Every year, we patiently look for the first signs of spring in the air—leaves budding, birds singing, and butterflies migrating. Tell us: What are you observing in your neck of the woods?
Even if it’s still winter and your ground is covered in snow, observe closely! There are always subtle signs that spring is on the way. For example:
1. Birds are singing!
Backyard 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.
We started hearing bird song in mid-February from chickadees, titmice, and red-winged blackbirds. The cardinals sing their “cheer, cheer, cheer” to say that we are turning a corner.
Many migrating birds are arriving as many as two weeks early compared to decades past (and some never leave!).
As the days gradually become lighter and temperatures start to lift, the chorus will become louder. In March, a chorus of birdsong fills the air as the migrating birds return. Warblers, sparrows, yellowthroat, and finch are more favorites. You may hear the knock of woodpeckers, too! Even ducks start to return to our lakes.
What bird sounds do you hear?
Image: Eastern Bluebird.
2. Trees are budding, sap is flowing!
Observe the buds on your trees. Some of the first trees to bud are the willows and silver maples, followed in March with the red maples.
Another sign is the flowing sap. The sugar sheds are firing up in New Hampshire right now!
Mmm … there’s nothing like the taste of maple syrup, liquid gold! The first to notice seem to be the squirrels, who start poking around the trees looking for oozing sap.
3. Peepers are peeping
As soon as the ponds and wetlands thaw—as early as mid-March—listen for the spring peppers (Pseudacris crucifer) and the western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata). These tiny amphibians sing loudly, creating quite a chorus at dusk!
Like its name, the spring peeper tends to call a high single “peep!” Put all those spring peepers together and it’s a “peep, peep, peep, peep!” The call of the chorus frog is hard to describe. It sounds a little bit like someone is running their thumb along a comb.
These tiny frogs live beneath logs or underground and are freeze-tolerant, and tend to like moist, wooded areas, ponds, and wetlands.
As they emerge from hibernation and begin to spawn, look for the appearance of small jelly-like egg masses. While it may seem like there are an overabundance of tadpoles, most (up to 90%) do not survive do to predators.
Image: Western Chorus Frog. Credit: naturewatch.ca
4. Fresh, soft scents
Ever notice that entrancing smell of spring? The Earth is awakening and it does indeed smell more, well, earthy. With warmer weather, misty mornings and soft wet smells fill the air.
5. Butterflies and Bumblebees Return
As warmer weather returns, you may start to see butterflies and bumblebees return. Both are pollination wizards.
To encourage butterflies to reside in your garden, it’s best to include food sources in the form of host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for butterflies. See our article on plants which attract butterflies to the garden.
We adore the slow, fat, gentle bumbles. The first bumblebees are the queens who survived the winter months. If you wish to attract butterflies and butterflies, be sure to have available flowers and plants.
Learn more about bumblebees and which flowers attract the bumbles.
And more from our readers …
Some of our readers also have practical and often humorous observations. Winter will end shortly after…
- The snow melts and reveals bumps, holes, and potholes in the road!
- 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 your car window rolled down—best feeling ever!
What are the first signs of spring in your neck of the woods? To comment, just type into the field below.
See the 2021 Spring Equinox page for facts and folklore about the start of astronomical spring.
Reader Comments
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first signs of spring
SPANDEX!!
Signs of spring (NE Ohio)
The Cardinals returned to my yard and my first crocus bloom spotted. Both yesterday. Still waiting for the Robins to return to the yard. The birds winter in the woods but come back to our open yards come spring.
But, THE true sign of spring here is the return of the Red Winged Blackbird.
The skunk cabbage begins to
The skunk cabbage begins to pop up in the wetlands/woods behind our house. Also, the juncos that have been at our feeders all winter head back north. I love seeing them all winter but their disappearance is a sign of spring.
Signs of Spring
My crocus are blooming here in Missouri! Beautiful!
Spring has Sprung in Southern New Hampshire
The trees are budding and the Crocuses are popping up from the ground! Mud season has begun!
Signs of Spring
The blooming of the witch hazel that my late wife and I planted by our front steps some twenty years ago.
Spring in Monroe,NY
Just found bear scat! Time to take down the bird feeder.
Spring in Attawapiskat , Ontario is...
When the ice road gets flooded out and starts to break up so you have to canoe home that's a sure sign of spring in Attawapiskat.
Sandhill cranes migrating
Sure signs of spring for us are the flocks of sandhill cranes migrating north. They pass right over our town like clockwork every February. We usually hear them trilling to each other long before we can spot them high up. They often circle over the nearby lake before heading north. Maybe they're trying to decide if it's a good place for a pit stop.
spring is coming when.....
