What is phenology? Phenology is the science of studying earth’s cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in terms of climate, animal, and plant life. Keep an eye out or listen for some of the following in the coming months.
May
• Look for nature babies out and about – white-tailed deer fawns, young grey squirrels, red fox kits, baby woodchucks and eastern chipmunks.
• Listen for Spring sounds by American toads, chorus frogs, and northern Leopard frogs.
• Monarchs are returning and laying their eggs all along the way; Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies are out!
• Returning birds to backyard feeders – rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore orioles, ruby-throated hummingbirds, chimney swifts, Indigo buntings, oven birds, purple martins…and a huge variety of warblers are passing through.
• Observe nest building by red-winged blackbirds, barn swallows, and Baltimore orioles. Ring-necked pheasants, blue jays, northern cardinals, and black-capped chickadees are keeping their eggs warm. Look for lots of baby birds.
• What’s usually blooming? Lilacs, wild plums, crabapple and apple trees flower early in the month followed by choke cherry and black locust. Eastern cottonwood tree is shedding seeds. Woodland flowers are blooming – various violets, wild blue phlox, white trout-lily, columbine, Jack-in-the-pulpit, large yellow lady’s slipper.
• Deciduous trees are leafing out like oaks, maples, and butternut. Other woody plants leafing out include poison ivy, wild grape, and staghorn sumac.
• Crops planted include corn, soybeans, spring wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, squash, and melons. Early Spring crops ready to harvest – asparagus, rhubarb, lettuce, radishes, and green onions. Hunt for morel mushroom.
Past Months
April
• Leopard frogs leave their pond/lake bottom hibernating places and migrate to their breeding ponds.
• Wood and deer ticks are active through June.
• As soon as insects are active, phoebes are present, returning purple martins, belted kingfishers, yellow headed blackbirds, and chipping sparrows.
• Look for spring empherals–sharp lobed hepatica, bloodroot, Dutchman’s breeches, wild ginger, and trout lilies.
• May see spring beauty blooming in the woodlands, red maples and wild plums are blooming, basswoods, sugar maples, bur oaks, and red oaks are beginning to leaf out.
• Earth Day is the 24th – 42nd Anniversary! Reuse, Recycle.
• Arbor Day is the 27th – 140th Anniversary. Learn about trees and plant trees for conservation and preservation of wood-
MARCH
• Look for ant hills (huge rounded mounds of soil).
• Listen for wood frogs & western chorus frogs first calling.
• Common grackles, western meadowlarks, blue & green herons return. Tundra swans are migrating through; fox sparrows, eastern phoebes & great egrets return.
• Sunlight hours are increasing! Watch for weather extremes, circles of bare ground around tree trunks with green grass & dandelions blooming, pussy willow buds, red-osier dogwood twigs.
FEBRUARY
• Look for gray, fox, flying & red squirrels mating rituals.
• Horned larks are the first migrants to return followed by eastern bluebirds & yellow-rumped warblers. Red-winged blackbirds, American robins & wood ducks are searching for nesting materials. Time of year to set out nesting boxes for eastern bluebirds & wood ducks!
• Good time to prune grape vines, apple & oak trees.
• Maple syrup season begins when temperature during the day is above 40 ̊ F & temperature at night is below freezing (ideal for running sap). Sugar, black, red & silver maples, box elders & certain species of birch can be tapped to extract tree sap for syrup making.
