Signs of rabbits can be found around the garden, more numerous than in some winters. The ones I've seen this winter seem relatively unafraid of humans, but I hope they know to run from the dogs.

The lovely soft mournful call of the dove is being heard often around the garden now. Here, the dove is caught in full song... you can see the throat is very puffed up.

The late day sun casts long shadows over the butterfly meadow with its Monarch Waystation kiosk. Beyond is the birch grove and behind that, the old woods.

Near the ravine this squirrel is sitting on the roof of a squirrel roosting/nesting box, perhaps protecting it from others (it is all mine!).

LOTS of these guys around the garden, as well as cardinals, robins, brown creeper, white-breasted nuthatch, cedar waxwing, american goldfinch, starlings, chickadees, juncos, downy and hairy woodpeckers, pileated woodpecker, mourning dove, and circling across the garden ring-billed gulls and canada geese ... you know spring has really come when these two species show up again, despite the forecast for more snow!

At the west end of the pond the big willow is full of catkins. Soon enough, I hope, there will be bees and other insects around the tree once the pollen appears.