Spring is here when, for the last 52 years, is the Mocking Birds.
This little LOUD family has been telling me spring is here when I CAN'T sleep at night.... with then singing) The same place every year, in a very old rose (right by my bedroom window). There is also a Scrub Jay in the same rose bush, how does nature do this? I LOVE IT ALL! Lizzy
First Signs of Spring in the Pacific NW Cascades
The pink forsythia and the yellow witch hazel have bloomed, the crocuses have come and gone, but the hellebores - frilly green, true black, Cherries Jubilee (pink with rubies around the center), white with red freckles, and a multitude of pinks, singles to petticoat doubles (I have 12 kinds) - are all looking splendid! Heard my first little tree frog today. Did I mention I have daffodils opening, too, and it finally stopped raining every day! Love Spring!
Dead Skunks
When you start remembering where the roadkill skunks are around town so you can hit the air recirculation button before you get to them.
Spring Signs
In the South spring luckily comes earlier with the appearance of robins and the peeper frogs.
First signs of Spring in Ohio
Even on chilly mornings, I know Spring is approaching when I hear the male Cardinal singing his head off!
First signs of Spring
Here in NE Ohio, my daffodils are starting to come up. I always watch for Mr. & Mrs. Mallard come and take a few days rest and food in our pond. They arrived March 5th.
Spring
The skunks are out and about and the red-wing blackbirds are back! The bluebirds are checking out the nesting box on the fence post. :)
Spring in NE Oregon
We know we have turned the corner into spring when the Canadian Geese start looking for nesting boxes near the neighborhood ponds. Many folks have built nice "homes" for them to use to keep their goslings safe. Snow usually is gone off the ground by mid March, although we are expecting 3-6 inches this weekend. We got anxious for spring and already took the chains off the backhoe,,,,,,
Signs of Spring in the Taos, NM Rockies
First magpies building their big rough twiggy nest for about 2 weeks now. When warmer weather is truly here the water coming out of the taps will be cold but not freezing cold as the ground warms. A few grape hyacinths are showing leaves the past few days.
Spring arrival in Northern Florida
I know Spring has sprung when Jerry (my green tree frog) returns to my container garden. I have a container garden on my balcony and when he returns and sings to me, Spring is here.
signs of spring
Spring means baseball! Mostly games are canceled or rescheduled because of rain. Thanks for the pic of the spring peeper. I hear them but didn't know what they looked like.
Signs of spring
In SE Mass. it's the crocuses! Sometimes they'll poke through the last of the snow. I know it's spring when the male goldfinches turn yellow.
first sign of Spring
When the mesquite and Huisache trees bloom in Texas there will not be another freeze. Plus we watch for the migrating birds coming through
Spring is here
The eagles have finished nesting and they are flying the air currents over our home. The hummers are feeding on the feeder.
Spring is coming
When the animals begin to shed the thick winter coats.
Looking for signs of spring.
When the first loon arrives on the lake. When people share that info with others there are always big smiles. They won’t land if they can’t leave and they need about a mile of open water.
Spring
I know that spring is around corner for you guys but here inn Australia we only have the winter to look forward to Enjoy!!!!
Heard and saw the first of
Heard and saw the first of the red winged blackbirds today. Sure sign that Spring is on the way :)
New Brunswick, Canada
Spring's here when I look outside and there's Robins everywhere in the field and in my yard.
Spring is here when...
the street sweepers are out cleaning up the roads!
Spring in Wisconsin
I know it's Spring when our basement floods and our backyard is a swimming pool from all the snow that melted in Wisconsin! Also when you see the first Robin!!!!
Springs Here When
I know spring isn’t far when the daffodils appear in the patch of woods behind my house and this year one of my iris has already bloomed I love spring
South-central Mississippi
The daffodils sprout, then bloom, followed shortly thereafter by the bloodroot sprouting. Also the buds appear on the red maples.
Spring is around the corner
Up in the mountains of Northern California (3,000feet) it is a sure sign when the male hummingbirds are staking out their territory waiting for the females to arrive. I am surprised that they stay with the morning temps in the 20's. Also, when I see the sparrows at the feeders instead of just junco's is another sign that the return migration has begun.
Geese are Pairing
I live in northern California and know when spring is coming because the geese start breaking from their gaggle, pairing off. There are several hundred where I work, and I've learned the old phrase "silly goose" is not without reason!
Spring is Around the Corner
I live in southwest Florida and I know when it is spring when the orange trees bloom.
Spring is hete
I live in southern california and i know spring is here when i look at the calender and it's march 21.
How I know spring is here....
Haha...your comment made me laugh. I live in Northern California and I don't know anything about icicles falling or plows running over the mailbox. Such different experiences from the east coast!
Signs of Spring
Skunks are better predictors of Spring than groundhogs. Once you start smelling skunks after a long winter, it means they know the warm weather is coming in six weeks when it will be warm enough to welcome their little babies.
Spring has sprung
Its February 19th, the spring peepers are out in great numbers declaring that winter is over. Hurrah!!!
Spring is coming when you see
Spring is coming when you see movement of boats on trailers. Open water is near. One time I watched the return of seagulls that was a 30 minute ,
continuous fly over of squawking..
If the dog's fur looks as if
If the dog's fur looks as if it had been rubbed the wrong way, it is probably windy. If there is no longer a dog outside, you can expect you are experiencing an early spring tornado.
It is almost spring when I
It is almost spring when I see all the birds gathering leaves and heading for the trees to make their nests. Also, when I start to hear doves and hear crickets spring is almost here.
WELL TO ME THE FIRST SINES OF
WELL TO ME THE FIRST SINES OF SPRING 2 ME ARE WHEN WE FIND MY DAD PASSED OUT NEKKED OUTSIDE CUZ IT WASNT TOO COLD FOR HIM OUT THERE DRUNK LOL
Oddly, North Texas has had a
Oddly, North Texas has had a really cold wietnr this year: highs in the 50s, 40s, sometimes 30s (hey, for Texas, that's cold). But today is quite nice so far the high is supposed to be in the low 70s, and it's very sunny. Except it's also very windy. Almost as windy as Idaho (and that's windy).
Fuzzy "cabbages" of Lambs Ear
Fuzzy "cabbages" of Lambs Ear popping up, smelling like a basket of Easter candy
My grandma use to always say,
My grandma use to always say, "The first sighting of a Robin resolves the debate of the first day of spring."
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
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 did come early but what
It did come early but what happened to it???
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.
In mid Missouri, I love to
In mid Missouri, I love to hear the little spring frogs start to chirp in the evening. I know it's spring at last.
Japnese Magnolia is in full
Japnese Magnolia is in full bloom in February and leafing green in early March. Great Blue Heron are on nest in the swamp by late January/ early February and have nestlings in late February or early March. Alligators begin to move when air temps reach 55 to 60 degrees F and Cottom-mouths will not leave their limb till warter temps reach rising air temps of about 60 degrees F and these are found facing east soon as it warms enough.
When the Osprey return to the
When the Osprey return to the nests at the end of my pier along the Chesapeake Bay.
I live in Nebraska, so when I
I live in Nebraska, so when I see and hear geese flying north. Also when I start seeing robins, I know spring is close.
I live in WI. My "sign of
I live in WI. My "sign of spring" is the first Robin I see. But I know it's really spring when I can "smell the dirt". Then I know I can start digging in my garden. Can't wait for either one!
I love the post by "the cat"
I love the post by "the cat" LOL !
We live in central Texas.
We live in central Texas. Best sign of spring around here is seeing a scissortail (bird). Also, when the mesquite trees start to put on green. Seems like spring may be arriving early this year. However, I am not so sure... it has fooled us plenty of times. = )
I live in Colorado.
I live in Colorado. Unfotunately, I'm also in the Projects. This doesn't leave me with much opportunity on reveling in the natural world but even here with one small birdfeeder I have noticed many new bird songs each morning. Last week the Grackles and Magpies returned and this morning my son spotted a Robin. Yeah! Spring!
In West Virginia when the
In West Virginia when the red-winged blackbird arrives it is a sign that spring is coming!
In Western NY, we say that
In Western NY, we say that Robins can lie but red winged blackbirds never do. We saw our first red winged blackbird yesterday. I think we are going to get an early spring.
The first sign of spring is
The first sign of spring is the return of the Killdeer. And when I see nightcrawlers on the road in the early morning, I know the ground is thawed out.
I love the first green shoots
I love the first green shoots of the crocus, Although I am confused by the robins this year, I moved 50 miles south of where I was and the robins are here already for the past week. I live in southern maryland.
I use many local
I use many local spring-is-coming indicators but what I mainly love as a "pre-spring" reminder is the beautiful yellow winterflowers of my witch hazel (hamamelis mollis) as its yellow forsythia looking flowers contrast vividly against the snow. The seed cases of witch hazel actually explode in the fall ejecting seeds as far as 10 feet! I've always wanted to film such an event or at least spread a blanket nearby and lazily await their dispersal. Witchhazel is still used to produce a natural astringent and water finding divining rods. It certainly tells me where I stand reminding me that spring is just around the corner!
It is NEVER going to be
It is NEVER going to be spring. I've had it with the snow/wind/blizzards!
What's that old yarn--if the
What's that old yarn--if the groundhog saw his shadow, spring's in 6 weeks; if he didn't, spring's on the 20th of March? Keep that in mind! Spring IS coming.
Spring to me is when the
Spring to me is when the tiniest tree buds show across from us on the Kentucky Rivers flooded banks. I love when the first of my crocous peek up from winters sleep. I espeacially love when we have some snow. I have to admit my bones are not at all happy for that show though. I have to agree with another (Linda I think), about the peepers as well. Their song is music to my ears and makes me listen for the crickets longingly. The birds songs change to a happier tone. "My" wrens are FUSSIER when my cat Mei-Sha' is out. YES, YES,with out a DOUBT spring, SPRING indeed is near.
Here in the Pacific North
Here in the Pacific North West (Vancouver Island) we generally wait for the hummingbirds to arrive, which is just around the time the salmon berry bushes start to bloom. But I like watching my yellow crocus pop up the first week in February - the first hit of yellow!
When I can't stay in the
When I can't stay in the house anymore. The air will smell fresh and feel so nice.
I live in Kansas and we will have a nice spell and then turn cold again. I know for sure it is soon to come. I start to get things ready for planting and worry that my peach blossoms will freeze again.
When I see the crocus buds I
When I see the crocus buds I know spring is coming. I always think of Frances Hodgson Burnett's book, The Secret Garden, in which a sickly boy is brought back to health by another child who is learning to garden. She has entranced him with stories of spring and nature, and she runs in to his room one morning and tells him, "It has come, the Spring!" and he tells her to open the window, saying "Perhaps we shall hear golden trumpets!"
In south Texas we know that
In south Texas we know that Spring is around the corner when the pecan trees start budding and the hummingbirds are here.
The first sign for me is the
The first sign for me is the sound of the frogs or sighting a band of ground-scratching, winter-skinnied Robins. That's my signal to look for my Jonquils poking up out of their leafy comforters in their flower beds. Then finally when the loamy scent arrives on a gentle breeze and spreads itself about like honey on warm toast, I'm sure to soon find the forsythia a'bloom. And that is when I join in in Nature's dithyramb!
I love hearing the spring
I love hearing the spring peepers in the distance, but my first harbinger of Spring is the call of the male red-winged blackbird. I listen for it each year in southern Ohio. :-)
I have to agree! I love it
I have to agree! I love it when I hear the male red-wing blackbirds calling out while preparing their new nests in the cat-tails in our pond. Such a welcome sound! I'm in Indiana not far from Ohio.
I like the peepers.. the
I like the peepers.. the sound of birds also in the morning when the snow is still on. The robins stayed in Kentucky this year... Everyday is one day closer.
Here in Mid-Ohio, while the
Here in Mid-Ohio, while the robin is best known as the sign of spring, it's really the red-winged blackbird that is the true harborer of the coming of spring. Winter's not over yet, but I don't expect much more harsh weather. My fingers are crossed and my seed catalogs are piled up on the table (lol) See you all in the spring! Willy
My favorite sign of spring
My favorite sign of spring here in Mid-Ohio is when the peepers start to sign.
Sandy
In North Carolina I always
In North Carolina I always look for the bluebirds and the blooming of the daffodils and hyacinths; our traditional first flowers of spring.
You know when Spring is
You know when Spring is coming, when new buds form on trees and the birds start to gather straw and things to make their nest.
In Ontario Canada, the first
In Ontario Canada, the first signs of spring to me are looking out the window and when I see the trees budding, spring is just around the corner.
It is when I see the first
It is when I see the first snowdrop flowers that I know that spring is not too far away.
Spring comes late in Rapid
Spring comes late in Rapid City, SD. Believe it or not, one of the truest signs is the return of the flock of turkey vultures that roosts along Rapid Creek on the west side of town. The first sight of bulbs poking up makes me smile, but we have a long way to go!
Here in Huntington, WV, in
Here in Huntington, WV, in the past we could count on the robins, but now they stay year round and eat the berries off my holly tree, darn it. I think the best way to know that Spring is coming is to find snowdrops and crocus in bloom. The green shoots of those and also my daffodils are already showing.
