In search of butterflies as color returns to the landscape.
Friday, April 3, 2026
Mostly cloudy with light rainfall this morning. It seems that a small line of storms has moved past us but there is another chance for rain later this evening. I better get my walk in while I can.
While out and about, I noticed some new things today. The Hostas are coming up and starting to spread their leaves. Farther along my route, I saw some brown butterflies with red bars on their wings. After some research, I can only assume these were Red Admiral butterflies, but I hope to see them again so I can confirm. I think that the Chimney Swifts have returned as well and I also discovered a plant I didn’t recognize, beginning to blossom. It turned out to be Viburnum, specifically a Viburnum ‘tinus’ cultivar. I love learning about new plants!
A sudden, and extremely brief, rain shower came through. Just long enough for Lola to hide under the desk and for me to run and close the windows. Now it’s sunny again. A little bit later and another passing shower. This unusual weather pattern is creating some really dramatic skyscapes over the city today. I dodged the raindrops to take a few pictures because it was really quite stunning. The kind of unbelievable weather where the sun is shining one moment and then it’s raining the next.
Here are a few more bits I’ve been observing lately. The bugs are out! First sighting of lots of different insects, including carpenter ants, wasps, bumblebees and a few others I couldn’t identify. More and more trees are showing baby leaves. And believe it or not, there are already some spent dandelions (I guess they don’t last very long?). Lastly, my oldest Hoya plant (Her name is Hilda) is already preparing a second round of flowers.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
A cool but mild morning with a refreshing smell in the air. Very sunny with deep blue skies stretching out of sight. I am standing out on the balcony, listening to a lovely morning chorus of bird song. Sadly, it is forced to compete with the din of commuter traffic and the occasional siren. Whenever it is that I finally move out of this place, I am sure I will miss many things, but I will not miss the droning sounds of the big city.
I went for a mid-day walk in hopes of finding the Red Admiral butterflies I saw a few days back. On this occasion there were no Red Admirals but instead I did see several greenish-yellow butterflies, which are likely Clouded Sulphur (my best guess). They were fluttering over the grass that runs along the pathway leading to the playground. These little beauties had pale green on the undersides their wings and lemon yellow above, with no distinguishable markings at a distance.
Continuing along, I found that the Dogwood trees are blossoming. We had a pink Dogwood in the backyard of the house I grew up in and so I was determined to find one. Happily, I can report that there is a cute little pink tree at Ault Park.
Flowering trees aside, it’s quite a nice day out. Not too hot, not too windy. Sunny and pleasantly warm, but not humid. Cincinnati is known for being very humid in the summertime, so I will enjoy this perfect weather while it lasts. I also noticed that the European Wall Lizards (Podarcis muralis) have come out of hibernation. As the name suggests, they are not native to North America. In fact, these little guys have quite the interesting story to tell.
Lazarus Lizards
What began as a handful of lizards secretly transported to Cincinnati has become a thriving naturalized population. According to Ohio State University, “In 1951, 10-year-old George Rau Jr., step-son of Fred Lazarus III, came across European wall lizards scurrying across rocky slopes while on a family vacation to Lake Garda in northern Italy located about 30 miles east of Milan. George smuggled a few (6 to 10 depending on the reference source) through customs to release them at his family’s home”.1
Fun Facts About Cincinnati Wall Lizards:
- Due to the aforementioned story, they are colloquially known as ‘Lazarus Lizards’
- They can detach a portion of their tail as a defense mechanism (don’t worry it grows back)
- While not dangerous to humans, they are technically considered to be invasive
- Despite this, they are listed as a protected species under Ohio State Law
- Genetic testing has determined that the current population of lizards in Cincinnati came from a meager 3 founding individuals, causing a significant lack of genetic diversity
- They are excellent climbers and can scale many vertical surfaces with ease (they somehow make their way on to the fourth story balcony of my apartment!)
- Lastly, these reptiles are described as ‘insectivorous’, meaning they primarily eat insects, spiders and other invertebrates
Friday, April 10, 2026
Sunny but slightly cool to start the day with a lovely sunrise that turned the clouds the faintest bit of pinky-orange. A little slow to get moving but I made it outside for a walk before 10 am. The hunt for Red Admiral butterflies continues. Thus, I have chosen a different and much more challenging route for my walk today. I decided to take the long stairs down to the next street over (This was a decision I later came to regret as I was sore for days afterward).
I came across some pretty purple flowers I’d not seen before, as well as a stunning cluster of beautiful yellow Iris in bloom. Then I made my way over to the recreational area that has a few ornamental plants. No trees in flower, not much going on at all, but I was able to confirm a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)2 sighting. Finally! My hunt to identify these butterflies is now complete!
A Landscape in Transformation
Spring is well on its way and things are rapidly unfolding. Most of March felt like nothing was happening but now things are changing in leaps and bounds. What had been a subtle stirring beneath the surface has now become impossible to overlook. Signs of new growth are multiplying like a fireworks display approaching the finale, and everyday brings something new, another flower blooming or tree leafing out.
At last, true spring has arrived and the land will soon be green again. Below you can see the transformation of the tree canopy over the past 12 days. The first photo is from March 29th and the last photo was taken on April 9th. I imagine by the end of the month, everything will be fully leafed out. A few more days of warmth and gentle rain will be all the encouragement the trees need. 🌳
Like the leaves gradually returning to the trees, I can feel my energy level slowly rising. Nature proving once again that even a seed long left dormant can produce new growth. Reminding me that every season, regardless of how difficult, has something to teach. Undoubtedly, this learning comes from the repetitive nature of life. Be it the rising and setting of the sun, or the recurring cycle of the seasons, there is something new to discover each time it comes back around. Both new things to learn about the natural world and new things to learn about myself. May you also be a forever student of this experience we call being alive. Let us see what new things await us in the coming month of May.
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”
— William Shakespeare
Note to the Reader: This month has proven to be a challenging one for many personal reasons, which in turn made it difficult to write consistently or well. There are a lot more things I wanted to talk about but decided to omit in the interest of preventing this post from becoming too lengthy. When I start to get tired of reading my own writing I figure that means it’s time to cut things off. Needless to say, I would have liked to post more in April. I am hoping that I can get back into a good rhythm next month. Best wishes and thank you for reading!
- Lazarus Lizard:
Ohio State University – https://bygl.osu.edu/node/585
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podarcis_muralis
↩︎ - Red Admiral Butterfly – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_atalanta ↩︎