After two weeks of frigid weather and a period of heavy snow, a thaw has begun in central Missouri. Though overnight lows may dip below freezing, afternoon highs are expected to gradually climb over the next ten days.
Down at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this afternoon, the amount of open water had increased, attracting a mix of gadwall, mallards, green-winged teal and ring-necked ducks. Except for a northern harrier and a few members of the sparrow family, bird sightings were otherwise limited.
But the current forecast is reassuring, fortifying my conviction that February should be considered the first month of spring. The birth of great horned owls, the nesting activity of magpie and crows, the northward migration of geese, the drumming and hysterical call of flickers, increasing birdsong and the blooming of early bulb plants all signal the gradual change of seasons. Following the extreme cold in January, the coming thaw will be especially welcome.
