I’ve seen a few reports of pine warblers showing up in New England already. The thick of warbler season is still weeks away, however, so let’s put warblers on the back burner for now.

Phoebe reports are bursting all over the region. Those small, rather nondescript songbirds are an early spring migrant and get a head start on the competition by their early arrival. The risk, of course, is that winter lingers into spring in New England, and phoebes have a hard time coping with the weather. It’s all about risk-reward strategy when it comes to migration for birds.

The juncos that have delighted backyard bird feeders all winter are making their way north and becoming more scarce. I saw a red-breasted nuthatch the other day at the feeder. It won’t be long until those little birds are all back up north on their breeding grounds.

I recall a hike I took in Pittsburg, N.H., last summer to the top of Deer Mountain. Aside from a dilapidated fire tower and piles of moose droppings, dozens of red-breasted nuthatches were about all there was to see as a reward for finishing the hike. Clearly, it is a prime breeding area for the birds.

Robins are hopping on lawns all over the region. They, of course, are the traditional harbinger of spring. There are robins in New England throughout the winter, but it certainly feels like spring when you see them hopping along the green grass.

The chorus of spring peepers and wood frogs echoes throughout the woods now. Spring peepers make the familiar high-pitched drone near swampy areas. They are impossible not to hear but almost impossible to find as they go quiet upon approach and are tiny creatures hidden among the leaves. Wood frogs sound like mallards are at the pond, but there are no ducks to be seen.

There are ducks to be seen, however, on plenty of water bodies as the fowl make their way north. I saw a male wood duck resplendent in its breeding plumage the other day along the side of a road in a temporarily flooded area. The “pond” couldn’t have been more than a few inches deep. It just goes to show you never know what you’ll see or where you’ll see it, so be on the lookout at all times.

Most birds of prey are already well into their breeding season, but I came across a mating and territorial pair of red-shouldered hawks the other day. They get my vote for the most boisterous hawks in New England. Osprey have returned in great numbers, particularly in coastal areas, but also some inland waters as well.

Bears have awoken from their slumber and are raising young. Be on the lookout and bring in your bird feeders at night if you live in an area where bears roam. Those areas, by the way, seem to be more numerous than in the recent past as the bear population grows.

In other words, it’s spring. There is a lot going on out there. Keep your eyes and ears open, and let me know what you see out there.