August's Nature Happenings

Bird Activity


American Goldfinch fledge late this month.
Hummingbird feeders become very active as second brood fledglings appear and fall migration begins.
Cardinals and other resident species may disappear from normal spots as they "rest" their territories prior to winter. Cardinals also begin molting - watch for "bald" birds.
Chimney Swifts gather in large numbers at dusk over chimneys and roost before they continue their migration to the Amazon basin in South America.
Purple Martins go south (adults by the start of the month; juveniles by the end of the month) and large flocks of nighthawks begin migrating (late in month).
Carolina Chickadees begin forming pairs.
Migration starts for Ospreys and raptors such as the Broad-winged Hawk.
Shorebird migration builds – adults precede juveniles, waterfowl migration starts.
Early warblers (Cape May, Tennessee, Magnolia, Blackburnian) migrating southward.

Other Wildlife

Month of the Spider – their numbers and webs reach peak this month.
Monarch butterfly migration starts and Cloudless Sulphur Butterflies migrate northward from breeding grounds in SE NA.
Second litter of Gray Squirrel and Southern Flying Squirrel may be born late summer.
Deer shedding velvet from antlers.
Alligator eggs hatch - August – September.

Plants, Flowers, and Fungus

Peak month for summer wildflowers to bloom: Phlox, Joe-Pye Weed, Cardinal Flower, Ironweed, Campion.
Puffball mushrooms up.