The Naturalist's Calendar

January

• 12th - Red tailed hawks perch along highways.

• 16th - Peak number of Bald Eagles gather near impoundments and rivers.

• 22nd - Wildlife browse on saplings.

• 23rd - Watercress found around springs.

February

• 2nd - Groundhog Day

• 4th -Danger; spring fire season if no snow

• 9th - Maple sap flow at peak now

• 21st - Turkey vultures arrive from the south.

• 23rd - Chipmunks are through hibernating.

• 24th - Walleye spawn through April

March

• 1st - State park trout openers.

• 3rd - Wild turkeys gobble through April.

• 5th - Bluebirds nest.

• 7th - Red maples start to bloom.

• 9th - Great blue herons arrive this month.

• 19th - White bass spawn.

• 20th - Spring Equinox - First day of spring.

• 21st - Red morel mushrooms appear.

• 24th - Redbuds bloom.

• 25th - Phoebes return.

April

• 6th - House wrens arrive.

• 7th -  Robins and other songbirds build their nests.

• 8th - Redhorse suckers spawn.

• 9th - Look for common morel mushrooms.

• 13th - Copperheads emerge this week.

• 14th - Pawpaws bloom.

• 15th - Whippoorwills call, wild turkeys gobble and ruffed grouse drum.

• 20th - Oaks bloom.

• 22nd - Ruby-throat hummingbirds arrive

• 28th - Turtles cross over roads.

May

• 6th - Cuckoos return.

• 12th - Bluebird's second nesting this week.

• 13th - Begin watching for lightning bugs.

• 20th - Stinging nettle is mature enough to sting.

• 23rd - Blackberries bloom.

• 26th - Coyote pups begin venturing from their dens.

June

• 3rd - Peak hatch of wild turkeys.

• 4th - Whitetail does start dropping fawns.

• 8th - Elderberries bloom.

• 9th - Bobwhite quail hatch at its peak.

• 11th - Yuccas bloom.

• 21st - Summer Solstice - First day of summer.

• 25th - Bluebird's begin final nesting event.

July

• 8th - Black-eyed susans bloom

• 11th - Fall webworms begin web-building; they feed until September.

• 15th - Rattlesnakes hunt mostly at night.

• 17th - Katydids sing.

• 20th - Blackberries ripen.

• 22nd - Blazing star blooms on prairies and roadsides.

• 28th - Wild plums ripen.

August

• 1st - Purple Martins gather for fall migration.

• 13th - Hummingbirds begin migrating.

• 17th - Ground squirrels gorge for hibernation

• 21st - Elderberries ripen.

• 25th - Whitetail bucks rub velvet off their antlers.

September

• 8th - Hazelnuts ripen.

• 9th - Monarch butterflies migrate in large numbers.

• 15th - Sassafras, sumac, and Virginia creeper show fall colors.

• 17th - Hickory nuts ripen and fall.

• 23rd - Fall Equinox - First day of autumn

• 29th - Pawpaw fruit ripen.

October

• 1st - Archery deer season opens.

• 11th - Average first frost in north Missouri

• 15th - Average beginning of fall's peak colors for central Missouri.

• 20th - Average first frost in central Missouri.

• 24th - Average end of fall peak colors in central Missouri

• 25th - Standard Time Returns.

November

• 7th - Pecans begin to ripen.

• 14th - Firearms deer season opens.

• 19th - Put up bird feeders.

December

• 6th - Red Foxes mate this month.

• 10th - Bald Eagles arrive at major impoundments and rivers.

• 18th - Gray squirrels breed now through February.

• 21st - Goldfinches, cardinals, titmice, chickadees and nuthatches at birdfeeders.

• 22nd - First day of Winter solstice

• 24th - Christmas Eve

• 25th - Christmas Day

• 31st - New Year's Eve.