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Found this lost baby goundhog sitting on a road.
Credit: Dawn Johnson
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EmailHow do you foretell the coming of spring? Every year, I enjoy hearing what readers from different regions have to say!
To me, birds are one of the best predictors. There is a weather proverb that states, "Bluebirds are a sign of spring; warm weather and gentle south breezes they bring," and this appears to be true in the northern tier of the United States. Bluebirds do not come north until all chance of winter has passed and they are assured an ample food supply.
In my state of New Hampshire, we also know spring is coming when the maple trees are starting to run. The first to notice seem to be the squirrels who start poking around the trees looking for oozing sap.
On a personal level, I know when spring is coming because I start feeling the bumps and holes on my own country driveway; the snow nicely covers and smooths out our road in winter!
Some of our readers also have practical advice. Winter will end shortly after…
- you are inside your warm home and you hear the sound of icicles crashing from the gutters and roofs to the ground below,
- whenever you feel motivated to peel off the 3M plastic you so meticulously taped and blow dried tight to your windows!
- when your mailbox stops getting knocked over by the plow,
- when the kids lose a mitten and you don't bother to replace it,
- and the first time you can drive with you car window down - best feeling ever!
One of our favorite pieces of advice that we’ve received for predicting the weather is as follows:
Go to the back door and look for the dog.
If the dog is at the door and he is wet, it’s probably raining
But if the dog is standing there really soaking wet, it’s probably raining hard.
If the dog’s fur looks like it’s been rubbed the wrong way, it’s probably windy.
If the dog has snow on its back, it’s probably snowing.
The instructions we were sent go on to say…
Of course, to be able to predict the weather like this, you have to leave the dog outside all the time, especially if you expect bad weather.
Signed, sincerely, the cat
What signs of spring do you see? I'd love to hear! To comment, just type into the field below. (Note that you must be a registered user. Registration is free.)
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Comments
I live in Exeter N.H. the
I live in Exeter N.H. the signs of Spring I'm seeing are my tulips are coming up.I see the sap buckets getting full on the Maple trees.My neighbors crocuses are coming up. My sure sign is when all the Starlings come & wipe out all the bird food & suet then I know for sure it's here:-)
I live in Southeast Ohio so
I live in Southeast Ohio so for me I always look for, Geese coming in, and they've been back since January and usually I don't notice them until April. Also the flowers and grass, if it starts getting Green before April it's a great sign spring is on it's way and it's very early. The buds on the trees when they are really big, I know they are gonna start to bloom on a warm front week :). And last thing, is just having a knowing feeling. Usually if I feel it and I can smell it, it's gonna be very early. I have said all winter, spring would be early and I was right :).
I live in north central
I live in north central Oklahoma. My first real sign of spring is the return of the buzzards from Texas. Usually around the middle of March. I saw a couple of buzzards on Thursday the 10th so they are a bit early. Can spring be far behind?
In Klamath Falls, OR, when I
In Klamath Falls, OR, when I hear the birds outside just before the sun comes up. They are ready for the day and so am I.
I usually realize spring has
I usually realize spring has arrived when one day, suddenly, I notice the sound of running water outside. The melt and runnoff has started and the birds, maple buckets and mud will surely be here soon.
My mother used to say that
My mother used to say that you would never have any frost after you heard the first whippoorwill call. I am a grandfather now and I have never seen this prediction fail.
I live in Indianapolis,
I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and we have had Robbins all winter! I saw a number in December and also in February! The Sandhill Cranes first appeared overhead in February, also, which is really early for them. Spring seems to be coming in early this year! :D
It did come early but what
It did come early but what happened to it???
I have also seen robins this
I have also seen robins this winter too in my area (Erie, PA). I also have 2 or 3 blue jays that have been coming to my feeder all winter. I have been leaving them peanuts in the shell...which they love. I also have seen what looks like a wood pecker..didn't get a good look at it but it was walking up and down the tree like one & it had a red head. I also have what I think are grackels and the little brown wrens. So for me it's hard to tell when spring is coming...I keep coming to this site to check how many days til spring :)
It's only March 3, and this
It's only March 3, and this morning, a male house finch was singing his little feathered head off at the top of our Chinese elm tree. I was late for work, but had to look up and listen to him for a few minutes anyway. I told him it was still a little early for that kind of behavior, then went on my way.
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