SE Minnesota Seasonal Changes
March
- Red-winged blackbirds return
- Trumpeter swans return to the area
- Bald eagles can be seen near waterways
- Eastern cottontail rabbits become more active
- Pussy willows begin to emerge
- Snow trilliums begin to bloom
April
- Wood ducks return to area waterways
- Wild turkeys begin to display and mate
- Tree swallows begin to arrive
- American white pelicans begin to migrate through
- Bloodroot and trout lilies begin to bloom
May
- Migrating warblers pass through
- Orioles and grosbeaks arrive
- Red fox kits are born
- Painted turtles begin to lay eggs
- Wild geraniums and trilliums bloom
- Trees leaf out, including maple, oak, and birch
June
- Fireflies emerge
- Beavers become more active
- Canada geese begin to molt
- Songbirds are actively nesting
- Common milkweed blooms
- Prairie smoke blooms
July
- Monarch butterflies can be seen
- Eastern bluebirds begin to nest
- Whitetail deer fawns are born
- Hummingbirds are active
- Blazing stars and purple coneflowers bloom
- Common loons begin to migrate through
August
- Ruby-throated hummingbirds begin to migrate through
- Ripe raspberries and blackberries can be found
- Bats become more active
- Bullfrogs can be heard calling
- Goldenrod and New England asters bloom
September
- Migrating sandhill cranes pass through
- White-tailed deer become more active during breeding season
- Squirrels and chipmunks are busy gathering food for winter
- Tamarack trees begin to turn yellow
- Fall wildflowers such as asters, goldenrod, and sunflowers bloom
October
- Migrating waterfowl pass through
- Coyotes become more vocal
- Wild grapes and hazelnuts ripen
- Oaks begin to turn red and orange
- Witch-hazel blooms
November
- Trumpeter swans begin to gather in large flocks
- Raccoons and opossums become more active
- Tundra swans can be seen on area waterways
- Northern shrikes arrive for the winter
- Bald eagles are more active near open water
December
- Great horned owls begin to nest
- Gray squirrels and red squirrels are active
- Snowshoe hares change color to blend in with snow
- American robins can be seen if there is a warm spell
- Trees are bare, and the landscape takes on a winter look
January
- White-tailed deer and wild turkeys can be seen foraging in fields
- Gray and red squirrels are active and can be seen foraging for food
- Bald eagles are more active near open water
- Snowy owls can be seen in the area
- Winterberry and red-osier dogwood provide winter interest with their bright red berries
February
- Great horned owls are actively nesting
- River otters become more active on frozen waterways
- Red foxes mate and can be seen more often during the day
- American crows begin to gather in large groups
- Pussy willows begin to emerge and provide a sign of the coming spring