What to look for in February
Species from our Wildlife Guide that you can find at River Island in February: what is in bloom, nesting, arriving or active first, then everything else that is around.
In bloom
American Elm
tiny greenish-red flowers in drooping clusters, 2-3 weeks before the leaves
Ulmus americana
Devilwood
small, fragrant white tubular flowers
Cartrema americana
Eastern Red Cedar
male cones turn yellow-brown and shed pollen as the female conelets appear
Juniperus virginiana
Elliott's Blueberry
small white to pink flowers
Vaccinium elliottii
Leatherleaf Mahonia
fragrant yellow flower spikes in midwinter; nectar and pollen for bees
Berberis bealei
Loblolly Pine
red to yellow pollen cones and yellow to purple seed cones
Pinus taeda
Red Maple
red flowers on bare twigs weeks before the leaves; early nectar for bees
Acer rubrum
River Birch
catkins; birds and squirrels eat the male catkins in late winter and early spring
Betula nigra
Fruits, nuts and seeds
American Holly
red berries persist through winter; eaten by many songbirds, gamebirds and mammals
Ilex opaca
Eastern Red Cedar
frosty blue berry-like cones on the tree Sept-Feb; songbirds and small mammals eat them
Juniperus virginiana
Lilyturf
shiny black berries that last through winter
Liriope muscari
Nandina
bright red berries persist all winter; overeating them has killed cedar waxwings
Nandina domestica
Waxmyrtle
waxy bluish-white berries on female plants; songbirds such as myrtle warblers eat them in winter
Morella cerifera
Nesting and raising young
American Crow
nests high in tall pines; crows go quiet and secretive near the nest
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Bald Eagle
Georgia: eggs Nov-Feb, hatch Jan-Feb, young fledge late March to early May
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Black Vulture
lays 2 eggs on bare ground in old barns or thickets; no nest is built
Coragyps atratus
Canada Goose
Georgia resident flock: nesting began late February and ended early June
Branta canadensis
Carolina Chickadee
pairs check cavities late January, build late Feb-March; clutches start about mid-April
Poecile carolinensis
Downy Woodpecker
pairs excavate nest holes from mid-January; nestlings by early May
Dryobates pubescens
Eastern Gray Squirrel
litters are born in late February-early March and again in July-August
Sciurus carolinensis
Eurasian Collared-Dove
3-4 broods a year; can nest in any month with enough food
Streptopelia decaocto
Great Blue Heron
colonial nests high in treetops; building from mid-January, hatching late March-April
Ardea herodias
Great Horned Owl
eggs from December, hatch late Jan to Feb; young leave the nest early April to May
Bubo virginianus
House Finch
may raise 1-6 broods a year
Haemorhous mexicanus
Mourning Dove
peaks May into July; Georgia doves average three nestings a year
Zenaida macroura
Red-bellied Woodpecker
excavation seen from late January; 1-3 broods; one Carolina nest fledged on 15 July
Melanerpes carolinus
Red-shouldered Hawk
active nests from February; most flightless young are found May-June
Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed Hawk
nest building February-March; nestlings April to early July
Buteo jamaicensis
Rock Pigeon
can nest in every month of the year
Columba livia
Wood Duck
most ducklings hatch and leave the nest April-May; 1-2 broods
Aix sponsa
Breeding season
American Beaver
in Georgia beavers breed October through March; kits are born about 105-107 days later
Castor canadensis
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Bobcat
breeding can begin as early as January and run through March; kittens follow about 62 days later
Lynx rufus
Coyote
females are in heat for only 2-5 days between late January and late March
Canis latrans
Eastern Chipmunk
two breeding seasons a year: February-April and June-August
Tamias striatus
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
breeds February to September; does have 3-7 litters a year
Sylvilagus floridanus
Eastern Fox Squirrel
two mating peaks: December-February and May-June
Sciurus niger
Eastern Gray Squirrel
mating peaks in January and June
Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern Newt
adults move into rain-filled ponds to court in winter and early spring
Notophthalmus viridescens
Eastern Screech-Owl
males call from potential nest cavities in late winter
Megascops asio
Gray Fox
mates January-April; both parents raise the pups for about 3 months
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Green-winged Teal
courtship peaks in January and February; groups of males display to females
Anas crecca
Mallard
males court females with head-shakes and wing-flaps; several may display around one female
Anas platyrhynchos
Pond Slider
mates in spring, fall and winter in South Carolina
Trachemys scripta
Raccoon
breeding peaks February-March but can happen December-June
Procyon lotor
Red Fox
mates January-February; 4-5 pups are born about 53 days later
Vulpes vulpes
Striped Skunk
peak breeding is February-March
Mephitis mephitis
Three-lined Salamander
breeds in fall and winter; the eggs are rarely seen
Eurycea guttolineata
Virginia Opossum
near 30 degrees N breeding runs January-August; females average two litters a year
Didelphis virginiana
Wild Turkey
toms gobble and strut from February; most hens bred late March to early April
Meleagris gallopavo
Calling
Southern Leopard Frog
a chuckling croak; heavy winter rains can set off explosive breeding
Lithobates sphenocephalus
Spawning
American Shad
spawning run from mid-January to April; most adults die after spawning in southern rivers
Alosa sapidissima
Black Crappie
spawns as water nears 60 degrees F; the male guards the nest until the fry leave
