See all posts in the Birds of Carver County series
For most of the people in Minnesota, summer begins with June, fills up July, and takes a deep breath in August as it gets ready for the hectic months of autumn starting in September.
Birders probably end their summer in mid-August when fall migration starts. So, 10 to 12 weeks that will be different from the preceding and subsequent weeks. EXCITING or boring? It will depend on your activities, where you go, and what you are willing to learn and observe.
If you want to avoid the road construction that is synonymous with “summer” and stay at your favorite location, what can you do to make your birding more interesting?
First, take advantage of the feeders that have kept your avian friends nourished. Watch how the birds are feeding. Do they sit on the perch and munch like they’re listening to a Twins game, or do they stuff a mouthful of seeds or suet and take off into the woods?
Do you see species like robins and sparrows fill their beaks with two or three small green caterpillars and then zip away, perhaps taking a different route each mouthful? June is the month of non-stop feeding for the stay-at-the-nest mate or the new and always hungry chicks in the nest.
Later in June and then in July, you might see the adult pair feeding together. That could mean the chicks are still hungry but almost ready to leave the nest. You could also see feeding in action as the parents are driven by instinct to feed the open-mouthed and fluttering winged fledglings that are learning about their neighborhood and developing their flight muscles.
Don’t be surprised if you see a parent Chipping Sparrow feeding a brown bird that is twice its size. This results from a Brown-headed Cowbird laying an egg in an unguarded nest. The egg hatches and the parental instinct of the sparrow comes to the chick’s rescue, and it gets fed.
Field trip approval notes won’t be needed for the youngsters growing up in our ponds. Canada Goose chicks follow the adults everywhere, and get lots of outside attention when that journey takes them into our roundabouts and trails.
“Over-possessive” takes on different consequences if you happen to get between an adult goose and their offspring. The Mallard and Hooded Merganser chicks following their parents in open water and then into the shoreline reeds usually brings a smile to human observers, especially if they include youngsters without feathers.
Moving up the food chain, summer weather creates rising thermal pockets of air that give elevation to the Coopers, Broad-winged and Red-tailed Hawks in our woods and countryside.
During the spring, you may have seen pre-mating aerial displays as duets are flown in artistic job interviews. That dramatic chapter of the lives of raptors is also repeated at the smaller scale of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
If you have sugar-water feeders, you’ve seen hummers’ aggressive and possessive actions to proclaim territory. However, it may be more enjoyable to see the aerial dance of the male as it performs U-shaped dives that show his strength and endurance while attracting a mate. Sibley’s Guide to Birds contains diagrams of the different display paths for hummingbirds.
Spending an hour watching seed and suet feeders will bring you opportunities to learn details that deepen your connection with your neighborhood birds. An hour on one of your city’s trails through woods will be very different from a walk on the trail through the meadows in one of our nearby National Wildlife Refuges.
Finding a trail next to a creek, or around a pond that is circled with shrubs will yield different sets of species. Each bird will be adapted to its environment and is constantly getting ready for the next chapter in its life – after the young have left their nest, and as all ages prepare for autumn and perhaps migration.
Summer can be the season for you to go beyond just identifying bird species. Excitement can be yours as you find out which birds are nesting, what appearance characteristics a juvenile has that are different from the adult, or what resources you can use to keep learning about the natural world around you.
Feeding young
Juveniles
For more information:
- The Sibley Guide to Birds, David Allen Sibley
- Birds of Minnesota, Robert B. Janssen
- Breeding Birds of Minnesota, Pfannmuller, Niemi and Green
- eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology application
- Merlin, Cornell Lab of Ornithology application
- Online: All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology LINK
- Online: Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas
