A few of the early spring plants are maples, willows, dandelion,
bulbs (crocus, dandelion).  There are others, especially horticultural
plants which may be blooming.  These plants will vary with your geographic
area.  Maple pollen is greenish-grey.  Willow is somewhat yellow and
dandelion is more yellow orange.  The best way to learn these colors is
to know when the plants are blooming and observe bees with loaded pollen
baskets while on the flowers.  You can also collect the pollen as it comes
into the hive and try to identify it.  This can be difficult.
	Dorothy Hodges's "Pollen Loads of Honey" has the only color chart
for pollen in publication of which I am aware.  It is an incredible feat to
have produced such a chart.  Before you get too excited, it only covers
British plants, so if the same species does not grow in the US, you have
to presume that similar genera might have similar colors- a presumption which
may not be valid.  Also, pollen color changes from when it is on the anthers,
compared to when it is in the pollen baskets, to when it is in the cells.
Part of this change is due to time and part to light reflection so keep
a color range in mind rather than an exact color.
	To be a good beekeeper, I maintain that you have to be a bit of a
botanist, also.  Learn the plants which are important in your area and
when they bloom.