Bear cubs (usually two) are born in late January through February. Great horned owls incubate eggs in late January and February. Red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks begin to court and lay eggs. Red maple trees flower in February. Waterfowl migrate with many stopping over on Lake Drummond .
Dwarf trilliums bloom in mid-March. Wood ducks incubate their eggs in April. Migrating songbirds peak early in May, with warblers being most abundant. White-tailed fawns (usually twins) are born. Occasional ospreys visit the lake. Orchids, coral honeysuckle, yellow jasmine, and yellow poplar are in flower. Cinnamon ferns develop fiddleheads. Silky camellia begin flowering in late May.
Black bears are active in early July as the breeding season peaks. White-tailed bucks are in velvet. Kingfishers and great blue herons are active along ditches. Trumpet and passion vines bloom. The swamp is usually dry, with fire danger high from June to October.
Autumn colors peak in mid November. Large flocks of robins and blackbirds roost in the swamp. Wild fruits such as paw paw, blackgum, devil's walking stick and wild grapes are abundant.
For more information, please contact us at greatdismalswamp@fws.gov
