Early Spring

On the calendar, March 20th is officially the "First Day of Spring" this year.  In our hearts and minds, what says to us "Spring is here!" can be lots of different things.  

For many people, it's the arrival of American robins.

The early bird DID get the worm!

This year I saw the first robin in our yard on March 8th.  (I also saw some a few days earlier at a nearby location).  The springtime arrival of robins can vary greatly... in fact, they can sometimes be seen in the winter - if you look in the right places and if there is food available for them. In 2013, we listed our first robin of the year on January 3rd.  The next earliest was February 5th in 2009... but usually it's in March -- anytime from March 2nd to 9th.

Of course, I greatly anticipate the arrival of other birds.  Red-winged blackbirds sometimes hang around in the winter here (like William) but most arrive back in early March.  The males come first and start staking out their territory and then begin singing from a prominent spot.

That one choose an extremely prominent spot, as you can see in the next photo!  He was all the way at the top of the huge hemlock tree by our house.

That's him-- the small black dot at the top, just left of center.  I don't think any females were paying attention to him; in fact, I haven't seen too many females around yet.  They arrive back awhile after the males.  There was one at our feeder area today though, so maybe he'll get lucky.

female red-winged blackbird

He's not the only one acting a little silly while looking for love this spring though.  Song sparrows have been arriving back the last few days.  This guy was singing his heart out near the top of a tree, too.

See if you can pick him out in the next photo... he's way up at the center of the tallest tree.

The goldfinches aren't singing anymore than they usually do (they won't nest until late summer so there's no rush to find a mate), but they are starting to change into their summer attire.

Not only does this one appear to be getting some bright yellow feathers around its side and throat, it seems to be loosing an old feather near its tail.

Mallards in the swamp should be happier this March than last.  Here they are last year on March 9th:

"Why did we come back here already?"

And this year on March 6th.

Two male mallards

There was plenty of water for this mallard couple to swim around in this year on March 12th.

On the 12th, it was so balmy that a bunch of painted turtles were sun-bathing!
Wildflowers are in bloom in places that were still snow-covered at this time last winter.

Coltsfoot

Dandelion

There are signs of life in some other buds and leaves which are beginning to grow.

Bulbs in my garden are flowering (well, they used to be in my garden -  these crocus have been 'transplanted' into the grass by chipmunks who hid the bulbs in their tunnels and then forgot to eat them).

Apparently, chipmunks don't like to eat snowdrop bulbs.  They leave them alone.

There are so many beautiful things to enjoy when the warmer weather comes.  There is still much to anticipate, too!  I'm anxiously waiting for the first hepatica flower in the woods.  I've been checking, but... no flowers on them yet!

Hepatica leaves

All these things bring joy to my heart.  The arrival of birds, the new growth of plants, and the blooming of flowers.  But there is one more thing that signals to me that spring is here.  I can't show you... I don't have a photo of one.  And it's not the appearance of them that is so thrilling in the spring -- it's their sound.  And that is the chorus of the Spring Peepers!  I heard the first ones yesterday - so, "Spring is here!"