March is an unpredictable month. We’re just as likely to have a blizzard as we are to have a 60 degree sunny day. But even though there are still a few weeks left until the official start of spring, there are already many early signs of spring’s approach.

Many of our year-round resident birds have started to sing in earnest, in preparation for defending a territory and finding a mate. The Carolina wren in my hard has been “tea-kettling” his heart out, and one of the song sparrows has been singing seemingly endlessly from my fence and the tops of shrubs. Yesterday I even saw the resident pair of mute swans at Four Ponds already sitting on their nest. I’ve also been hearing red-winged black birds calling when my walks take me near wetlands, and it won’t be long before the osprey start returning (the first ones typically arrive here on Cape Cod in mid- to late-March).

Flying insects also start to emerge on warm days, including this winter stonefly pictured below. Encountering a small variety of flies and midges in March is not uncommon. Some ants will also venture out on warmer days.

Although you’d be hard-pressed to find blooming wildflowers today, keep an eye out for blooming mayflower (aka trailing arbutus) in the next couple of weeks. In past years, I’ve seen them blooming as early as March 14.

And although they’re not native, crocuses are one of my favorite early signs of spring. As one of the only blooming flowers at this time, they tend to attract any pollinators that happen to be active. It’s pretty interesting to sit by a patch of blooming crocuses on a sunny day and see who stops by for a visit.

What are your favorite signs of spring?