Feature

Canada geese breed early in spring. You are likely to see cute, fuzzy goslings any time now.

Signs of Spring

Photos & Story By Earl Orf

Spring is a time of renewal here in northern Minnesota. Winter birds start leaving and summer birds start arriving. Lakes and rivers are freed from their ice-covered condition. Flowers start blooming. Insects emerge from their winter hibernation. We all seem more invigorated when we can get out in the fresh air and enjoy the warmth of spring.

A male American Goldfinch sporting his bright yellow breeding plumage.

You might be fooled into thinking you’re seeing a new bird this spring. However, it would be a male American goldfinch sporting his bright yellow breeding plumage after spending the winter looking much duller in his winter plumage. Note the same black and white wing and tail feather pattern in both plumages.

A male American Goldfinch looking much duller in his winter plumage.

Spring brings many birds, like this black-throated green warbler, to our area to raise their families. These birds spend the winter in Central and South America. They are in a hurry to get here and secure the best locations for their nests.

Black-Throated Green Warbler.

Mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as adults. This gives them an advantage in spring because they can be out and flying about as soon as the weather warms up. This is probably one of the first butterflies you will see in the springtime.

Mourning Cloak Butterfly.

If you have bleeding heart plants in your garden, you will see them blooming early in spring. Note, the fully opened blossoms on the right, while the ones at the tip of the flower stem are still buds.

Bleeding Heart Plant.

These tiny flowers are round-lobed hepatica. They are part of a group of early blooming flowers known as spring ephemerals. They live on the forest floor and need to finish blooming before the trees get their leaves and block the sun.

Round-Lobed Hepatica.

The warming days of spring prompt trees to start producing their leaves and flowering parts.

Tree.

It’s fun to watch ferns spring up and uncurl their leaves as the weather warms up.

Ferns.

Marsh marigolds are a welcome splash of color in early spring. As their name implies, you can find them in marshy areas, but they are also found in many of the ditches beside our back country roads.

Marsh Marigolds.