I've seen the brown specks covering the snow beneath the birch trees before, but have never examined them very closely until now. I've been reading, Faith in a Seed, a fascinating book that contains Henry D. Thoreau's last manuscript, The Dispersion of Seeds, first published in 1993. Thoreau's keen observations and expressive descriptions have piqued my curiosity, and I'm going to have a really good look at all those seeds.
click on picture to enlargeI picked up one dry "catkin" that had fallen to the ground, and it easily came apart in my fingers. To me the scales look like swooping birds or miniature jet planes. The seeds are indeed as Thoreau described them and have a "very broad transparent wing on each side" and could "pass for tiny brown butterflies".
click on picture to enlargeEach "catkin" has about one thousand seeds. The seeds are a highly valued source of energy for many winter birds.
