Not so many years ago, our river completely froze over with thick ice, and didn't completely open up until mid- to late-April.
The last few years, probably due to lower water levels, the river didn't completely freeze up, and this year what ice there was is already gone. The fishermen like it.
The hummingbirds have started arriving, and there is serious eating going on. They eat a lot of bugs, and dandelions have started to bloom.