March | the Intown Hawk

Plants are waking up and everybody’s nesting. The dawn chorus is especially loud and full of courtship and the claiming of territory. Frogs are beginning to call at night. Native bees are busy and there’s plenty in bloom to provide nectar and pollen. On warmer days the honey bees in the hive on the Nature Trail are active. No hummingbirds have been seen here yet, although there are reports of sightings close by, and butterflies are still scarce. This will change soon.

Eastern Bluebird

Blackberry

American Robin

Brown Thrasher with nesting material

Brown Thrasher nesting in Carolina Jessamine

Flowering Dogwood

American Bullfrog

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Carolina Chickadee

Eastern Towhee

Moss Phlox

Northern Cardinal

Native Honeysuckle

Wild Turkey (photo courtesy of Chris Nilan)

Northern Mockingbird

Rhododendron austrinum azalea

Song Sparrow

Veronica

Mild weather continued in March. It actually felt like Spring as we passed the first official day of the season. Last month we told you we heard frogs. This month we’ve been hearing them more and seeing them, as well as lots of tadpoles.

March’s photos include nesting birds, native bees and two butterfly species: Sulfur and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Also both of our native honeysuckle vines are blooming coinciding with the arrival of hummingbirds. So be on the lookout.

As you can see below, the Cooper’s Hawks are still here. This one had just caught a Mourning Dove.