• Daffodils (Narcissus) are at their peak bloom this month.
• The earliest of the spring flowers are blooming:
• Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
• Blueberries (Vaccinium)
• Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
• Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), the SC State wildflower.
• Yellowbelly Slider and Florida Cooter turtles emerge from their short hibernation.
• The vocals of the Southern Leopard and Green Frogs begin by month’s end.
• Moths such as the Luna Moth and Clear-winged Sphinx and butterfly species, Sleepy Orange, Mourning Cloak and Snout may be seen.

• The peak Azalea bloom arrives by months end.

• Blooming wildflowers include:
Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
Coral Honeysuckle (Lornicera sempervirens)
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
Violets (Viola)
Big Floating Bladderwort (Utricularia inflata)
Sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Blue Toadflax (Linaria canadensis)

• Deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out, including the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum).

• The last flowers of the winter-blooming Camellias melt away with the seasonal changes.

• Cricket frogs begin vocalizing.

• This is the onset of breeding season for most birds including:
Yellow-throated Warblers, Red-shouldered Hawks, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice.

• Early avian spring arrivals include:
Purple Martins, Rough-winged Swallows, Summer Tanagers, Parula Warblers, Chimney Swifts.

• Butterflies:
Black Swallowtail, Little Wood Satyr, Viceroy, Pearl Crescent, Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Monarch, and Carolina Satyr butterflies appear along with the earliest of many dragonfly species.

• Dogwoods (Cornus) are blooming.

• April is the best time to see native Iris blooming.

• Additions to the March collection of blooming wildflowers include:
Southern Blue Flag (Iris virginica)
Dwarf Azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum)
Southern Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Water-spider Orchid (Habenaria repens)

• The numbers of bird species peak when many of the winter residents will not migrate north until later in the month or early in May, this winter residents include:
Ruby-crowned Kinglets
Hermit Thrushes
Solitary Warbler
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
Dark-eyed Juncos
Swamp Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Field Sparrow

• Spring migrants are arriving from their wintering areas which include:
Prothonotary Warblers
Hooded Warblers
Red-eyed Vireos
Yellow-throated Vireos
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Wood Thrushes
Blue Grosbeaks
Great-crested Flycatchers
Indigo Buntings
Orchard Orioles

• Frogs vocalizing in the swamp swells with the added voices of Bulls, Pigs, Little Grass, and Southern Toads.

• Gray squirrels are actively nesting and Bobcat activity soars.

• Though heard throughout the year, Barred Owls are particularly vocal.

• Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral, and Spring Azure butterflies make their appearance.

• The last week of April marks the end of peak Azalea bloom.

• Antique Roses start to bloom.

• The last of the wintering bird species depart for their breeding grounds, while the last of our breeding species; such as the Painted Bunting arrive.

• Deciduous plants have all fully leafed-out, and more species add their flowers to the landscape, such as:
Meadow-beauty (Rhexia)
Lizard-tail (Saururus cernuus),
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata),
Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora),
Trumpet Creeper or Cow-itch (Campsis radicans),
Water Primrose (Ludwigia uruguayensis)
Verbenas (Verbena brasiliensis, V. bonariensis)

• Additional frog vocals include Green, Gray, and Squirrel Treefrogs.

• Question Mark butterflies appear.

• Day Lilies begin blooming by months end and continue throughout the summer.

• June brings the earth-shaking bellowings of the territorial, breeding alligator and the vocals of Narrowmouth Toads.

• Few spring wildflowers remain in bloom, but in their wake come the blossoms of the:
Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Beauty-berry (Callicarpa americana)
Blazing Stars (Liatris)
Crested Fringed-orchid (Habenaria cristata)
Ironweed (Vernonia acaulis)
Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Yellow-eyed Grass (Xyris)

• With the increasing heat, birdsong rather steadily decreases while insect song, like the buzzing of cicada, increases.

• Hairstreaks, especially the Gray and the Red-banded, become more prevalent among the butterflies.

• More flowering plants appear in the form of:
Elephant-toes (Elephantopus tomentosus)
Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)
Water Willow (Decodon verticillatus)
Fragrant Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes odorata)

• Other than Mockingbirds, most songbirds have nests of fledglings and are relatively quiet.

• Until colder weather arrives in a few months, the sound of insects is dominant including the Katydid.

• The Palamedes Swallowtail is regularly seen.

• Wildlife, other than Insects (Katydids, Cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets) is relatively quiet as another breeding season winds down.

• Early fall bird migrants are becoming apparent and we begin to see the Eastern Kingbird, Barn and Rough-winged Swallows, and flocks of blackbirds and grackles assembling to build into their winter conglomerations.

• Butterfly migrants and wanderers become more common, such as Gulf Fritillaries, Hackberry Butterfly, Cloudless Sulfur, Monarchs, and American and Painted Ladies.

• Composites increase their dominance among flowering plants with at least 8 species of white-flowered Eupatorium, Goldenrods (Solidago), and Lobelias including Purple Lobelia (Lobelia elongata), Glandular (L. glandulosa), and Downy (L. puberula).

• Fall migration for birds is apparent as the mixed blackbird and grackle flocks continue to grow in number; Solitary Sandpipers, Palm and Black and White Warblers pass through; and the numbers of Gray Catbirds build to spend the winter.

• Gone until spring are the:
Yellow-throated Vireo
Acadian Flycatcher
Great-crested Flycatchers
Northern Parula
Eastern Kingbird
Purple Martin
Yellow-throated Warbler
Summer Tanager
Blue Grosbeak

• Composites continue to rule the flowering plants including:
Bur-marigold (Bidens laevis)
Climbing Aster (Aster carolinianus)
Goldenrods (Solidago)

• Antique Roses bloom again by months end.

• This is the prime fall month for observing the leaf-color change in deciduous plants and trees. The needles of our only deciduous conifer, the Bald Cypress, turn rust-brown.

• Many of September’s composites continue to flower, but most have gone to seed.

• A few amphibians, such as the Ornate Chorus Frog, gear up for their fall and winter breeding season.

• Great-horned and Screech Owls are more vocal.

• Bird migration continues as Red-eyed Vireos and Indigo Buntings will soon vanish until next spring.

• Winter arrivals include the:
Pied-billed Grebe
Eastern phoebe
House Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-throated Sparrow

• Butterflies remain plentiful and the striking Purple Hairstreak is notable.

• Deciduous plants continue to become bare of leaves, including the Bald Cypress.

• The extensive old plantings of Camellias (mostly from Japan) begin to flower.

• Winter resident bird species continue to arrive, such as the:
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
Chipping Sparrow
American Woodcock
Brown Creeper

• Insect activity is slowing.

• The fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans) begins to fill the air along the trails and will last until February.

• Camellias continue to bloom as well as the horticultural Paper White Narcissus flower.

• Swamp Sparrows and other late resident birds arrive.

• Warmer days may bring out surprise butterfly appearances of Gulf Fritillaries, Cloudless Sulfurs, or Monarchs.