At the end of the first week in March, the weather started to get mild. After some mixed or icy precipitation, we had some plain rain. A lot of snow melted, and from 9 to 11 March, it got very warm; temperatures climbed above 70 degrees Fahrenheit in most areas. 

It was early in that period that I heard the distant honking of geese. I looked up, and saw a large flock high up in the sky. This large V of geese was making its way northward.  Canada geese typically migrate at altitudes from 2,000 feet to 8,000 feet, but can fly much higher. 

The wind was generally from the south during this period; geese will take advantage of favorable winds aloft to save time and energy during migration. 

Some other sights and sounds this time of year come from breeding amphibians. Wood frogs and spring peepers can be heard near vernal ponds and wetlands starting around the middle of March. I have not heard or seen either at the usual nearby ponds, though yesterday afternoon, on March 11, there was a movement of red-spotted newts. I saw about a dozen trying to cross the road in a temperature of 70 degrees, about an hour after a shower.

The shower heralded the arrival of a cold front, though it stayed mild for a large part of that evening, and people in the area who looked for migrating amphibians could see many red-spotted newts, spotted salamanders and some Jefferson salamanders. As I finish this column, it is 9 a.m. the following morning with rain, wind and a temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Wet snow is trying to mix in with the rain.

It seems our taste of spring is over for the time being, but the geese already here that are not year-round residents will continue their migration to summer grounds. The salamanders are cold water-tolerant, and the ones that have not emerged yet will remain under cover for a little bit longer. March can be very changeable; it is still technically winter and we could still get some cold weather, but spring is just around the corner, and nature has sent some first signs.