Spring is in the Air

Well, we're actually supposed to get some snow and ice tonight, but Spring is on its way. In the first place, as I noticed a week or so ago, the goldfinches are definitely beginning to take on the first indications of their summer coloring.

In the second place, the robins are officially back. In fact, my handy-dandy Peterson's Field Guide says that they stay in these parts all year round. Far be it from me to argue with Roger Tory Peterson, but there are really only a few of them in this area during the winter and one can go a very long time without seeing any sign of them.

However, there comes a specific day in late winter/early spring, such as today, when one glances out into the yard and suddenly notices 20 or 30 of them bobbing around the lawn and listening for lunch. This is one of my favorite markers of the approaching change in season and I'll probably spend some time this afternoon just watching them mess about.

I reckon that many of this crew must be migrants on their way to points north and west, because after a week or so the population dwindles somewhat. But once we start seeing them in the spring, we never stop until the end of fall.