July is said to be the high noon of the year, a turning point. Since summer’s first day on June 21, the days have been growing shorter and already we’re leaning toward autumn.
For several of Georgia’s bird species, the changing light is an early signal that they must get ready to head south for the winter. In particular, ruby-throated hummingbirds are returning to backyard feeders to quickly fatten up and gain energy for their arduous trips back to winter grounds in Mexico and Central America.
Most of the ruby-throats coming to feeders now are males and juveniles. Females will follow as they wrap up their nesting seasons: Many of them are still raising a second — even a third — brood of the year. By the end of July, some of the males already will be heading south.
They may be joined by several other birds that nest in Georgia during the spring and migrate south beginning in July — Louisiana water thrush, orchard oriole, prothonotary warbler, blue-winged warbler and cerulean warbler.
Meanwhile, American goldfinches are just starting to nest — making them Georgia’s latest nesting songbirds during the year.
On coastal barrier island beaches, baby loggerhead sea turtles are beginning to emerge from nests and crawl into the ocean. So far this season, 2,225 nests have been found. In the Okefenokee and other South Georgia swamps, baby alligators are hatching.
Revving up any day now will be the ceaseless droning of cicadas during the day and katydids and crickets at night — the essence of a Georgia summer. July also is peak time for viewing butterflies and dragonflies.
White-tailed bucks show new sets of velvet-covered antlers this month, which is also the best time for observing does with fawns. Eastern gray squirrels are giving birth to their second litters of the year; black bear mating season begins.
Jewelweed, common milkweed, bee balm, joe-pye weed, white snakeroot, turtlehead, sweet goldenrod and tall coneflower are some of the wildflowers that bloom in July.
IN THE SKY: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be last quarter on Sunday. Mercury (very low) and Venus (low) are in the west just after sunset. Mars is in the southwest at dark. Jupiter and Saturn rise in the east around midnight. Jupiter will appear near the moon on Tuesday night.
Charles Seabrook can be reached at charles.seabrook@yahoo.com.
About the Author
