Spring is in the Air, well somewhere...

Though we seemed to have regressed a bit back into winter (spring is not here officially until the 20th) signs of the next season are definitely abundant here in Forest Park. Daffodil and crocus are up and blooming, buds on trees are swelling, and birds are out singing.
Forest Park is a truly unique place on a very significant migration flyway, the Mississippi River. Being one of a handful of green spaces in the metro area, the park is a magnet for birds stopping over a few days to recuperate on their long journeys northward from areas of Central and South America. Though the peak of migration is still a month and a half away,usually in late April and early May, a few forerunners have made their initial appearance of the year. The first Great Egret (Ardea alba) showed up on Tuesday along with Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) on Wednesday. These along with Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) over the past weekend are a true sign that these last few days of winter are truly numbered.
Great places to view these birds are at the Deer Lake area along the waterfalls, Post Dispatch Lake around Picnic Island, and Steinberg Prairie by the skating rink.