Although we're only two-thirds through winter and have almost a full month to go (and a month and a half to the likely last-freeze date) things are popping here. Yesterday afternoon a wood frog began to call from the garden pool, and the peepers and other chorus frogs won't be far behind. Early morning birdsong has increased dramatically during the last two weeks: now cardinals, blue jays, wrens, chickadees, titmice and mourning doves are all going to town. Red-bellied woodpeckers now chortle daily, and a noisy pileated woodpecker flew through yesterday, probably just to remind them who's boss. The first robin flocks passed through during the first week of February (as they usually do). These early arrivers among the robins (and leavers - they are on their way north) all seem to be males. Plant-wise, all of the first earlies are at their peak: snowdrops, winter aconites, early crocuses, Colchicum hungaricum, pansies, winter jasmine, winter honeysuckle, witch hazels, protected Camellia japonica, Helleborus foetidus, H. niger, garden hellebores and others I've probably overlooked. In the frames, Cyclamen coum, Iris unguicularis and I. cretensis are blooming freely.Forget the calendar, spring is here (at least this week).Jim McKenneyMontgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 where we had only a few hours of zone 7 temperatures this year. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/