Celebrating spring in the Sierra

Spring is coming to the Sierra despite the highly variable weather we've had lately - and when hasn't April been variable? I well remember, in South Lake Tahoe, watching my kids in AYSO soccer and even later during Little League practice, in spring snows.

This late moisture is necessary. As of this writing the National Weather Service shows the Carson River watershed snowpack to be at 88 percent of average while total precipitation for the water year has been 92 percent of average. Stream flow projections show the Carson will run at a disappointing 76 percent of average mostly due to absorption by dry soils that resulted from the previous three dry years.

But we live with what we get and the longer warming days are a good time to get out for slow hike to observe the changes happening now. With up to 154 inches of snow up on the passes, rivulets and runnels are forming that will coalesce into creeks and cascades that further down become streams, falls and eventually rivers. So stay low on sunny slopes to avoid snow and look around.

Birds are easy to watch. Get a pair of 7 by 35 binoculars, the National Geographic Birds of North America field guide and you're set. Most songbirds are omnivorous but some species tend toward seeds and berries while others prefer worms or insects. Birds will resume usual behavior patterns if you sit still for a while.

On a bare patch of ground soon after sunrise a flock of Oregon juncos work the area looking for seeds. Soon after, they are replaced by a flock of robins, omnivorous birds that we usually associate with pulling worms out of the ground, looking for anything edible.

A few weeks ago flocks of pinon jays came through, in the air sounding much like a gaggle of flying cats. These chunky, dull blue, somewhat clumsy birds make an adventure out of every landing, doing a series of flutters followed by what looks like a random plunk to the ground, which they then comb hidden caches of seeds. Like its higher altitude relative, the Clark's nutcracker, it can remember the location of thousands of these seed caches.

Steller's jays have really been around all winter, descending a little during the harshest months, but these handsome squawkers, the life of your picnic, are busy feeding and establishing territories necessary for breeding.

A sure sign of spring is the liquid trill of the red-winged blackbird coming up from the creek bottoms and wet meadows. It and the mountain chickadee's long soft call of cheeeeeeese -bur -ger are a sure sign that nice days are ahead. Blue grouse will be booming shortly in the conifer forests adding to the cacophony. Hawks are back, as are swallows. Mountain bluebirds can be seen in high open areas. Waterfowl and wading birds fly up and down the watercourses.

One of the joys of spring is an early hike among scattered snow patches to find a sunlit duff area with the warm smell of Jeffrey pine bark and pine needle duff. This is a good time to drag out your tree book. Trees are easy. They're big, don't move and present themselves well. Note crown shape, bark, cones, count the needle bunches and note color.

Flowers are another matter. Get a simple flower field guide specific to this area with good illustrations or photos. We have about 10 flower books ranging from really simple to the Jeppson Manual: Higher Plants of California (the resident flower and mushroom expert keys out to species level - especially with mushrooms that we eat).

Mammals, reptiles and amphibians, mushrooms, insects and stars all deserve a guide too but I'm out of room. Happy hiking.