February 2024 Nature Happenings

• February is National Birdfeeding Month
• Feb 1 – 29: Project FeederWatch continues
• Feb 2: Groundhog Day
• Feb 9: New Moon; Feb 24: Full (Hunger or Snow) Moon
• Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 16-19: www.birdsource.org/gbbc
 • The first Bluebirds back begin to check out available nesting boxes early in the month. Have your's ready!
 • Titmice (a fast Peter, Peter) and cardinals (What cheer? Purdy, purdy) begin calling, signaling the onset of breeding season
 • Listen for the Black-capped Chickadee mating call: a slow "See-Mee"
 • Eastern Gray Squirrel mating season
 • Skunk cabbage flowers emerge, generating heat to melt the frozen ground surrounding them
 • Maple tree sap starts running, so Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers start working the trees
 • Raccoon, woodchuck, beaver, skunk, opossum and rabbit mating seasons
 • All nest boxes need to be cleaned out this month
 • Male Red-winged Blackbirds and grackles return
• Starlings come back to feeders more often. Lucky us!!!