• Project FeederWatch continues,  www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Watch for mixed flocks of birds to feed on winter berries, poison ivy and cedar trees.
• Now through late March is a difficult time for birds; providing food and an open source of water is important.
• During the first or second week of January, the first returning Purple Martins will be seen along the coast.
• Squirrel mating season.
• Woodpeckers are easy to spot on leafless trees.
• Waterfowl are present on the coast or on deep-water lakes.
• Coastal states host many wintering hummingbirds that need a reliable source of nectar.
• During late January or early February, Great Horned Owls will be sitting on their eggs.
• Bald Eagles begin nesting behavior.
• Black-crowned Night-Heron nesting begins.
• Wood Stork colony formation begins.
• Barred Owl: (January - February) nesting peak (incubation 28-33 days).
• Aldo Leopold's (Father of Wildlife Conservation) birthday Jan. 11
• Quadrantid Meteor Shower early in the month. See up to 60 falling meteors per hour!

• Great Backyard Bird Count, mid-month, www.birdsource.org/gbbc
• Project FeederWatch continues,  www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• February is National Bird Feeding Month
• Ruby-throated Hummingbirds reach the Gulf Coast in late February.
• Early migrant warblers, including the Northern Parula, start to arrive along the Gulf Coast.
• Have houses ready for Purple Martins that will return by end of the month.
• Be sure to have nesting boxes ready for bluebirds as they select their nesting territories this month.
• Barred Owls and Eastern Screech Owls are courting.
• As days lengthen, Tufted Titmice and cardinals begin to sing.
• Sandhill Cranes can be seen migrating north in late February.
• Smith's Longspurs will be on their way back to the Arctic by the end of the month.
• American Robin spring migration begins in late February.
• Flocks of Cedar Waxwings can be seen feeding on berries.

• Project FeederWatch continues,  www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Hummingbirds arrive. Be sure to have their feeders ready.
• Goldfinches begin to molt into their brilliant yellow plumage.
• Bluebirds begin nesting by the end of the month. Be sure to have their houses ready, and begin monitoring them by the middle of the month (incubation 14 days; fledging in 18 days).
• Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Crows and Blue Jays begin nesting.
• Screech Owls are sitting on their eggs.
• The Sandhill Crane spring migratory population peaks during the first or second week of the month.
• Peak of Eastern Screech-Owl nesting.
• Osprey begin nesting.
• Barn Swallows arrive.
• Tufted Titmice begin nesting at the end of the month.

• Project FeederWatch ends this month,  www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Orioles return and begin nesting in southern part of region. Get their feeders ready.
• Whip-poor-wills arrive in the first half of the month.
• Wintering sparrows begin to head north; the White-throated are usually the last to go.
• Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks arrive at inland breeding sites.
• Painted Buntings begin to arrive late in the month.
• Spring migration brings the American Redstart, Ovenbird, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore and Orchard Oriole, Red-eyed Vireo early in the month and the Yellow Warbler, Rose-breasted and Blue Grosbeak later.
• Mature male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks arrive about three days before the females. First year males usually arrive last.
• Indigo Buntings arrive.
• Lyrids meteor shower, late-April.
• Earth Day, April 22.

• Orioles return and begin nesting in the northern part of the region. Get feeders, nectar, fruit and jelly out early.
• Canada Geese goslings and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Wood Duck and Mallard ducklings hatch and venture forth early in the month.
• Peak of warbler migration away from the coast happens very early in the month.
• Sub-adult Purple Martins return to establish new colonies early in the month.
• Grassland species on territory (buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Dickcissels, Northern Bobwhite)
• Cedar Waxwings finally depart.
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo are late to arrive and the first to leave; some individuals will spend less than a month at their breeding territory.
• Chickadees and titmice become scarce at feeders as they nest and raise their young.
• Bluebirds: first brood fledges, second nesting attempt begins.
• Eta Aquarids meteor shower is early-May.
• International Migratory Bird Day is mid-May.

• June is Perennial Garden Month & National Rivers Month
• Bird migration is finished. Birds that are here now are summer residents that nest.
• As the month progresses, feeders can become busy with visiting parents and fledglings.
• House Wrens are nesting in the northern part of region.
• Keep your feeders and bird baths clean and your seed fresh.
• Wood Duck and Mallard ducklings hatch and venture forth early in the month.
• Canada Geese begin molting.
• Fawns continue to be born through mid-month.
• Bats give birth.
• Young woodchucks and raccoons emerge and venture out with their mothers.
• Bullfrogs begin calling.
• Crickets begin nightly serenade.

