After a long, cold winter, few things are more welcome than the first twittering birds or blooming flowers. Every year, the Earth sheds its blanket of snow in favor of a more colorful cover of plants and wildlife. Of course, seasons in the Midwest are unpredictable, but when winter finally decides to leave, you’re sure to notice it with these four signs that spring is on its way.
The Birds Are Back in Town
From geese flying home to songbirds outside your window every morning, birds are sure signs of spring. Keep an ear out for owls hooting at night or woodpeckers hammering throughout the day. If you’re lucky, you can even spot the bright, promising colors of bluebirds, robins, or hummingbirds.
The Bugs Are Buzzing About
The return of insects and other bugs isn’t as fun as other items on this list, but it’s still a promising sign of spring—especially when you remember that some of those bugs are there to pollinate your local flowers. If you see honeybees buzzing around, you’ll know they’ve come out of their winter cluster and started the process of making honey to survive the next winter.
The Rivers Begin to Swell
The absence of snow isn’t necessarily a sure sign of spring, but higher water levels are. As winter melts away the snow, the water makes its way to rivers, raising water levels. This—along with all those April showers—is why springtime often includes a lot of flooding.
The Monarchs Arrive
You can easily recognize monarch butterflies by the stark orange and black design on their wings, making them one of the most obvious signs that spring is on its way. Every year, monarch butterflies migrate across North America. They avoid the cold of winter by traveling south to Mexico, then fly back across the continent to the northern U.S. and Canada for summer. When the monarchs come to visit, you know they’re bringing springtime with them.
