January

Geese, swans and ducks are present in the marsh along with hawks, great blue herons, and a few species of shorebirds. Mid-winter observations are best during thaws. Eagles, both bald and golden, are sometimes conspicuous along the Wildlife Drive. Great horned owls are incubating eggs while bald eagles are rebuilding their nests high in loblolly pine trees.

February

First northward bound migrants appear late in February - killdeer, robins, and bluebirds. Eagles lay eggs late in the month. Wintering waterfowl are preparing for the long flight north through intense foraging.

March

Most migratory waterfowl depart for points north. Masses of red-winged blackbirds pass through; some remain to nest. Osprey return from southern wintering grounds and begin constructing nests.

April

Resident ducks and geese are incubating eggs. The majority of migrant marsh birds return by mid-April. Blue-winged and green-winged teal passing through. (Blue-winged are latest in spring and earliest in fall). Delmarva fox squirrels are born. Young bald eaglets begin hatching (although some eagles have been known to nest early, and their eaglets hatch by the end of February). Osprey, wild turkey, and northern bobwhite all begin to nest. Late April and early May heralds peak shorebird migrations.

May

Migratory songbirds peak in late April and early May with warblers being most conspicuous and abundant. White-tail fawns (usually twins) begin to appear. Eaglets start to fledge; this will occur from the end of the month through the middle of June. The first broods of waterfowl appear.

June

Ospreys hatching in June. Eaglets fledge. Songbirds begin to nest.

July

Local goslings start to fly. Large quantities of insects being consumed by swallows, kingbirds, and flycatchers. The conspicuous marsh hibiscus (mallow) begins to bloom along marsh edges at end of month. Osprey young leave the nest.

August

Wading bird numbers increase. Blue-winged teal from the north arrive on southward migration. Some bald eagles disperse northward after the breeding season. Note: In the summers be prepared for large concentrations of flies and mosquitoes in the marshes and woods.

September

Ospreys migrate to South and Central America. Waterfowl numbers gradually increase. Egrets and herons accumulate until cold weather pushes them south. Tickseed sunflowers bloom; cattails go to seed. Songbird migration peaks in late September and early October. Toads are abundant.

October - December

Autumn colors peak. Blackbirds, the last of the songbird migrants, peak in October and November. Abundance of ducks and geese gradually increases. Peaks occur in late October or November. Tundra swans from Northwest Canada usually arrive in early November. Several hundred remain throughout the winter. White-tailed and sika deer breed from October to December. Bald eagle numbers increase with the arrival of migrants from the north. Golden eagles are occasionally seen during winter. Waterfowl numbers decrease. Some remain all winter, others move south or disperse throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. Prescribed burning of the marsh begins for regeneration of specific waterfowl food resources.