Spring has finally sprung! Chorus Frogs are making noise throughout the Nature Preserve, geese are sitting on their nests and spring songbirds are showing up a bit early.  Even though this winter was mild, especially by Utah standards, yesterday was the first official day of spring. March 20^th marks the spring or vernal equinox when the length of day and length of the night are just about equal.

We all know the days will begin to get longer -- nights will come later, and the days will be warmer. Because of this, something travels through the community and is catching fast --SPRING FEVER! And, the fever is not localized to humans, but is caught by wildlife as well!

Certain signs of spring's onset are starting to appear everywhere we look. New life is beginning to sprout from the ground and many animals are preparing to have their young.  Birds are a sure indicator of the changing seasons. When winter began, many birds took flight and headed to warmer climates. Now that spring has arrived, the birds have returned to build their nests and raise their young.

Another sign of spring is the return of insects and amphibians. Snakes are starting to wake up from their hibernation and uncoil from their congregated state. Frogs and toads are beginning their journey back to their breeding ponds, sometimes making a dangerous trek along busy roads and areas filled with predators. The bees are also waking up, ready to colonize and pollinate.

Some of our favorite mammals return with spring as well. Bears come out of their winter sleep, bats wake up, and hares become a more common site as the days get warmer and longer. Badger cubs emerge from their dens, as do bear cubs that were born during the winter. Most of these large mammals are not found at the Ogden Nature Center, but visitors can see Cotton-tail rabbits, deer, raccoons and occasionally fox. 

Plants are coming to life and bringing color back into the world after the grey winter months. Some of the first wildflowers to look for are the Bur buttercup and the Stork's bill which bring a sprinkling of color to Utah's mountains and valleys.

Now is the perfect time of year to get out and explore the wildlife at the Ogden Nature Center. Attend the upcoming Egg-cellent Adventure Nest Hunt to learn about the wild birds, their nests and eggs or come learn about shorebirds during our March 28^th Wild Wednesday presentation.

For more information about upcoming programs at the Nature Center go see: http://ogdennaturecenter.org/calendar-a-links/event-calendar

Valentine's Day has arrived and many people are giving loved ones gifts, whether it be chocolates, flowers, a thoughtful card, or something else, everyone is intent on showing they care. But humans are not the only ones who like to show each other their love. All of Mother Nature's creatures have their own rituals they follow when it comes to love.

Some creatures mate for life. The Canadian Goose is one of them. These geese usually find their mate when they are around two years old. They work together to raise their young. You can typically see adult geese flanking a line of goslings, with one parent in the front and the other bringing up the rear. The most interesting part about the life of these geese is that pairs will generally return to the same mating site every year. They will raise their young there, and then migrate as a family.

Another bird that mates for life is the Bald Eagle. When the Bald Eagle finds a potential mate they engage in a courtship dance -- in midair. This show involves elaborate calls and flight displays. The Bald Eagles will swoop, chase, and cartwheel through the sky. They will also fly straight up into the air, lock talons, and free fall, releasing just before hitting the ground. The bald eagles rely on each other when it comes time to raise the chicks. A single Bald Eagle would not necessarily be successful without its mate, as raising the chicks is a long, time consuming process.

Other birds participate in their courtship dance alone, in hopes of attracting a willing mate. One of the most flamboyant in his attempts is the Manakin. This little red-headed bird actually moon walks to attract his mate! Another bird that goes the distance for his lady is the Satin Bowerbird. This guy will build a nest that is completely one color-- one year it might be blue, one year it might be green. The most eccentric part of all is that if the girl does not like the nest he will tear down the structure and start completely from scratch.  Now that’s love!

Not all love is so sweet though. Some animals cannot put up with their mates for five minutes, let alone for life! The Praying Mantis female is especially touchy! She will participate in sexual cannibalism, and bite the head of her partner clean-off when she has no more use for him! Black Widows are just as bad, in fact they get their name from it. After mating, the female will often eat her partner. The ladies prefer to be left alone year-round, except during this violent mating ritual.

If you want to watch the very entertaining Manakin perform his courtship dance follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZObbXS0k4o&feature=related Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Early Tuesday morning, even though the world was dark, Susan Snyder and I were up -- literally -- with the birds. It was Susan's day of the week to fill the bird feeders at the Ogden Nature Center for the Wasatch Audubon Society, and she was kind enough to let me come along for the adventure.

John Nelson, one of the founding chapter members of the Wasatch Audubon Society, started winter feedings at the Ogden Nature Center in 1983. The goal of these feedings is to ensure that birds living in or around the nature preserve have enough food to get through the winter, since much of their natural surroundings are now used for human purposes.

The seed used in the bird feeders, which are spread throughout the Nature Center, is donated by members of the Wasatch Audubon Society and the society itself. The people who come to feed the birds, volunteer their time and sign up for a day of the week to come out to the Nature Center and feed the birds once a week all winter long. There are even backup volunteers to fill-in when a primary feeder cannot make it.

Susan, who has been a weekly feeder for almost two years now, told me all about the birds we could expect to see at the feeders this time of year. We saw many birds, including the white-crowned sparrow, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, and America robin. We heard the calls of a chickadee and a pheasant, saw a bevy of California quail, and spotted the tracks of raccoon and deer all along the trial. We also saw three mule deer out early for their breakfast!

After 45 minutes of walking around the beautiful nature preserve, the sun was peeking over the tops of the Wasatch Mountains, and our bags of bird seed were empty. We headed back to the storage barn to return our feeding bags and sign the volunteer sheet saying we had fed the birds that day. Now all we had left to do was watch and wait for the birds to come to the feeders!

For more information about bird watching, Utah's native birds, and the Wasatch chapter of the Audubon Society head to their webpage: http://www.wasatchaudubon.org/. Hope to see you all out here bird-watching with us!