After a complete defoliation by voracious gypsy caterpillars, there are signs of recovery in the woods.
It’s hard to find an up-side to a gypsy moth infestation, but if any exists, it’s that you not only get more light without the trees blocking the sun, but you can actually see the birds. I hear them, but usually they are hidden high in the trees.
Right now, there’s no place to hide. You can see the beginnings of a new crop of leaves. A second spring is coming. In another few weeks, most of the trees will have leaves again.
Some places seem to be rebounding a lot faster than others. I don’t yet know what that means … if it means anything.
And so our forest, stripped of most of its leaves, deprived of the means to manufacture nourishment, endures. Hints of a second spring give us hope that our beautiful woods will make it through the siege. Most of the oaks and maples will survive. I hope losses will be few.
Share this:
Categories: #Birds, #Photography, Blackstone Valley, Nature
ALMOST YOUNGER 
GLOWING GRACKLES 
GREAT BLUE HERONS 
THE HUNGRY CREATURES 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I am still amazed at the amount of destruction those moths caused. Love your catbirds though- it is an upside having no leaves- you can see the birds much better! 🙂
LikeLike
Nature is very resilient and does bounce back. I remember learning about this in school. That new life always arises from the ashes (so to speak) like a phoenix. What sucks is having to go through the devastation to start with.
LikeLike
Sure did suck. I sure do hope it’s OVER. Because once around on this ride was one ride too many!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Second spring here we come!
Leslie
LikeLike
It’s absolutely gorgeous outside right now. And EVERYTHING is blooming, as if it’s all making up for lost time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is so good to hear, Marilyn.
Leslie
LikeLike
Keeping up well. ‘up’ was missing
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good evening, it is a pleasure always to be back on these pages. Seems i missed some devastating action by gypsy moths they did in your forest. I will check older posts. I have not been keeping well and i guess it has to do something with age. No physical illness but hormonal changes may be. Whatever it is, i am not okay. Feeling weird. I know i have to bounce back. That’s why i m mot writing Marilyn. I wish i could sit in front of you and make you understand all this. Even Tarun and kids are not able to understand my irritation without no reason. He motivates me to feel lively again and stop sulking but i am not doing my part of role. Maybe it’s time to move again and i fear of leaving my house, garden and plants here again like ever. Maybe i fear of becoming old. Anyway you must be sick of my ranting by now. How is Garry and dogs? And the new pet in the garden? I hope he is safe and moths didn’t harm him. Sorry for a long absence.
LikeLike
Menopause — if that’s what it is — is a rough time for women. We all get pretty strange. And it takes a while — usually a few years — before you find a balance. You should see your doctor, though. Just to make sure that’s really what it is. The good news is that you WILL feel better … a lot better … eventually. It’s just a hard time. Kind of crazy.
Garry’s okay, getting old, like the rest of us. The dogs are hanging in there. Fred, being plastic, is impervious to natures whims. Fred is always very pink, and happy.
You should google menopause and do some reading. It will be easier to explain when you better understand it yourself. There are also a LOT of books, tons of stuff written about menopause. It’s normal, but it’s no fun.
LikeLike
That’s what I guess but so soon? …,..I never knew the changes will take place in early forties. It scares me seriously. I feel loss of will and energy all the time. I googled and felt worst. I think I have to really make some effort to get back into some action. Thanks for sharing all this, it helps.
LikeLike
Beautiful images………
LikeLike
Thanks. Everything is really pretty right now. I hope it lasts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your forest was hit hard! But nature is resilient for the most part and knows what to do. I remember the gypsy moths when I used to live in New England. My father was a warrior every spring, battling the gypsy moth horde. Happy Summer 🙂
LikeLike
I sincerely hope the worst is over and we don’t get a repeat performance. This has been hard on all of us. Nasty bugs. Very nasty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nasty is a good word to describe them. I remember them dropping from the trees. Ick.
LikeLike
They were falling like rain around here. Our entire house was covered in them and the driveway was literally writhing. Horrible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ew. It gets grosser with each comment, Marilyn. Ha ha. I don’t think I can beat that one!
LikeLike
Wow — two springs in one year — but at what cost!
LikeLike
This hasn’t been fun and I won’t feel safe until the oaks have leaves again. I think I’ll have nightmares forever.
LikeLike
There had to be an up-side 🙂
LikeLike
Nice to be able to find something positive in this mess. Hopefully, the invasion is over for the year.
LikeLike
I hope so so, it looked devastating.
LikeLike
It was horrible. I’m trying to believe it’s over, but I’m still very creeped out.
LikeLike
It looked it from your pictures too.
LikeLike
“Nature will find a way..” Not sure where that quote comes from but it IS a quote.
LikeLike
Yes, except when it doesn’t work out that way. When species go extinct, when forests die, when wetlands are polluted.
LikeLike
I tend to believe that the success of a species has a lot to do with what it needs to survive. Nature will determine what will survive and if it isn’t possible, will create something that will in its place. Same principle just have to look at it in a different way. The fact that those trees are spouting new leaves tells me that there IS a “Plan B.”
LikeLike
That’s true, but one more defoliation and the trees will die. In this case, there’s a plan B, but no plan C. Nature cannot compensate for what we humans do to our planet. There’s no plan B for the extinction of a species or the killing of an aquifer. And believing that no matter what we do, “nature” will fix our mistakes is the hubris that will make US extinct — maybe sooner rather than later.
LikeLike
We’re not talking about man now, we’re talking about a “bug”, part of nature affecting another part of nature, a tree. Granted these things may have hitch hiked here from another part of the world, but inevitability is the culprit here. Sooner or later, one way or the other, the bug would have made it to these shores and sometimes “man” is involved. It seems to me that the defoliation took place at just the right time for the trees to be able to regroup with new leaves. Later in the season this process might not have worked. The caterpillars needed out and food, the trees took a hit but were still in their spring growing cycle. the result; new leaves and a new lease on life.
Just think, if all the foliage was killed the next wave of caterpillars would have nothing to eat and this could turn into a world wide problem. But the intervals between infestations give the flora a chance to regroup. Nature is a wonderful thing even when she’s at her worst.
LikeLike
They are talking about fracking around here. Yeah. Nature. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?
LikeLike
…. go wrong, go wrong, go wrong…..
LikeLike