Phenology

Observations by Gary Fewless for Green Bay WI (Lat.N 44.51° Long. W 88.02° ), except as noted. For flowers lacking conspicuous petals or sepals I define "anthesis" as release of pollen by mature anthers.

March 2001

Observations by Gary Fewless, except as noted

Date	Observation (Click on links for photos)
Mar 31	Northern Saw-whet Owl singing East of Lakewood (Andy Paulios).
Mar 30	American Woodcock, Oconto County, Lakewood (Andy Paulios)
Mar 29	Broad-winged Hawk, City of Green Bay (Tom Erdman); Grouse drumming, Oconto County, Little Suamico area (Tom Erdman); First Canada Goose egg of the year at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (Dave Marks); Eastern Meadowlark, UWGB (Jay Roberts); Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, American Coot, and Great Blue Herons at Pt. Sauble, Brown County (Andy Paulios); Northern Harrier, Manitowoc County (Adam Woerpel); fresh earthworm castings, UWGB (Gary Fewless). This site is adjacent to a sidewalk and thaws earlier than the general landscape.
Mar 27	Chipmunk, north of Eagle River (Andy Paulios); Common Snipe, UWGB (Tom Erdman)
Mar 26	Turkey Vulture, Oconto County, near Mountain (Andy Paulios)
Mar 25	The weather turns cold, and there is little phenological change to note. Although colder than recent years, March temps were about average up until the 24th.
Mar 23	Double-crested Cormorants, Green Bay (Tom Erdman); Milbert's Tortoise-shell butterfly, Shawano (Joel Whitehouse)
Mar 22	Oconto Co, Pensaukee area: Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Tundra Swans, Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Wood Ducks (Tom Erdman). Belted Kingfisher, Shawano County (Joel Whitehouse). Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) UWGB (Gary Fewless)
Mar 21	Woodcock, Oconto Co.,Pensaukee (Tom Erdman).
Mar 20	High temp 46. Most snow is gone from level open ground, City of Green Bay. There is still considerable snow in shaded sites and where it was deeper in drifts or snowbanks. East River ice has standing water along the edges, but is still in full ice cover.
Mar 19	Killdeer, UWGB (Andy Paulios)
Mar 18	Song Sparrows back in Oconto Co, Pensaukee (Tom Erdman); Tundra Swans on Green Bay (Andy Paulios). Brown-headed Cowbirds, Grackles, Flickers Manitowoc County, Cooperstown (Joel Trick)
Mar 17	Robins and Sandhill Cranes seen in Manitowoc Co., Cooperstown area (Joel Trick);
Mar 16	Substantial flocks of Robins and large numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds, City of Green Bay;
Mar 15	A few Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) in flower, Brown Co (Gary Fewless). These plants are in a very active 'spring' which flows all winter and prevents the soil from freezing. Consequently the marsh marigolds flower there long before most other sites. Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage), ordinarily a very early flowering species in springy sites has not yet flowered on UWGB--many plants appear very unhealthy (flowers black and shriveled), but the cause is not clear, perhaps a disease. One source of stress on the plants may be related to the decreased flow of spring water over the last two years. Also, one site has been over-run by the invasive species Phragmites australis (common reed) which shades out smaller species.
Mar 14	Small flocks of Red-wings reported widely in the City of Green Bay. Since 1986 the average date for this event on the East River in Allouez is March 10--last year it was Feb 26 (Gary Fewless)
Mar 13	A few Red-wing Blackbirds and Grackles along Hiway I-43, Brown County (Andy Paulios)
Mar 11	Red-wing Blackbirds. Manitowoc Co. (Joel Trick); Sandhill Cranes, Shawano Co. (Joel Whitehouse). The number of juncos and trees sparrows at feeders begins to decline.
Mar 10	Migrant Canada Geese, Manitowoc Co. (Joel Trick)
Mar 09	Eastern Chipmunk active, Oconto County (Tom Erdman)
Mar 08	Chipmunk out and about, City of Green Bay (Amy Wolf );