Field notes

What to look for in nature each month: a year of wildlife, January to December

7 min read

For families who want a reason to get outside every month of the year. You'll get two to four things to look for each month, with separate notes for the UK and the US where they differ.

A child's open hands holding an acorn, a feather, a pine cone and an autumn leaf.

Nature runs on a calendar, and once you know it, every month has something to look forward to. This guide shows what to look for in nature each month, from January's first catkins to December's winter birds, with two to four highlights per month and separate notes for the UK and the US where they differ.

One important thing first: timings are a guide, not a timetable. They shift with where you live and with the weather. Spring arrives earlier in the south than the north, and a mild winter or a cold snap can move things by weeks. If something's late, keep looking. Noticing when things happen where you live is real science.

How to use this calendar

  • Pick one thing a month and make it a mission. One good sighting beats a rushed list.
  • Go at the right time of day. Dawn is best for birdsong, dusk for bats and foxes, and warm summer nights for glowing insects.
  • Look twice in the same place. A pond, a hedge or a single tree visited every month shows the whole year changing.
  • Leave things as you found them. Look, draw and photograph, but leave spawn, nests and flowers where they are.

January: bare branches and night-time calls

  • Tracks in snow. Fresh snow shows who walked past overnight: rabbits, deer, squirrels, foxes.
  • Great horned owls hooting. They're one of the earliest birds to nest, and their deep "hoo-hoo" duets carry on winter evenings.
  • Bald eagles gather along rivers wherever there's open water to fish, such as below dams on the Mississippi. Some riverside towns hold eagle-watching days.

February: the first stirrings

  • Maple sugaring. Sap runs when freezing nights are followed by thawing days, usually somewhere between late January and early April in the Northeast and Midwest. Many farms and nature centers welcome visitors.
  • The Great Backyard Bird Count usually runs over four days in mid-February.
  • Red-winged blackbirds start returning to marshes, the males singing "conk-la-ree!" from the reeds.

March: spring gets moving

  • Spring peepers fill the night with high "peep" calls. In the North they usually start in March or April; in the South they can call from late fall right through winter.
  • Salamander "Big Night". On the first warm, rainy nights of spring, spotted salamanders walk to woodland pools to breed.
  • Sandhill cranes gather in huge numbers on Nebraska's Platte River, peaking in March.

April: flowers and first migrants

  • Tadpoles wriggle in ponds. Visit the same pond every week or two and watch their back legs appear.

  • Spring wildflowers such as trillium and bloodroot bloom on the woodland floor before the trees leaf out.

  • Ruby-throated hummingbirds arrive. They reach the Gulf Coast in early March and the northern states by late April or May.
  • Warbler migration begins, with tiny, colorful birds flitting through the treetops.

May: the dawn chorus peaks

  • The dawn chorus is at its loudest. International Dawn Chorus Day is the first Sunday in May: set an alarm and listen.

  • Warbler migration peaks in many places in mid-May.

  • Fawns are born in late spring and early summer, most of them in June. A fawn lying alone isn't lost: its mother leaves it hidden and comes back. Leave it be.

June: long evenings

  • Bats come out at dusk to hunt insects. Warm, still evenings near water are best.

  • Fireflies light up yards and meadows, peaking in June and July in many areas.

  • Monarch caterpillars, striped yellow, black and white, munch milkweed leaves.

July: butterflies and buzzing

  • Moths. Leave an outside light on for an hour after dark and see who visits. Moths come in amazing shapes and colors, and many are only seen at night.

  • Cicadas buzz from the trees on hot afternoons.

  • Fireflies are still going strong.
  • Dragonflies patrol ponds, hunting insects in mid-air.

August: shooting stars and late summer

  • The Perseid meteor shower peaks around August 12 to 13. Lie back somewhere dark after sunset.

  • Katydids and crickets sing loud night-time choruses.

  • Hummingbirds begin heading south, and goldenrod starts to bloom.

September: webs and migration

  • Spider webs are everywhere on dewy mornings. Big orb-weavers spin wheel-shaped webs across paths.

  • Monarch migration. Eastern monarchs head south to Mexico in September and October.

  • Hawk migration. Broad-winged hawks travel in swirling flocks called kettles, with a big peak in mid-September in the East.

October: fall colors and fungi

  • Fungi pop up in woods and on lawns. Look, photograph and draw, but never touch or taste wild mushrooms.

  • Fall color peaks, earlier in the North and in the mountains.

  • Squirrels bury acorns and nuts for winter.
  • Dark-eyed juncos arrive in many backyards for the winter.

November: flocks on the move

  • Geese fly south in noisy V-shaped flocks.
  • White-tailed deer are in their breeding season (the rut) and on the move, so they're easier to spot. Grown-ups, watch for them on roads.
  • Leaf fall reveals old birds' nests you never saw in summer.

December: winter birds and the longest night

  • Feeders are busiest in cold snaps. Our winter backyard birds guide shows who to look for.

  • The winter solstice, around December 21, is the longest night of the year. Go out after dark and listen.

  • The Christmas Bird Count runs from December 14 to January 5.

  • Snowy owls come south into some northern states in some winters.

Make your own nature calendar

Keep a simple "firsts" list on the fridge: the first frogspawn, the first firefly, the first frost. Next year, compare the dates. Scientists call this phenology, the study of when things happen in nature, and records sent in by ordinary families help them see how the seasons are changing. You can add yours to Nature's Notebook, run by the USA National Phenology Network. Twelve months from now, you'll have a calendar that's truly your own.

Sources

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