Springtime on Belvoir

Now that the cold of winter is thoroughly behind us and the warmth of summer is nearly here, it is a great time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Springtime on Fort Belvoir may not always last very long, but it is certainly a beautiful period of growth and change.

All across our region, life is starting fresh after the cold of winter. There is a plethora of life all around you that you do not need to look far to find it. In the last few weeks, you may have already seen the bright robins, playful squirrels, sunny daffodils, and beautiful cherry blossoms. Many of the birds that migrated south for the winter are back. Ruby-throated humming birds have returned from their long journey across the Gulf of Mexico and can be seen zipping around feeders throughout our area.

If you venture down to the Tompkins Basin area on post, you are likely to see vibrantly colored orioles. These birds have also returned from wintering in South and Central America. If you look closely, you may notice two different types of oriole. The Baltimore oriole has a bright orange chest with a black head and the Orchard oriole has a dark chestnut-colored underside.

All of the trees that looked so barren during the winter have now put out their flowers, which have evolved into leaves and the forests are a bright green once again. If you take the time to walk some of the trails on post that wind through the wildlife refuge, you will probably spot some bright flowers of late spring and enjoy the cool shade of our forests.

While out and about, keep an eye out for turtles and snakes that have become active once again in the warmer weather. In the evenings, look up in the air for little brown bats dashing around using sonar to hunt for mosquitoes and moths.

As a cautionary note, if you are going to be heading out, make sure to watch out for poison ivy. Poison ivy has readily identifiable leaves made of three almond-shaped leaflets that are often reddish in color, but will turn green later in the summer. It can grow as a bush or a vine. So, when you see a tree with a "hairy" vine wrapped around it, stay clear, the vine is most likely poison ivy. To avoid some serious pain and irritation, just keep in mind these two phrases: "leaves of three let it be" and "hairy vine, no friend of mine."

So, now that the temperatures are on the rise and wildlife and plants are all around, take time to get out and observe our natural surroundings. Enjoy the next spring thunderstorm that comes through and marvel at the abundance of life here on post.