Phenological Calendar Phenology is the study of reoccuring natural phenomena. WINTER ___ Animal tracks in the snow ___ Ice fishing season ___ Chickadees and finches flock to feeders ___ Morning mist hangs over open fields ___ Woodstove smoke lingers ___ Ducks gather in huge groups on open bays ___ Northern birds arrive after bad storms ___ Holly adds cheer to the season ___ Annual Christmas Bird Count ___ Squirrels sneak out for a quick bite ___ Birds already nesting in the far south ___ Great Horned Owls hooting on chilly nights ___ Days are very short now ___ Snow sounds squeaky on extremely cold night. ___ Full moon is especially bright SPRING ___ Look for restless fights of geese & ducks ___ Fields green up with new grass shoots ___ Flies on the side of the house on a warm day ___ Hungry squirrels and chipmunks show up at bird feeders ___ Early forest flowers bloom ___ Enthusiastic tree frogs trilling in neighborhood ponds ___ Sap moves in the trees ___ Long forgotten flowers in the backyard ___ The weather turns briefly cold again ___ Ice disappears from lakes ___ Day light saving begins ___ Fields are plowed ___ Newly arriving warblers sing ___ Apple trees flower ___ Butterflies fly on warm days ___ Spring in full bloom by late April SUMMER ___ Sun-warmed tomatoes fresh off the vine ___ Lots of berries for cobblers and pies ___ Days get longer ___ Turtles sunning on logs ___ Birds nesting or feeding young ___ Mosquitoes come out as the sun goes down ___ Night filled with the Hum of crickets ___ Thunderstorms billow up on hot days ___ Hurricane season start ___ Salamanders retreat under damp logs ___ Young raccoons tag after their mothers ___ Tadpoles turn into tiny frogs ___ Bats dart in twilight skies ___ Kids search for monarch caterpillars ___ Dragonflies hunt over pond. ___ Hawks circle on thermals ___ Sandpipers show up again on mud flats FALL ___ Leaves turn glorious ___ Flocks of small birds head south ___ Squirrels very active making ready for winter ___ Hawks and eagles soar over high ridges ___ Time to rake fallen leaves ___ Pine cones start dropping seeds ___ Look for butterfly cocoons ___ Gulls on the beach hunker in the wind ___ Pumpkins are ready ___ Forests echo with the cries of elk ___ Antlered deer spar ___ Bears move into hibernation ___ First frost appears one morning ___ Ring-necked pheasants scurry across bare cornfields ___ Ice appears on small puddles 1000 isitors
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