The Most Elegant Plant in the Woods

A full field day on Wednesday began at 3:30am, when I awoke for the first run of my annual Forest Bird Monitoring Program route in the woods at Bear Swamp in Wolcott. Twice each June for more than two decades, starting just before dawn, I’ve walked the same compass route in these woods, stopping at the same five point to count every bird I see or hear. It’s all part of a critical population/conservation study run by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Besides some nice birds, I normally see Yellow Ladyslippers on my first run. Not so this year. Perhaps they’ve flowered and faded. But that’s OK because Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) was in bloom, the first time I’ve ever noticed it flowering on this route. It’s about two weeks early.

Standing all of two or three inches tall, with two nodding pink blooms, this is a circumboreal plant reported to be Carl Linneas’ favorite flower. Mine too. You’ll find it in patches in northern, coniferous woods. If you hear Yellow-bellied Flycatcher calling, look down. And watch where you’re walking.

After the birds, friend and colleague Mike Blust and I spent the rest of the day chasing dragonflies in Orleans and Franklin counties. Stay tuned for a report on that.