I know for many folks in the general public signs of spring include blooming bulbs, or for the more nature oriented, the chartreuse shoots of skunk cabbage, emerging Colt's foot and nettles, blooms on Indian plum, wild current and willow catkins as well as returning birds.

I've been seeing and savoring all these, but for me this year the special signs of spring are:
-- having to move salamanders off the road to avoid car tires
--seeing the resident geese clearly pairing up
-- Hutton's vireo alternately singing and tugging at lichens for nesting material
-- 2 male Hairy woodpeckers gathering wood shreds from a log in a harvest area presumably to line a nest cavity
-- my first Sooty grouse hooting in the woods.

Smiles all around!

judyemull at yahoo dot com in Port Angeles

Judy Mullally