Riffing of a 2019 thread, I thought this would be a good place to share local observations about spring flora.
I’m starting to see flower and bee pictures from Arizona and Southern California on Facebook and iNat. What do you see in your area?
There’s a project for that, for California at least – https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/freaky-phenology
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I started seeing lots of red maids in mid-January in the South Bay Area. I usually reMember seeing them after March. We had an unusually wet Oct and Dec., but no rain to speak of since.
A search shows more red-maids this winter than in the same timeframe last year.
I added some prior years out of curiosity for the same timeframe. SomE years were quite dry and others very rainy and I’m a bit foggy about the rainfall data. (Do let me know if I made a mistake with the URL’s ).
2022, Jan 1 to Feb 18
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2022-01-01&d2=2022-02-18&place_id=any&q=Red%20maids&subview=map&verifiable=any
2021, Jan 1 to Feb 18
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2021-01-01&d2=2021-02-18&place_id=any&q=Red%20maids&subview=map&verifiable=any
2020, Jan 1 to Feb 18
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2020-01-01&d2=2020-02-18&place_id=any&q=Red%20maids&subview=map&verifiable=any
2019, Jan 1 to Feb 18
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2019-01-01&d2=2019-02-18&place_id=any&q=Red%20maids&subview=map&verifiable=any
2018, Jan 1 to Feb 18
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2018-01-01&d2=2018-02-18&place_id=any&q=Red%20maids&subview=map&verifiable=any
2017 Jan 1 to Feb 18
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2017-01-01&d2=2017-02-18&place_id=any&q=Red%20maids&subview=map&verifiable=any
Of course there could be a bias due to a greater user base here, but I feel there likely are more early bloomers (for red maids anyway)
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Both here near Moscow and in Saint-Petersbug temperatures came to pre-spring level, so they are one week +2-3C, next -1C and fluctuate up and down.
From spring activities I saw:
Singing tits, they start in early January
Blue tit and of course Great tit, though those are not the most common types of songs.
Little start songs of blackbirds and fieldfares
Great spotted woodpeckers started drumming, I’m not often outside, so my first is Feb 3
Weird wintering chaffinch song
Then crows seem to be in pairs, they start nesting in the end of March, but already should have air flights, I haven’t seen those, but saw this behaviour: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/106866366
Wintering (proably) buntings fly in pair.
Salix buds are opening already, which is expected in such weather.
There’re still too much snow to see the ground (only exposed where hot water pipes are underlaying).
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I don’t know about the birds, but as far as I can tell there are really no signs of spring in nature here in NYC. However the buds on the cultivated Hydrangea bush in a planter outside our apartment building have swollen somewhat, the Aquilegia seems to have made a few more basal leaves, and so has what is left of the Hollyhocks. However, the warmth from the building no doubt helps all of those plants to some extent.
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The Red Osier Dogwood is getting redder.
Willow trees branches are greening up.
The Maples have had buds on them for a few weeks now.
A neighbor recorded Northern Cardinals singing.
I observed a Blue Jay feeding another.
We could have 10 more weeks of snow here so it’s important one recognizes that we aren’t actually in a permanent state of snow and ice.
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Here in upstate New York, US, the squirrels have started their courting chases, and the chickadees are singing their spring song. And, another sign of spring, our neighbors have started tapping their maples.
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I was surprised today to find arugula in bloom and a few jumping spiders moving about. No sign of swelling buds in central New Mexico, but there is basal growth on Descurainia, Penstemon, and Xanthisma.
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Snow. And the usual winter birds. It’s been hovering around -30 C here, so nothing is out, except the usual suspects!
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We’ll check back with you in 2 months 
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Here in Wisconsin, we have a few bird species that just started singing - Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, House Finches, both nuthatches. Chickadees have been singing for almost two months now, they get started early. Those are the only signs of spring here.
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Here in Ohio Symplocarpus foetidus is always the first spring wildflower to bloom (native one at least)… drove an hour to a nature preserve outside the city yesterday after work to see my first one for the year!
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Better make that three - based on the longer term outlook, it’s not going to warm up for a while, and there is more snow than usual that needs to melt. I can always fill you in on any excitement you may have missed!!
First Trout Lily of the season here in piedmont NC. Spring is trying to get started.
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I’m starting to see a few flowers, probably crocuses. However, we got surprise snow both yesterday and today, with the temperature only slightly above freezing!
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Yesterday I was riding passenger and noticed more trees with buds. The cherry and peach orchards are showing colored twigs/tiny bumps of bud: cherry’s pinky red and peach’s orange. The maple buds, set last fall, have swollen just a bit, collecting solar rays. Alder catkins are becoming prominent. Willow whips are bright.
There has been a pair of Tom turkeys taking advantage of the birdseed the chickadees throw down. The winter bird crew seem to still be around. The toms were showing off ( for each other?) but we haven’t had hens yet.
Today it’s frozen and ice storm is probable.
I’m in the Manistee National Forest area in west/central lower Michigan.
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Oh yes, I did forget to mention that Red and Silver Maples have buds on them now. 
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In the Bay Area, some plants are best considered winter flowers, including calendula, rosemary, and shepherd’s purse. When the shepherd’s purse stops flowering and dries out, we know spring is here.
It may be my imagination, but wild radish – a spring flower here – seems to be flowering earlier this year than in years past.
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Mourning Doves just started singing in my area, and the very first migrant birds have arrived - Northern Pintails.
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Phenology check in the front yard https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2022-02-25&place_id=any&user_id=egordon88&verifiable=any
Surprised to see some of my rose bushes leafing out with lows in the teens and 20s this week.
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