Nature Happenings

• North American Butterfly Association (NABA) conducts the 4th of July Butterfly count

• 
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

 

• The first brood of immature hummingbirds begin to show up at nectar feeders early in the month.

• 
• Ruby Throated Hummingbird

        

• Except for goldfinches and late bluebirds, bird breeding and nesting season ends this month.

• 
• Goldfinch

 

• 
• Bluebird

 

• Thistle plants begin to seed; goldfinches gather thistledown which they will use for nesting material.

 

• Mallards and Wood Ducks molt into "eclipse" plumage and are unable to fly for several weeks.

• 
• Molting Mallard

 

• 
• Wood duck Eclipse Plumage

 

• Blackbirds begin to flock and appear at feeders.  During the fall and winter these large flocks will

         take over the sky in spectacular swarms known as murmurations.

• 
• FLock of Red Winged Blackbirds

    

• Listen for the feeding screeches of young Barred and Great Horned Owls.

• 
• Barred Owl

 

• 
• Great Horned  Owl

 

• The Delta Aquariids Meteor shower is visible from mid-July thru late-August, peaking in late-July.