Mariton: Winter Is Over
by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager. Photos by Carole Mebus
The Equinox is still 3 weeks away, but Meteorological Winter is over. Today (March 1st) is the beginning of Meteorological Spring. Just like the Equinox, we can still experience some winter-like weather, but the snow won’t last very long. (I recall some big snows in late March and early April.)
There is no doubt that the northern hemisphere is leaning closer to the sun. Morning starts a little earlier and Night begins a little later. Song Sparrows have been declaring that it is a good day to be alive shortly after I arise. This year, I have noticed their singing even more than the Chickadees’ Sping’s Here. When I walk in the meadows, the Bluebirds leapfrog ahead of me at the forest edge. Bluebirds stay with us during the winter, but there seems to be abundance of them at Mariton this year. Their cheerful warbling greets me when I go out for the paper. If their singing wasn’t enough to lift my spirits, the flash of liquid blue always brings a smile to my face.
The pussy willows in the hedge are popping, and tree buds are beginning to swell. You don’t need a calendar,a telescope, or a Chickadee to tell you that spring’s here!