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Arriving
American Osprey
most return late February to early March; county reports climb in March
Pandion haliaetus carolinensis
Fish Crow
county reports jump from late February
Corvus ossifragus
Leaving
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
Dormant for the winter
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
American Elm
flower buds swell on bare twigs in early February
Ulmus americana
Autumn Olive
leafs out in early spring, ahead of most native plants
Elaeagnus umbellata
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Blue Flag Iris
winter dormant
Iris virginica
Brown Anole
hides under bark, shingles or in rotten logs in cool weather
Anolis sagrei
Carolina Silverbell
Halesia carolina
Copperhead
dens alone or with other snakes; may come out to bask on warm days
Agkistrodon contortrix
DeKay's Brownsnake
overwinters in ant mounds and old rodent burrows, often in groups
Storeria dekayi
Eastern Box Turtle
overwinters just under leaf litter; southern turtles may stir on warm days
Terrapene carolina carolina
Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
overwinters in burrows such as gopher tortoise burrows, not communal dens
Crotalus adamanteus
Eastern Fence Lizard
may come out to bask on warm winter days
Sceloporus undulatus
Eastern Musk Turtle
buries in mud or debris under water once the water drops below about 50 F (10 C)
Sternotherus odoratus
Eastern Rat Snake
hibernates 2-4 months, often in hollow trees or stumps
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
Eastern Redbud
flowers open on bare twigs in March
Cercis canadensis
Elliott's Blueberry
Vaccinium elliottii
Flame Azalea
Rhododendron calendulaceum
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Fringe Tree
looks dead until the leaves and flowers appear
Chionanthus virginicus
Green Anole
hides under bark or in rotten logs in cold weather; out on warm sunny days
Anolis carolinensis
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Inland Wood Oats
soft brown through winter; tattered by February
Chasmanthium latifolium
North American Racer
uses rodent burrows as short winter refuges
Coluber constrictor
Northern Cottonmouth
moves to overwintering sites in late October and early November
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Piedmont Azalea
Rhododendron canescens
Plain-bellied Watersnake
overwinters in animal or crayfish burrows, stream banks or rock piles
Nerodia erythrogaster
Purpletop Tridens
clumps turn brown
Tridens flavus
Red Buckeye
often drops its leaves in July-August heat; usually bare by the end of September
Aesculus pavia
Red Maple
flowers open on bare twigs in mid-winter
Acer rubrum
River Birch
Betula nigra
River Cooter
overwinters underwater in silty backwater pockets
Pseudemys concinna
Smooth Azalea
Rhododendron arborescens
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
Southeastern Mud Turtle
most adults overwinter on land, buried an inch or two deep in forest soil
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
Southern Painted Turtle
may still be seen basking on warm winter days
Chrysemys dorsalis
Swamp Rose Mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos
Taro
Colocasia esculenta
Timber Rattlesnake
canebrakes overwinter alone or in small groups in stumps
Crotalus horridus
Tulip Tree
empty upright fruit cones stay on the bare branches
Liriodendron tulipfera
White Oak
Quercus alba
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos
Yellow Flag Iris
Iris pseudacorus
Yellow Passionflower
dies back to the ground each winter
Passiflora lutea
Also around in February
Birds
-
American Coot
Fulica americana
-
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
-
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga leucogaster
-
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
-
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
-
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
-
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
-
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
-
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
-
Great Egret
Ardea alba
-
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
-
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
-
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
-
Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
-
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
-
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
-
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
-
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Mammals
-
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
-
Nine-banded Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
-
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
-
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Amphibians
-
Southern Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea cirrigera
Fish
-
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
-
Chain Pickerel
Esox niger
-
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
-
Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
-
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
-
Redear Sunfish
Lepomis microlophus
-
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
Plants
-
Butterweed
Packera glabella
-
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
-
Chinese Privet
Ligustrum sinense
-
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
-
Japanese Honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica
Trees
-
Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
-
Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
See every species, in any month, in the Wildlife Guide.