Photography: Nature's Calendar

by Ron Toel

JANUARY

MAMMALS

• Beavers begin to mate
• Black bear begin to give birth to cubs
• All members of the deer family start to shed their antlers
• All members of the Canid Family start to mate
• Raccoons start to mate
• Squirrels begin to give birth

BIRDS

• Pileated woodpeckers start to set up territories
• Bald eagles begin to mate
• Most owls are mating.

WILDFLOWERS

• Witch hazel
• Jasmine

FEBRUARY

MAMMALS

• Groundhogs start to mate
• Mink begin to mate
• Opossums begin to mate
• Flying squirrel begin to mate
• Skunks begin to mate
• Least shrew begins to mate
• Chipmunks come from hibernation
• River otters are being born.

BIRDS

• Owls begin to nest
• Goldfinches start to molt for brighter colors
• Cedar Waxwings begin their journey north
• Chickadees start the first songs of the year (other than a peep)
• Woodcocks begin to mate (dependent on temperature)
• Snipe begin to mate
• Canadian Geese start to mate
• Several birds arrive in migration……Robins, Red-winged blackbirds, killdeer,

WILDFLOWERS

• Witch hazel
• Harbinger of spring
• Skunk Cabbage

MISCELLANEOUS

• Tiger salamanders start to mate
• Chorus frogs start to sing
• Spotted salamanders start looking for breeding ponds.

MARCH

MAMMALS

• Opossum are being born. The babies crawl into mother’s pouch
• Muskrat begin to mate
• River otters are born
• Flying squirrels are being born
• Cottontail begin to mate
• Badgers are being born

BIRDS

• Ducks and geese migration starts.   Resident geese start to nest
• Great blue herons start migration
• Barred owls nest
• Bluebirds set up nesting in cavities
• Bald eagles begin incubation of eggs
• Wild turkeys begin courtship
• Prairie chickens begin “booming” on leks (competitive mating displays)
• Cormorant start migration
• Cranes stat migration.

WILD FLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Spring Beauty
• Redbud
• Hepatica
• Red Maples
• Rue anemones
• Serviceberry
• Bloodroot
• Pussy Willows
• Pussytoes
• Gooseberries
• Dutchman’s Breeches
• Spice bush
• Squirrel Corn
• Fern Fiddleheads appear
• Rose Verbena
• Wild plums
• Marsh Marigolds

MISCELLANEOUS

• Bats start to leave hibernation
• Butterflies start to appear.

APRIL

MAMMALS

• Moles babies are born
• Bobcats are being born
• The canids are being born
• Beavers are being born
• Mink Kits are born

BIRDS

• Kingfishers migrate
• Ospreys migrate
• White pelicans Migrate
• Backyard birds start nesting
• Whip-poor-wills start singing
• Warbler migration starts
• Ruffled grouse start drumming
• Goslings appear
• Egrets start nesting
• Buntings appear.

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Coreopsis
• Dogwoods
• Spiderwort
• Elms
• Bellwort
• Wild black  cherry
• Celandine poppy
• Maples
• Sweet Williams
• Hickories
• Shooting Star
• Oaks
• Toothwort 
• Fire Pink
• Wild Ginger
• Columbine
• Violets
• Trilliums
• Wild Hyacinth
• Wild Geraniums
• Bluebells
• Crested Iris
• Phlox

Miscellaneous

• Snakes start to leave their dens
• Fish start to spawn

MAY

MAMMALS

• Skunk kits are born
• Raccoons  babies are born
• Opossum babies emerge from pouch
• Baby beavers emerge from lodges
• Antlers start to grow
• The canids leave dens
• Ground hog babies leave burrows

BIRDS

• Shorebirds are plentiful
• Pheasants and quail mate
• Bob-o-links appear
• Bald Eagles Fledge
• Owls Fledge
• Nighthawks appear
• Hummingbirds appear

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Yellow star grass
• Buckeyes
• Squaw Root
• Hawthorns
• Blue eyed grass
• Dewberries
• Missouri Primrose
• Black Locust
• May Apple
• Larkspur
• Delphinium
• Indianpink
• Indian Paintbrush
• Wild Indigo
• Yellow Ladyslippers
• Beardtongue
• Jack-in-pulpit

MISCELLANEOUS

• Gray tree frogs  chorus
• Many insects are out in full force.