• NABA National Butterfly count.
• Except for goldfinches and late bluebirds, bird breeding and nesting season ends this month.
• Mississippi Kites begin fledging their young.
• Mallards and Wood Ducks molt into their "eclipse" plumage and are unable to fly for several weeks.
• Watch local ponds for immature herons and bitterns.
• Fall shorebird migration begins this month.
• Blackbirds begin to flock and appear at feeders.
• First brood of immature hummingbirds begin to show up at nectar feeders early in the month.
• Hummingbirds begin staging south and start showing up more at feeders.
• Keep your feeders and bird baths clean and your seed fresh through hot months.
• Barn Swallow fall migration begins.
• Delta Aquarids Meteor shower peaks in late-July.

• Shorebird migration builds and waterfowl migration starts.
• Purple Martins begin heading south (adults by the start of the month, juveniles by the end of the month).
• Broad-winged Hawk migration begins.
• Chimney Swifts can be seen in large flocks over chimneys at dusk.
• Second brood of hummingbirds begin to appear at feeders early- to mid-month.
• American Goldfinches are fledging late this month.
• Migration begins for Ospreys and raptors.
• Early warblers (Cape May, Tennessee, Magnolia, Blackburnian) are migrate southward.
• The peak of Ruby-throated Hummingbird fall migration is mid-August.
• Carolina Chickadees begin forming pairs (protracted during non-breedng season).
• Perseids Meteor shower is mid-month.

• Hummingbird numbers peak around Labor Day, then start to dwindle; huge numbers along Texas coast.
• Blackbird (grackles, cowbirds and redwings) flocks can number in the thousands.
• Broadwings and other hawks pass through.
• Peak of Blue-winged Teal migration.
• First flickers and kinglets can appear by the end of this month - they love suet.
• Migration month! More birds are in the area now than any other month.
• American Goldfinch juveniles can be seen and heard harassing adults for food at feeders.
• Ruby-crowned Kinglets appear.
• First juncos and White-throated Sparrows can appear by the end of this month.
• Robins are in large flocks, feeding on crab apples.
• Peak migration for Bald Eagle and other raptors.
• House Wrens begin arriving in the southeast in late-September.

• Cedar Waxwings arrive.
• Look for scarce Rufous Hummingbirds to arrive throughout the region.
• Wintering sparrows, towhees and juncos arrive late in the month - they all love millet in a ground feeder.
• It's a good time to install bluebird winter roost boxes.
• American Goldfinches start to return this month (in the south of the region).
• First Sprague's Pipits and longspurs arrive for the winter.
• Monarch migration reaches its peak late in month, sometimes in uncountable numbers.
• Sandhill Cranes arrive in small flocks late in the month.
• Waterfowl migration continues to build; lots of geese can be seen passing over at the end of the month.
• Bald Eagle nest building and maintenance begins.
• Great Horned Owl males begin hooting in nesting territory.
• Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers arrive.
• Sedge Wrens arrive in mid-October.
• Peak fall migration for American Robins.
• Orionids meteor shower is late-October.

• Project Feeder Watch starts and extends until April, www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Feeders get busier as the month progresses.
• Open water is important if there's an early freeze. Put out heated bird baths for a winter water source.
• American Goldfinches arrive in large numbers. Keep those finch feeders filled!
• Number and variety of wintering hummingbirds begins to build on the Coast.
• Waterfowl migration peaks this month.
• Franklin's Gulls pass through in large numbers on their way to wintering grounds of the coast of Chile.
• Common Loons and Bald Eagles arrive from the north.
• Northern Gannets arrive along the SE coast.
• Fall begins for most migratory waterfowl.
• The fall migratory population of the Sandhill Crane peaks in mid-November.
• Leonid meteor shower is mid-month.

• Project FeederWatch continues,  www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw
• Christmas Bird Count is this month,  fmwaudubon.org
• Great Horned Owls are pairing up this month – listen for their "who" calls.
• This is a great time to teach chickadees and titmice to feed from your hand.
• Watch for late waterfowl migrants such as Northern Shovelers, mergansers, Ruddy Ducks and Common Goldeneyes.
• Tundra Swans arrive.
• Purple Finches can be seen at feeders.
• Smith's Longspurs arrive for their brief visit to the north-central part of our region.
• Red-tailed Hawks and kestrels have arrived for winter.
•  Geminid Meteor Shower is mid-month.