Summer Birding Tips and Tricks

By Kiah Jasper

Outside, the piercing calls of cicadas echo through the forest canopy as the temperature steadily climbs past the mid twenties. In July birdsong is often quick to die down and only a few hours after sunrise the song of Red-eyed Vireos and cicadas are all that remains. Of course there are still many birds around, quietly going about their daily nesting season activities, but they do their best to conceal their presence whenever possible.

Among bird enthusiasts, I find summer is often treated as time off, a break period from birding before fall migration starts ramping up again in September. It is valid to take a break from things of course, and many people have busy summer schedules with other activities. That said, the notion that birding isn’t good in the summer months or you must wait until fall to enjoy birding again simply isn’t correct. My goal with this article is to provide you with some ideas for summer birding.

Eastern Kingbird

Breeding Birds

While the majority of nesting species are most vocal during the height of breeding season from late May to early July, there are still plenty of opportunities to encounter them after that. During the months of July and August there is an abundance of birds in the province, with fledglings leaving their nests and causing a massive boom to local bird populations. These young birds are often tricky to identify when they are freshly out of the nest, looking mainly brown or grey as they are still growing in their juvenile plumage. This can provide a fun challenge or a headache, depending on how you feel about learning new bird ID. Finding nests and searching for breeding evidence can be a great summer activity, sometimes adding another layer to a bird you thought you already knew very well. One such moment came last summer when Alessandra and I found an Eastern Whip-Poor-Will on a nest. We have heard and occasionally seen this species for years, but encountering one at a nest site and witnessing new behaviour was an unexpected and exciting experience.

Eastern Whip-Poor-Will sitting on a nest

Ovenbird nest. These nests are difficult to find, but when you do stumble across one you can really see why this species got it's name!

I find that during July I have to change my approach to birding a bit when heading out to look for songbirds. Unlike May, when the whole morning can be very productive, the first 2-3 hours of daylight in July are normally the peak time to be out. This is especially true on very hot, sunny days, when bird activity can seem to be dying down as early as 7am. This means setting your alarm clock to an unfavourable time, ensuring you arrive at your chosen location right around sunrise. Even during late July a lot of species will still sing, but much more infrequently and for a substantially shorter period than they do during peak season. So pick your targets, try and decide what kind of habitat you want to visit and head out there. I always enjoy visiting grassland habitat in the late summer just around sunrise, since there is usually a lot of young meadowlarks, swallows and Bobolinks flying around. For photography this first hour of daylight is key as well, since heat shimmer is rampant in the summer and can be horrendous by mid morning.

 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Brewer's Blackbirds

By August things start to change, as songbirds begin to join mixed species foraging flocks in preparation for migration. At home in Bruce County I often notice a change during early August, when the local Black-capped Chickadees will be joined by a small group of warblers and vireos. These birds are mainly species that breed locally, but they are always worth going through because occasionally you will find an early migrant from the boreal forest mixed in, such as a Philadelphia Vireo, Tennessee Warbler, or Northern Parula. The arrival of these northern songbirds is always sneaky and it’s easy to just dismiss everything you are seeing as the “same old” local birds until things become more obvious in early September.

Philadelphia Vireo

There are some species of songbirds that disappear very early in the fall, so if you want to get out and enjoy them before they are gone now is the chance. Bobolinks are especially early migrants, leaving their breeding territories in mid-late July and grouping together in large congregations, often in large fields or wetlands. The males molt into their basic (non-breeding) plumage at this point, becoming very similar in appearance to the females. So if you want to see a black and white Bobolink, this is your last chance of the year! Bobolinks are a fun species because you can encounter them almost anywhere during fall migration. You may not see them, but once you learn their flight call, a soft, “bink” sound, you will hear them everywhere (check out their call on the All About Birds website). I have heard migrating Bobolinks along lakeshores, inside massive forest tracts and even in the middle of large urban centers. They will leave Ontario early, with some departing the province in early August and the majority leaving in the last week of August/first week of September. By the second week of September they will be all but gone, so birders heading out to watch the “start” of fall songbird migration then can miss them entirely. Some other early migrants include Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Upland Sandpiper, Grasshopper Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, and Golden-winged Warbler. These species all leave the province primarily during August, and can be much more difficult to encounter after that.

Migrating Bobolink

Key Points

• Get out early in the day to maximize the birds you see. The first 2-3 hours of daylight are generally the best, especially on hot days. There is usually another spike in activity when things cool down in the evening.

• Recently fledged young can look very different from adults and often cause identification issues, so keep that in mind.

• Watch for mixed species foraging flocks, often led by chickadees once August rolls around. This is a great way to find migrant songbirds and chickadees will often alert you to their presence.

• Catch up with species that leave in late summer before they’re gone for the year, such as Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow and orioles.

• Try looking for bird nests and breeding evidence, it can be quite fun! You can also contribute to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas with this data during 2025.

Southbound Shorebird Migrants

On top of the breeding birds, July and August are a great time to watch shorebird migration in southern Ontario. The first arrivals, typically adult Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Least Sandpipers, show up singularly or in small groups during the last week of June and the first week of July. Numbers and species diversity build throughout the next few weeks, with more uncommon species such as Stilt Sandpiper and Baird’s Sandpiper showing up. July is dominated by mainly adult shorebirds, because many species will begin migration almost immediately after nesting is complete. The juveniles stick around the breeding grounds longer, feeding in preparation for migration. There is usually a sharp increase in juvenile birds throughout southern Ontario during late July and early August, followed by a drop off of adult birds near the middle of the month. That means the peak of shorebird migration is in mid August, when both adults and juveniles are present in good numbers. Of course there are some species that arrive later in the fall (Sep-Nov) and others that arrive during the summer months will continue passing through well into the fall, but August is when the majority of species peak in the province. For exact timing of each species, check out this article on the OFO website.

Baird's Sandpiper

In terms of crossing paths with these migrant shorebirds, location and weather play a major role. While different species have slightly different habitat preferences, in general the most productive areas are sewage lagoons, lakeshores and inland lakes with muddy/sandy shorelines. In southern Ontario there are several very well-known sewage lagoons where birders go to find shorebirds, but they can really show up anywhere.

Some Key Points & Tips

• Not all water is created equal. Most shorebirds like a large water edge habitat to forage in, either mud or sand is ideal, so ponds and lakes with a large amount of this habitat will be more productive.

• If you are checking lakeside areas such as beaches, make sure to do it early in the morning! A lot of shorebirds are quite sensitive to disturbance and flush easily, so dog walkers and other beach goes will often scare the birds away before you get a chance to see them.  So, if you live near a popular beach, make sure you check it as early as possible to raise your chances of success.

• Rain is your friend when searching for shorebirds. Follow along on weather apps and watch for storm warnings. Heavy rain will often make shorebirds seek out areas to land and wait out the storm. Thunderstorms, especially ones with strong wind are even better. If it is safe to do so, check your local lakeshore/ponds/lagoons during the storm and immediately after. Birds often depart as soon as the weather improves, so you have to be fast!

• Thorough, regular visits to one location can be very productive. If there is anywhere near where you live that sometimes gets shorebirds, try to check it as frequently as you can during migration season. Even if it’s just a small pond of water in a muddy field, you may be surprised what could turn up. This goes for birding and rarity hunting in general, but familiarizing yourself with a few areas and checking them as often as possible drastically increases your odds of finding something interesting.

• Size can be difficult to judge on lone birds or a single species group, so consider other ID points such as bill and leg length and colour, and plumage.

I hope this gives you a bit of motivation to try out some summer birding this year : )

Good Birding.