April
- First flower of Bristle Thistle (Cirsium horridulum) sighted on 4/1/23 in Steele Jax Prairie.
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) in Mating Plumage Nesting in Loblolly Pine Tree (Pinus taeda) at Otter Pond, Sighted 4/4/23.
- Male and Female Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) sighted in Otter Pond on 4/4/23.
- First Red Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) in flower sighted in Hounds Grassland 4/4/23.
- First Blackberry (Rubus species) Flower 4/4/23 along Lucious Davis Roadside.
- Beavers (Castor canadensis) are active at Otter Pond, damming up lower portion of pond 4/6/23.
- Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) sighted 4/10/23 in Halfmoon along creek edge near prairie five and again on 4/19/23 in Halfmoon along creek edge near prairie five.
- First Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Flower Bud sighted 4/11/23 in Prairie Five.
- Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea) sighted in Prairie Four 4/11/23.
- First Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Sighted 4/12/23 in Redbanks Prairie.
- Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) sighted in Redbanks prairie 4/12/23. 4 individuals.
- Seven Yellow Belly Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) in Fireworks Pond, sighted from drone at 25 feet 4/12/23.
- First Fleabane (Erigeron philadephicus) flower sighted 4/12/23 in Pecan Mound Prairie. Favored by small pollinators, several sighted-on flowers.
- Tainturier’s Chervil (Chaerophyllum tainturieri) first flower along Thompson Creek Edge in Halfmoon 4/12/23.
- Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata) first flower along Thompson Creek Edge in Halfmoon 4/12/23.
- Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata) first flower 4/12/23 in Fireworks East Prairie.
- Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) in Flower 4/13/23 in Muddy Branch.
- Venus’ Looking Glass first (Triodanis biflora) flower 4/17/23 in Fireworks East Prairie.
- First Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) in Flower 4/18/23 in Halfmoon Floodplain along Thompson Creek.
- First Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in Flower 4/19/23 in Jax Dry Pond Prairie.
- Blue Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) first flower in Far Gate South 4/19/23.
- First Coreopsis flower bud sighted 4/19/23 in Prairie Five.
- Bats are living near Fireworks Storage, 2 sighted on 4/19/23. Several more heard squeaking and rustling.
- Male and Female Great Blue Herons sighted again at Otter Pond 4/20/23.
- Oak Treehoppers (Platycotis vittate) were sighted on Post Oak in Otter Prairie. 10-20 individuals on one branch. One individual in the middle of molting, sighted 4/20/23.
Author: Brianna Bergamini