signs of spring

Most of the snow has melted across the street, but parts of my yard still have a foot of the stuff. A quick glance out the back window reveals:

• Snow islands in the woods, interspersed with actual bare ground.
• Nuthatches congregating in a neighbor's tree. The lower branches were stripped of their berries earlier this winter (hungry deer), but the birds have discovered leftovers higher up.
• The first cardinal of spring.
• And finally, a snow drop. I think there are more to come, when more snow melts, but for now, spring has officially started.