As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too early to talk about signs of spring.

Not that I’m rushing winter. There is plenty to do in winter, and I appreciate all of New England’s seasons for what they offer birdwatchers. But when a sign of spring presents itself, even with several inches of snow still on the ground, it’s hard to ignore.

Unlike plants that may be popping up through the ground but remain unseen due to the snow, birds offer visible and reliable signs of spring. The other day, as soon as I started my walk, I spied several birds flying overhead. In the distance, I heard the familiar and unmistakable songs of red-winged blackbirds.

It turned out to be a classic mixed flock of blackbirds with dozens and dozens of grackles, brown-headed cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds. They join forces, primarily in the winter, for protection (safety in numbers) and to find food sources. I didn’t see any starlings, but they often join those massive flocks.

It was hard to get an estimate of how many birds were in the flock. A few dozen would fly overhead, and then I’d walk up on a tree filled with blackbirds. Then a few more dozen would fly overhead, but I’d see more in another tree down the trail as well.

Red-winged blackbirds are one of the earliest signs of spring as they return from the south to start staking out breeding territory. While some may remain with us throughout the winter, the majority of red-winged blackbirds migrate.

Typically, males arrive a few weeks ahead of the females, but this flock had good numbers of male and female red-winged blackbirds. Female red-winged blackbirds somewhat resemble large, dark, streaked sparrows with a yellow wash around a longer, pointed bill. The flock also included a number of nonbreeding birds.

American robins have typically been known as a sign of spring, but with robins becoming more commonplace throughout the winter, it’s hard to tell if they are returning birds or if they have been with us all winter. Red-winged blackbirds are now a more reliable sign, but their early return can lead to false hope among those wishing for an early spring. (For me, the return of eastern phoebes around mid to late March is the best sign of spring these days.)

As I mentioned earlier, some red-winged blackbirds remain with us all winter as well, but birds in a large flock this time of year are likely migrants. Not many people would describe the red-winged blackbird’s harsh “kong-ka-reee” song as pleasant, but despite not hearing it for several months, I recognized it immediately, and it was, in fact, pleasing to my ears.

Now that at least one sign of spring has been noted, many more will follow, despite the snow still clinging to our landscape. Heck, owls are already nesting. Hawks will start repairing or building their nests. Many more red-winged blackbirds are sure to follow the flock I mentioned previously.

Once the snow melts, and it will eventually, signs of spring will be everywhere. Crocuses will be visible, and daffodils will start poking out of the ground. Trees will start to bud. To me, however, there’s nothing like birds to usher in the change of seasons.

The transition from winter to spring starts slowly with a flock or two of blackbirds and ever so slowly builds over several weeks until one day you’re standing in the woods surrounded by warblers, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks and many more of our fair-weather feathered friends.