It is the Redbud Tree that
It is the Redbud Tree that assures me Spring is here in Savannah GA. The very first blooms opened up yesterday (Feb 1) in spite of the cold temps. Today many more blooms have opened and I am thrilled! Another sure sign of Spring is when the Cedar Waxwings stop by to enjoy the bright red Holly berries in our backyard. Within an hour the berries are gone. Amazing!
Though some robins stay year
Though some robins stay year round in the metro area of MN, out here on the prairie I know that when the robins return to my yard spring can't be far behind.
As to tracking the arrival of spring across the country on your website, I would love to see that and would happily participate.
Redwing black birds return to
Redwing black birds return to Steamboat Springs, CO. A true sign winter has moved away from here. We'll continue to receive mild snowstorms, but year over year, it's been my sign that winter is done.
In South Louisiana, we know
In South Louisiana, we know Spring is near when the Crawfish start feeding in the traps. Changes in our seasons are always food related.
I am in Washington DC, so its
I am in Washington DC, so its usually when i see the first snopdrop flowers or crocus.. also when i start hearing the birds chirping. But it does NOT feel like its anytime soon with the snow we are getting!!
The outside cat spends the
The outside cat spends the winter in the cellar because she doesn't get along with the house cat. When she starts wanting to go outside again,spring is near.Hagaman New York
Here in Northeast LA our
Here in Northeast LA our first signs of Spring on the way is definitely the Robin. When I begin to see them around my heart just sings, by this time I'm ready to get the garden prepared and some planting done.
In Upstate New York, I look
In Upstate New York, I look for the first Robin, the sweet smell of the muddy earth, and the first waking yawns of the trees. Of course there's always time for one more snow before Easter.
in arkansas we see the
in arkansas we see the jonquils blooming and the night sounds of the spring frogs as you pass a small creek as the first signs of spring
Here in Michigan,when the
Here in Michigan,when the Robin arives,Chipmonks comes out,but my for sure sign is when my Chives pop out of the ground,gets warm every time.Bye
Living in Wyoming, there can
Living in Wyoming, there can be several "false" Springs with Winter again a few days later. You know it is Spring for sure when the Meadowlarks show up and sing their songs.
I look for Robins, Bluejays,
I look for Robins, Bluejays, Blue Herons, Seagulls, and Pelicans, and finally the Swallows near Fort Collins, Colorado
When water flows free of ice
When water flows free of ice -- snow lurks only in the forest -- Redwing Blackbirds call out -- frogs chorus together -- trees crash into the beaver pond, here in the hills above the Mohawk River.
Here in Va I would have to
Here in Va I would have to say when I see Buttercups & Crocus start shooting up from the ground. Then we see Robins starting to flock in....I cannot wait for lovely SPRING!!!
When the snow on the ski
When the snow on the ski slopes in New England starts getting soft and mushy. That's a sign of spring!!
Spring is on its way when the
Spring is on its way when the geese fly north.
I was just telling someone
I was just telling someone the other day that I always know when spring is on the way (or already here) when the leaf buds on the California buckeye start to "spring" open. Time to start those seeds I have tucked away, I guess!
First sign of spring here in
First sign of spring here in the back woods of NH is when the frost heaves pop up in the roads and you have to slow down to a crawl so you don't destroy your car.
Here in Florida, Spring is
Here in Florida, Spring is right around the corner, when the Snowbirds start to go back north and we can once again drive the speed limit instead of 20 MPH. See you next year, we love you. Bye Bye.
Sure, sounds good. We in the
Sure, sounds good. We in the deep south appreciate all the good signs of the coming spring.
NEW GROWTH On Plants! once my
NEW GROWTH On Plants!
once my hummingbird plants that are overwintered inside start putting out new shoots I know that spring is on the way. Another sign is that it starts getting a little lighter earlier each morning instead of just in the evening.
I was going to say Robins
I was going to say Robins also and all the new growth on shrubs, trees and flowers popping up from the ground
Signs of Spring, that hope
Signs of Spring, that hope that winter is coming to a close and warm is on it's way. Robins in the yard, thunderstorms, frogs singing and new growth on the trees. This is what gives me hope every year, that we can open the doors and air out the house.
Curious. I've fed birds year
Curious. I've fed birds year round as long back as I can remember. I have NEVER seen a ROBIN in the winter. Where do they go? We live in Ohio and our local weather people say the robin never leaves.....a mystery.