Spring Beauties and Other Treasures of the Season

by

As I write this column on April 28, 2025, the spring woodland ephemeral wildflowers are in full bloom.  By the time this column appears on the website in mid-May, many will be past their peak or will have stopped blooming altogether. 

The Virginia Spring Beauty is a small but beautiful spring ephemeral that is quite common in the forests of the Fox River watershed.  These beautiful little flowers bring me joy every time I see them!

The ephemerals are at the mercy of the sunlight being able to penetrate the canopy foliage of the trees in the forest to bring its life-giving rays to the beautiful little flowers. 

One of my favorite species, the Virginia Spring Beauty, will almost certainly be just about gone by mid-May.  These beautiful, delicate little flowers are one of the first to bloom in early spring and one of the first to fade as well. 

The Bloodroot is another beautiful Spring ephemeral that only blooms for a short time. Each flower lasts only about week to ten days.

So, why am I writing about ephemerals that you may not be able to view until next spring?  It’s a fair question, but some of the ephemerals will almost certainly still be visible.  It’s not until after the forest trees fully leaf out, blocking most of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor, that the ephemerals totally disappear for the season. 

Plus, by the time this column appears, more of the winged jewels of the woods will be appearing in our local forests: warblers, tanagers, buntings, and other brightly colored birds.  Spring is really a time to get out for a walk in the woods to see colorful flora and fauna.  When I’m out hiking these days, my attention is divided almost equally toward the forest floor looking for flowers and up in the trees looking for birds!

The Skunk Cabbage, while not technically a spring ephemeral, is always one of the first plants to begin growing in spring. They grow to an impressive size!

Both the flowers and birds appear on a fairly set schedule.  The ephemerals appear and subside with regularity.  One of the first plants to emerge in the spring is the Skunk Cabbage. 

These plants don’t really qualify as an ephemeral as they continue to flourish into very large plants right through the summer. 

Other early-bird plants, like the Spring Beauty and Bloodroot, bloom early and then fade almost as quickly.  It’s interesting to get to know the natural cycle of these plants’ growth patterns throughout the season.

Similarly, the migrating birds like the warblers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, hummingbirds, and others appear on a regular schedule. There are always exceptions though, which makes observing the plants and birds of spring even more interesting. 

This is a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. They are currently transiting the Fox River watershed on their way to the Northwoods. While they don’t reside here year-round, they are regular visitors during their spring and Fall migrations.
This male Pileated Woodpecker was calling and drumming loudly on a big oak tree in the Hoover Forest Preserve on April 28, 2025, trying to catch the attention of a female. Hopefully, he will be successful, and I’ll find the tree where
they set up housekeeping!

For this column, I’ve decided to include a sampling of some of the flowers you might see if you venture into the woods during the spring, along with some pictures of some of our avian visitors returning from the south. 

These two eaglets are the offspring of Meghan and Harry, the Hinckley Bald Eagle pair. They are only about four-weeks old when this photo was taken on April 28, 2025.

Year-round resident birds are currently nesting in the area as well, including one of the biggest environmental success stories, the American Bald Eagle. Many eagle nests within the Fox River watershed are actively rearing a new crop of eaglets. 

It’s heartening to see so many young eagles growing up in our region to continue the species incredible rebound from the brink of extinction. Other resident birds, like the Pileated Woodpecker, are currently seeking out mates and nesting places as spring continues.

Another beautiful jewel of the spring: a male Baltimore Oriole. These orioles are migrating through to the north for the most part. They will be around our area for about a month before they continue their northward journey.
One of my favorite signs of spring: a male Red-winged Blackbird. These birds are one of the earliest returning migrants that reside in the Fox River Valley. Hearing their distinctive call-in late February and early March is a very promising sign of the coming spring.
This blossom is that of the Cutleaf Toothwort plant, another spring ephemeral. Notice the insects crawling on some of the blossoms helping to pollinate the plant.
The Great Waterleaf is one of the spring woodland flowers that hasn’t begun to bloom yet. They will be very soon though! This photo was taken last May.
The Eastern Bluebirds are very active at this time of year. While some stay in our area all year round, many are migratory. This beautiful female was photographed last May.
A beautiful Eastern Meadowlark near Leland, Illinois in the lower part of the Fox River watershed. These beautiful birds have such a lovely song!
Our state flower, the simple Violet, is blooming
in great profusion in our watershed’s forest
right now.
A Wild Blue Phlox blooms along a main trail. These plants are approaching their peak but will bloom for a few more weeks.
One of the myriad warblers that are coming through our area this spring: the Tennessee Warbler. These little birds are so active and colorful with pretty songs. They add a lot to my enjoyment of the spring woods!
A Prothonotary Warbler perched in a shrub along the Fox River.
A Downy Yellow Violet blooms in the Hoover woods. These are not a common as other violets in our forests, but they add some bright yellow color to the forest floor.
Another blue and white variety of violet growing in our forests.
A male Yellow-rumped Warbler in breeding colors flies from branch to branch. These are one of the more common warblers in our area.
A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird explores a bush right along the banks of the Fox River.
The hummingbirds are back from their
long migration!
A long-held sure sign of spring: an American Robin. The robins are so common, I seldom take their picture. I need to change my practice regarding this. They may not always be so prevalent.

I hope you’re able to get out in the woods this spring and enjoy the beautiful flora and fauna jewels that inhabit our Fox River watershed!  Until next time, get outside, enjoy our wonderful watershed, and Keep On Fixin’ the Fox!

On a personal note –
As a reader of this column and a caretaker of our wonderful Fox River watershed, please make your voice heard regarding the potential reversal of the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts and other pro-environmental regulations that are presently being threatened by the current administration.  We have come too far, and our forefathers have done too much to enact these regulations to protect the environment across our nation to allow them to be wiped away by a stroke of a pen.  The time for action is now!  Let your representatives in Congress and the Senate know how you feel.  Your action now may help to protect our natural heritage now and into the future!

All photos taken by Tom Schrader.
Many were taken in the Hoover Forest Preserve near Yorkville.