JUNE

MAMMALS

• Fawns (deer and elk ) are being born
• Bison are being born
• Coyote pups are being weaned
• Bats bear their young
• Bobcats are being born

BIRDS

• Ruffled grouse hatch
• Wild Turkeys hatch
• Kingbirds nest
• Orioles are nest building
• Pheasants and Quail Hatch
• Ducks and geese are at peak molt

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Lady Slippers 
• Tulip Poplar
• Purple Coneflower 
• Gooseberries
• Prairie Rose
• Elderberries
• Butterfly Weed
• Mulberries
• Milk Weed
• Smoke tree
• Yarrow
• Cattails
• Solomon Seal
• Pawpaw
• Trumpet Creeper.
• Yucca
• Culver Root
• Chicory
• St. John’s wort
• Blackeyed Susans
• Prickly Pear Cactus

MISCELLANEOUS

• All Turtles are laying eggs
• Bullfrog are mating
• Cricket frogs are mating
• Toad babies are leaving the water

JULY

MAMMALS

• Young raccons leace dens
• Long tailed weasels begin to mate
• Second batch of squirrel babies are born
• Mink kits leave den
• Fawns much more active in the meadows

BIRDS

• Backyard birds are feeding babies and babies fledge
• Great Blue Herons fledge
• Baby Hummingbirds appear
• Warbler males start Migration back to South America.

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Cardinal Flower
• Compass Plant
• Purple Prairie Clover
• Bazing Star
• Bergamont
• Lead Plant
• Bee Balm
• Royal Catchfly
• Mountain Mint
• Woodland Sunflowers
• Pitcher Plants

MISCELLANEOUS

• Dragonflys lay eggs
• Rat snakes lay eggs
• Katydids sing
• Lizards bask in the sun.

AUGUST

MAMMALS

• Badgers begin to mate
• Baby bats begin to fly
• Cave dwelling bats begin to mate
• Male antlered animals begin to rub the velvet from their antlers
• Thirteen lined ground squirrels begin to gorge
• Black bears begin to mate.

BIRDS

• Purple Martins Congregate
• Shorebird begin migration
• Goldfinches start to nest
• Backyard birds molt.

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Common milkweed
• Asters
• Sunflowers
• Primrose
• Prairie Dock
• Goldenrod
• Pitcher Sage
• Jewelweed

MISCELLANEOUS

• Copperheads babies are seen
• Snapping turtles hatch
• Salamanders Juveniles transform to adults

SEPTEMBER

MAMMALS

• Antlered animals begin the rut
• Fawns loose their spots
• Squirrels are storing food

BIRDS

• Osprey begin migration
• Hawks begin migration
• Dabbling ducks migrate
• Terns migrate
• Swallows migrate
• Nighthawks migrate
• White Pelicans Migrate

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Golden rods
• Asters
• Many tree fruits and nuts are ripe and used for food

MISCELLANEOUS

• Monarch Butterflys migrate
• Garden Spiders appear
• Marbled Salamanders begin to breed
• Tiger Salamanders search for ponds
• Snakes start to hibernate

OCTOBER

MAMMALS

• Moose are mating
• Bats hibernate
• Hibernating animals fatten up

BIRDS

• Juncos appear from the North
• Swifts migrate
• Snow geese arrive

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM

• Gentians
• New England Asters

MISCELLANEOUS

• Rattlesnakes Hibernate
• Hellbenders breeding
• Frogs Hibernate

MAMMALS

• Most hibernation takes place
• Most animals seek winter shelters

BIRDS

• Cranes migrate South
• Diving ducks complete migration

MISCELLANEOUS

• Hellbender eggs hatch
• Most leaves have fallen….good time to look for bird nest.
  
  

DECEMBER

MAMMALS

• River otters begin mating.
• Grey squirrels begin mating.
• Red foxes begin courtship.

BIRDS

• Great Horned Owls start courtship.
• Barred Owls start courtship.