Winter can be a little quiet for wildlife watching, with many birds out of town and many other animals hunkered down during the cold weather. Although things still look pretty bare out there, some signs of spring are starting to show themselves. Move some leaf litter aside at the base of a dormant plant and you might see some new green shoots emerging. Look closely at tree branches and you may see some buds getting ready to burst. Violet-green swallows have been spotted already at Kachina Wetlands and Walnut Canyon Lakes. This is a fun time to get out birding, with all the new arrivals headed our way. So, head outside and try to spot your FOY (first of the year) warbler, turkey vulture, or hummingbird. You never know what you’ll see!