Signs of Spring at the Tides Inn
March 19, 2025
Around the Northern Neck Region, we look to the skies to tell us when spring has arrived. “It’s a competition: who can find the first osprey,” says Will Smiley, our resident ecologist. “When ospreys return, that’s the biggest sign of spring.”
The fish hawks, as they’re also known, spend their winter in Florida, the Caribbean or even South America before migrating back to the Chesapeake Bay Region in mid-to-late March. If you’re visiting us during early springtime, you can join our popular Bird Watching Cruise to search for their nests.
Of course, ospreys aren’t the only creatures we welcome back during this season. Here, five others to be on the lookout for:
Blue Crabs
The Chesapeake Bay’s most iconic species endures quite a journey each year: After mating in the fall, female blue crabs swim to the mouth of the Bay to spawn before slowly journeying back to their homes, including Carter’s Creek, right outside the Tides’ front door. (The males are a bit lazier, burying themselves in the mud for the winter.) By the end of April, the ladies have returned and the men start freeing themselves from the depths. Crabbing season begins.
River Otters
These cute mammals are relatively elusive in Carter’s Creek, so you’re lucky if you spot one. But Smiley has seen a pair swim up to the dock before disappearing underwater again.
Bluebirds
These brightly colored creatures lay their first eggs in early April. During our Bird Exploration tour, Matt Little, our resident horticulturist, takes guests to visit the bluebird boxes and look in on the babies. “We built the boxes and installed them around the farm because when they’re growing, the birds eat a ton of little bugs and caterpillars,” he explains. “Their parents spend all day catching insects out of the garden—it’s natural pest control.”
Honey Bees and Other Pollinators
Spring’s blooms provide plenty of nectar and pollen—enticing food for resident bees. Our pollinator gardens, spread around the resort, reach peak bloom in May and June, with bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all buzzing around. April and May are the ideal months to join our Beehive Experience: You’ll suit up to see the pollinators up close before tasting local, raw honey. (The main honey harvest occurs in May or June once temperatures rise a bit.)
Herbs
The on-site Tides Inn Farm is just getting going in springtime. Early in the season, Little seeds crops like cabbage. He starts harvesting asparagus in April and radishes soon after. Fresh herbs are growing bountiful and fragrant. Explore the area on your own by following the short Forest Trail or join Little for a Farm Tour.