With the first day of spring just weeks away, a local conservation naturalist says residents may already be noticing signs of the season changing across the region.
As aired on the “Outdoors in North Iowa” podcast on KLMJ, Aubrey Brandt, a naturalist with Franklin and Wright County Conservation, says migrating birds are among the earliest indicators that spring is approaching.
“You may have started seeing some flashes of gray and orange, or maybe even some blue out in town or by the feeder. American robins have been sighted in Iowa this year along with eastern bluebirds,” says Brandt.
Brandt says other seasonal changes are beginning to appear in Iowa’s natural areas, including early blooming woodland flowers known as spring ephemerals.
“Spring ephemerals are small and unique flowers that are typically the first flowers to bloom in Iowa. They begin blooming from March to early May, and these flowers typically only bloom for a few weeks out of the year,” says Brandt.
Brandt adds that warming temperatures are also bringing increased activity from amphibians, waterfowl and other wildlife across North Iowa.
As these natural changes continue to unfold across Iowa’s landscapes, they serve as a reminder that winter is winding down and the first day of spring is just around the corner.
