What to look for in March
Species from our Wildlife Guide that you can find at River Island in March: 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
American Holly
small greenish-white flowers; only female trees bear berries
Ilex opaca
Autumn Olive
clusters of small, fragrant, white tubular flowers
Elaeagnus umbellata
Bald Cypress
wind-pollinated; male cones hang in long drooping clusters and shed pollen
Taxodium distichum
Butterweed
masses of yellow daisy-like flowers in wet ground; peak in early April
Packera glabella
Carolina Silverbell
white, sometimes pink-tinged bells in drooping clusters of 2-5; bees and hummingbirds visit
Halesia carolina
Crossvine
red-and-yellow trumpet flowers in clusters of 2-5; early nectar for hummingbirds
Bignonia capreolata
Devilwood
small, fragrant white tubular flowers
Cartrema americana
Eastern Redbud
pink to purple flowers cover bare twigs before the leaves; butterflies and bees nectar
Cercis canadensis
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
Flowering Dogwood
four white petal-like bracts around tiny green flowers, before the leaves
Cornus florida
Green Ash
small inconspicuous flowers; male and female on separate trees
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
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
Piedmont Azalea
fragrant pale pink to white flowers, usually before the leaves unfurl
Rhododendron canescens
Red Buckeye
red tubular flower spikes, timed with the ruby-throated hummingbirds' spring migration
Aesculus pavia
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
Waxmyrtle
tiny greenish flowers on separate male and female plants
Morella cerifera
White Oak
yellow-green catkins in long drooping chains; reddish female flowers 5-10 days later
Quercus alba
Willow Oak
yellow-green catkins about a week before the leaf buds open
Quercus phellos
Leafing out
American Elm
leaves flush 2-3 weeks after flowering
Ulmus americana
Carolina Silverbell
flowers open as the leaves begin to expand
Halesia carolina
Red Maple
leaves unfold several weeks after flowering
Acer rubrum
River Birch
female catkins appear with the leaves
Betula nigra
White Oak
flowers open as the leaves appear
Quercus alba
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos
Fruits, nuts and seeds
American Elm
papery wafer-like samaras; seed fall done by mid-March in the South; songbirds eat them
Ulmus americana
Nandina
bright red berries persist all winter; overeating them has killed cedar waxwings
Nandina domestica
Nesting and raising young
American Crow
nests high in tall pines; crows go quiet and secretive near the nest
Corvus brachyrhynchos
American Osprey
Georgia nest cam: eggs early-mid March, hatch mid-April, young fledge mid-June
Pandion haliaetus carolinensis
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
Brown Anole
one egg about every 14 days in moist soil or rotten wood; hatches in 30-45 days
Anolis sagrei
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
Carolina Wren
often raises a second brood; nests in odd spots such as mailboxes and flower pots
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Coyote
pups are born in dug-out dens or brush piles; they first come out at 3-4 weeks old
Canis latrans
Downy Woodpecker
pairs excavate nest holes from mid-January; nestlings by early May
Dryobates pubescens
Eastern Bluebird
typically two broods a year in cavities and nest boxes
Sialia sialis
Eastern Gray Squirrel
litters are born in late February-early March and again in July-August
Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern Phoebe
mud-and-moss nests under bridges and eaves; eggs by early April
Sayornis phoebe
Eastern Screech-Owl
uses tree cavities and nest boxes; eggs found late March to mid-April
Megascops asio
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
Mallard
nesting can begin late February; ducklings follow hens from mid-March
Anas platyrhynchos
Mourning Dove
peaks May into July; Georgia doves average three nestings a year
Zenaida macroura
Nine-banded Armadillo
a litter of identical quadruplets is born in March or April
Dasypus novemcinctus
Northern Cardinal
first nests built early to mid-March; three or more broods in the Carolina Piedmont
Cardinalis cardinalis
Pileated Woodpecker
one brood; a Catawba River nest had nestlings 7 May and fledged by 21 May
Dryocopus pileatus
Pine Warbler
nest building from mid-March, eggs by late March, high on pine limbs
Setophaga pinus
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
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Turkey Vulture
eggs found mid-April to early May; young take 60-84 days to fledge
Cathartes aura
Wild Turkey
most Georgia hens lay late March to early April
Meleagris gallopavo
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
Brown Anole
territorial males display an orange-red dewlap
Anolis sagrei
Brown Watersnake
groups of males court females; 20-60 live young born in late summer
Nerodia taxispilota
Copperhead
live young born late summer to early fall; newborns have a yellow tail tip
Agkistrodon contortrix
Coyote
females are in heat for only 2-5 days between late January and late March
Canis latrans
DeKay's Brownsnake
3-31 live young born in late summer, mostly July-August
Storeria dekayi
Eastern Carpenter Bee
males mate with females in flight near the nests
Xylocopa virginica
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 Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
Eastern Newt
adults move into rain-filled ponds to court in winter and early spring
