Springtails

Jenn mentioned snow fleas on her blog recently and I had never heard of them before.  They are also known as springtails. 'In winter, snow fleas emerge on sunny days and gather in large numbers around bases of trees where snow has melted. Because of their small size, they look like flecks of pepper or ashes on the surface of the snow. Snow fleas feed on decaying plant matter.'  I have likely seen them and thought they were flecks of dirt on the snow.

Here is a video I found if you are curious to see them.