With early spring now upon us, nature’s most eventful and exciting season has begun.

Change is the order of the day. The silence of winter has already given way to plentiful bird song, and trees like silver maples are now festooned in pom-poms of red and yellow flowers. But first, let’s look back at the “classic” Canadian winter we just experienced.

The numbers are not quite as dramatic as you might think. Over the last three months, snowfall was only 70 mm (2.8 inches) above average, while temperatures were a mere 0.3 C below average. If you’re wondering how these cold, snowy conditions could make sense in light of global heating, remember that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture which can feed heavier snowfalls. Rapid Arctic warming is also shrinking the temperature contrast with southern latitudes — making the jet stream wavier and more prone to sending bursts of Arctic air south. None of this is surprising since atmospheric CO2 — the heat-trapping gas — continues to rise at a faster pace than ever before.

Despite warmer temperatures right now, the Weather Network is predicting that spring may feel slow to arrive this year. It is forecasting a mix of both cold and mild spells well into April, prevailing unsettled conditions, and a very unpredictable May before the steady warmth of summer.

As the Kawarthas burst back to life, here’s your guide to the sights, sounds, and spectacles of spring you won’t want to miss.

The calls of spring peepers are a time-honoured sign of spring. Their piercing, rhythmic peeps sound like a thousand tiny sleigh bells ringing in the marsh.

Local wetlands are already awakening to the calls of spring peepers (loud “peeps” repeated once a second), wood frogs (quacking sounds), western chorus frogs (a fast clicking like a fingernail drawn over a comb), and northern leopard frogs (a low snore). To learn frog calls, visit www.naturewatch.ca/frogwatch/ontario/.

Don’t be surprised if a half-crazed robin or cardinal starts pecking or flying against one of your windows. Being very........

© Peterborough Examiner