Summer months can be a bit quiet for birding after the raucous spring breeding season is over. Juveniles can be seen and sometimes heard as they learn how to feed themselves and the songs/calls of their species. Trees are fully leaved out so birds have excellent hiding places, evading my camera with ease.
I took a trip to Lake Erie in July and had a great birding experience on Kelleys Island. All of these photos were taken there and coincidentally, all of the birds are facing the same direction. I hope you enjoy!
The Barn Swallow population at the Kelleys Island State Park office is impressive in numbers, in vocalization and their tolerance of humans around all the time. Fun fact: Barn Swallows can eat and feed their young in flight. Impressive!
Indigo Buntings song never gets old for me. They seem to be one of the few birds singing this late into summer and their enthusiasm is enjoyable. Their beauty is also a marvel and since they often perch while singing, I got some nice videos which are on TikTok.
Yellow Warblers also sing into summer, although not as enthusiastically as they do in spring. Perhaps the summer song is teaching the young. This warbler was close enough on the boardwalk to get a nice view as it was grabbing its breakfast.
The nesting pair of Bald Eagles at Kelleys had two offspring this year, according to the park manager I spoke with. This young one was calling quietly early in the morning. I often saw the adults flying across the lake on a fishing mission. Fun fact: Bald Eagles are considered “sea eagles” meaning they get most of their food from water sources as opposed to land.