I only saw a six measly species of birds during June, and two during July. Birding quickly de-escalated at a rate I was not prepared for, lol. Summer tends to be a little slower due to several different reasons. Birds are molting at this time, and that tends to make them a bit more reclusive. They’re also nesting and raising their young, and food is much more plentiful. Hotter temperatures tend to keep birds in the tree canopy which also makes them more difficult to spot. Between June and July, I did get three new lifers, and weirdly all three of them were different swallow species. With both months totals, that brings the year count up to 134.
I could tell from afar that this was a swallow, but I don’t really think it would be a new lifer for me. I’ve never even heard of the Rough- Winged Swallow before, so this was a nice treat to add to my list. I saw a lot of Eastern Phoebes last year, and really enjoyed photographing them when they came to my bird feeders. But this year I’ve hardly seen any, so def glad to finally find one in June and get a cute photo.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Eastern Phoebe
Dickcissel is such a beauty, and they have a very striking song. When you hear it, you’ll know, and they never stop singing it lol. I love the combo of the yellow and russet orange of their feathers. Another new swallow for the year, and my lifer list. It was really difficult to get a photo of these guys, because like most other swallows they never seem to stop moving. I managed to nab this one on a power line and I really liked how it came out.
Dickcissel, Cliff Swallow
I haven’t seen many Great Egrets this year, and they’re a really beautiful bird to photograph. Similar to Great Blue Herons, these guys wade through the shallows looking for fish. These little Willow Flycatcher have been all around Lake Bella this summer, and I’ve gotten some really great photos of them. Most flycatchers look extremely similar, so I really rely on the Merlin app to help me tell them apart.
Great Egret, Willow Flycatcher
Purple Martin is a swallow I’ve had my eye on for sometime. I haven’t ever seen one out in the wild, and I was really surprised when I found this one. It seems to be a juvenile, and doesn’t have the striking black and purple coloring of the adults, but I‘ll take what I can get right now! Pewee is a bird I’ve really struggled to find, but this one sat right out in the open and just sang its little heart out. The song was beautiful and I got a great shot.
Purple Martin, Eastern Wood-Pewee
Have you seen or photographed any of these birds in the wild? Did a specific one catch your eye? Let me know down in the comments, I would love to hear from you!