Notophthalmus viridescens
Gray Fox
mates January-April; both parents raise the pups for about 3 months
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Mallard
males court females with head-shakes and wing-flaps; several may display around one female
Anas platyrhynchos
Northern River Otter
breeds March-April; delayed implantation means kits arrive the next late winter or early spring
Lontra canadensis
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
River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna
Southeastern Mud Turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
Southern Painted Turtle
males move between ponds looking for mates
Chrysemys dorsalis
Southern Two-lined Salamander
eggs are attached under rocks in streams from late March to May; the female guards them
Eurycea cirrigera
Striped Skunk
peak breeding is February-March
Mephitis mephitis
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
American Green Treefrog
males call a nasal, duck-like 'queenk' from plants at pond and swamp edges
Hyla cinerea
Cope's Gray Treefrog
breeding chorus peaks in early summer; males trill from shrubs around fishless pools
Hyla chrysoscelis
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
Chain Pickerel
spawns as water approaches 45 degrees F, in heavily vegetated, slow water
Esox niger
Emerging
Common Eastern Bumblebee
overwintered queens come out in early spring and start new colonies
Bombus impatiens
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
Eastern Carpenter Bee
overwintered adults come out; males appear slightly before females
Xylocopa virginica
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
spring brood; three flights a year in the Deep South
Papilio glaucus
Inland Wood Oats
blue-green basal leaves in earliest spring
Chasmanthium latifolium
Luna Moth
first of two to three broods in the South
Actias luna
Southeastern Mud Turtle
adults leave winter burrows on land and return to the water
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
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
Passing through
Blue-winged Teal
early fall migrant: first birds late August, peak September to early October
Spatula discors
Leaving
Ring-necked Duck
most leave in March; a few stay into April
Aythya collaris
Dormant for the winter
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
Eastern Redbud
flowers open on bare twigs in March
Cercis canadensis
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Fringe Tree
looks dead until the leaves and flowers appear
Chionanthus virginicus
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Swamp Rose Mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos
Taro
Colocasia esculenta
Timber Rattlesnake
canebrakes overwinter alone or in small groups in stumps
Crotalus horridus
Also around in March
Birds
-
American Coot
Fulica americana
-
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
-
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga leucogaster
-
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
-
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
-
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
-
Great Egret
Ardea alba
-
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
-
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Mammals
-
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
-
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
-
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
-
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Reptiles
-
Common Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
-
Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus
Dangerous
-
Eastern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus
-
Eastern Rat Snake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
-
Green Anole
Anolis carolinensis
-
North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
-
Northern Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Dangerous
-
Plain-bellied Watersnake
Nerodia erythrogaster
-
Scarlet Kingsnake
Lampropeltis elapsoides
Amphibians
-
Three-lined Salamander
Eurycea guttolineata
Fish
-
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
-
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
-
Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
-
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
-
Redear Sunfish
Lepomis microlophus
-
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
Insects
-
American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis
-
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
-
Giant Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia
-
Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis
Plants
-
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
-
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
-
Blue Flag Iris
Iris virginica
-
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
-
Chinese Privet
Ligustrum sinense
-
Flame Azalea
Rhododendron calendulaceum
-
Japanese Honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica
-
Lilyturf
Liriope muscari
-
Purpletop Tridens
Tridens flavus
-
Smooth Azalea
Rhododendron arborescens
-
Yellow Flag Iris
Iris pseudacorus
-
Yellow Passionflower
Passiflora lutea
Trees
-
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
-
Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
-
Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
-
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipfera
See every species, in any month, in the Wildlife Guide.