy plovers are soon to begin their nesting season as they flitter across Limantour Beach.