Spring is here in many ways

Last weekend’s snowfall was an abrupt reminder that winter is still with us. The official start of spring —- the vernal equinox —- is still 12 days away. Yet, early signs of the new season have been apparent since January —- the so-called “harbingers of spring” that gladden hearts and buoy spirits with the promise of rebirth.

Swollen tree buds, increasing daylight —- and the fact that we had to “spring forward” by an hour this morning —- all herald a new season. You may have your own favorite harbingers of spring, but here are some of mine:

> Red maples, or swamp maples, which started blooming in early February and are still casting a beautiful pinkish glow in woods and roadsides all over Georgia.

> Trout lilies, whose drooping yellow flowers first appeared in mid-February. By the first day of spring, though, nearly all of them will have set to seed.

> Chickasaw plums, breathtakingly beautiful as they bloom now in thickets along highways and along the edges of fields. Clouds of tiny white flowers cover the small trees’ shiny branches and will produce tasty little plums (coveted by wildlife) in spring.

> Serviceberries, whose white blooms are appearing now in forests and on rocky slopes all over Georgia, but primarily in the mountains and piedmont. Some say that azaleas bloom two weeks after the serviceberry, also called shadbush because it blooms about the time shad are running in the rivers.

> Bloodroot, whose striking white flowers are beginning to show in rich woods in Georgia —- including along many hiking trails in metro Atlanta.

> Yellow jessamine, or Carolina jessamine, whose bright, yellow, trumpet-shaped blooms appeared as early as January on Georgia’s coastal barrier islands.

> Violets and dandelions, now growing wildly in gardens, roadsides and other open spaces. They are the bane of homeowners intent on maintaining a weed-free lawn, but when I see the rich purple violets and the neon-bright yellow dandelions growing together, I stand in admiration.

> Sandhill cranes, which have been passing high over metro Atlanta in squawky, V-shaped flocks since late January —- inspiring awe in those who see them. The flocks are headed to spring nesting grounds in the Midwest and up north.

> American woodcocks, or timberdoodles, whose awe-inspiring courtship rituals —- probably the most elaborate of any Georgia bird —- began in early January. On winter evenings, birders often assemble on the edges of fields and other open spaces to watch male timberdoodles zoom high into the air to win a mate for the spring nesting season.

> Purple martins, which began returning from winter grounds in South America in late January to check out nesting sites —- martin houses, hollow gourds —- in preparation for the spring nesting season.

> Bluebirds, probably on everybody’s list of favorite harbingers of spring. February, in fact, is known as Bluebird Month in Georgia, when the lovable birds begin checking out nest boxes to raise new broods.

> Northern cardinals, which start singing their vibrant, spirited mating calls long before the first day of spring.

> Woodpeckers, whose drumming on trees can be heard well before the start of spring. The drumming is used both to announce territory and to attract mates. When the birds drum on my gutters or on the side of my house, though, they’re my least favorite signs of spring.

> Winter-breeding frogs, most notably the spring peepers and upland chorus frogs, which have been calling loudly for the past few weeks. A friend said he even heard chorus frogs calling during the snow last weekend.

Finally, it should be noted that a white-flowered, relatively rare Georgia wildflower always is listed as a harbinger of spring. Its name: harbinger-of-spring.

Georgia squirrels

Every so often we get notes from folks saying that they have seen an unusual squirrel noticeably different from our common Eastern gray squirrel.

However, I tell them that Georgia actually has four squirrel species. In addition to the gray squirrel, we have the fox squirrel, the Southern flying squirrel and the red squirrel. The fox squirrel, which sports a solid black face, is Georgia’s largest squirrel and relatively common in the state, mostly in mature oak-hickory forests. The flying squirrel also is common, but seldom seen because of its strictly nocturnal habits. The relatively rare red squirrel is found only in the highest elevations of Georgia’s mountains.

All four species are early breeders, with peak breeding time in January and early February. By the middle of this month, squirrels will be nursing babies.

In the sky

The moon will be full on Wednesday —- the “Worm Moon,” as some Native Americans called March’s full moon, says David Dundee, astronomer with the Tellus Northwest Science Museum. Venus is low in the west just after sunset and sets shortly thereafter. Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are low in the east just before sunrise. Saturn rises out of the east just after sunset and appears near the moon on Tuesday night.

seabrk@comcast.net

WILD GEORGIA MOVING

Beginning March 14, Wild Georgia will be in the Living section on Saturdays. We hope you make the move, too.