A wave of pink, red and white redbud blossoms is sweeping south to north across Kansas right now. The flowers and early green pods are quite edible and delicious.

With dry weather across the state, the winter mushroom, the puffball, is fully mature and dried out, looking a little like a biscuit on the ground (left). Step on it (right) and you’ll see the “puff” of spores.

Conservation Reserve Program grasslands require periodic burns to slow woody plant incursion, as well as in native prairie remnants and brome pastures.

“This crocus was photographed on Feb. 21, 2016, and I have photos of the same crocus in the warm, dry year of 2012 on Feb. 5. This year it was March 1,” Ken Lassman writes.

Most years, opossums, bobcats, raccoons, cottontails, muskrats and coyotes are beginning to mate now, while foxes, squirrels and beavers are most likely already pregnant.

Another round of snow is in store for much of the state. Songbirds and squirrels have a harder time finding food, which is why it’s helpful to put out bird seed in your bird feeder or along your deck handrail.