Let others believe in grand acts of creation. For me a new world emerges in fits and starts, until the forest breathes green. And as above, so below. I stepped out the other morning to fog shrouding the canopy. Dark, rain-drenched tree trunks contrasted against the bright green of sodden leaves.

Bird song drew me onward. The capacity of the forest had greatly expanded since the time of the winter flocks and the branches were alive with birds of different sizes and colors. I identified twenty species without much effort, plus there’s a handful more I know are around. The songs seemed to come in waves, for example one ovenbird would set off the rest in a cascade of singing. They proclaim to each other an exclusive right to a specific territory, yet they share these patches of the forest with different species.

All but one of the species I encountered are native to this area. Though there is some competition, they have coexisted for a long time and could continue to do so. Their modes of living are as diverse as their colors. The scarlet tanager couple courting in the spruce forest probably traveled over two continents to be here, while the black-capped chickadee singing in the distance was nearby all winter. Food is a potential source of competition, since many of the birds will be feeding insects to their young. Species can focus on different prey or on different hunting styles. Although both are flycatchers, eastern wood pewees forage lower in the canopy than great crested flycatchers.



In contrast to the action in the tree-tops, the forest floor at first appeared to be uniform greenery. Even the flowering jack-in-the-pulpits were mostly green. A closer look revealed subtle signs of diversity – leaf shapes, textures. Bloodroot hovered above the ground like cumulus clouds. The fading trout lily leaves were streaky, more like cirrus. Remnants of early spring rubbed shoulders with up-and-coming plants. Diminutive jewelweed sprouted from wet ground, and the duo of goldenrods and asters were preparing for their fall show. As is appropriate for such a meeting ground, the old world also met the new. Honeysuckle and multiflora rose claimed space, along with other invaders. This progression, more narrative than cyclic, is harder to predict.