2022/02 ― According to groundhog day folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow, the next six weeks will bring wintry weather. Otherwise, there will be an early spring. On February 2, the groundhog representing Ontario predicted an early spring.
Another mythology says that spotting a robin announces the arrival of spring. On February 7, I saw this extremely early robin in the tree of my front yard. The temperature was -1º C. The evidence seemed overwhelming but I searched the internet anyway, and my hopes for an early spring were curbed. I learned that robins can be spotted year-round. Their behavior, however, changes during the winter, making them less visible. They travel in flocks with other species. They become much easier to spot in the spring when they search for worms for their fledglings.