March 20 marks the beginning of spring for the Northern hemisphere. It’s the vernal equinox; the day the sun rises on the North pole, we start having more than 12 hours of daylight, and the halfway point between the solstices. As the temperatures rise and the soil wets, new signs of life appear all around! Keep reading for some early spring appearances we've noted on campus.

When someone says the name “butcher bird,” what comes to mind? Do you think of a raptor with a hooked beak and strong talons to shred their prey apart? Or maybe an eagle with a chef’s hat, holding a butcher knife? Whatever does come to mind, it likely isn’t a songbird. But that’s exactly what the butcher bird is! Let me introduce you to the most deadly passerine in Virginia, the loggerhead shrike, A.K.A the butcher bird!

Who’s that knocking on your door? Who else but your friendly, neighborhood native woodpeckers! Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we’re lucky to have six native woodpecker species. And while they may all have their own unique features, they do share some common characteristics. Have you seen them all?