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June 11, 2010

Watching Wildlife in Summer

Summertime living is not so easy for our wild neighbors

The Humane Society of the United States

by Debra Firmani

Summer is a season of plenty, with nature producing a bounty of food in the form of plants, flowers, fruits, insects, and more. It’s also a season of plentiful duties for animal parents who are busy building and guarding nests and feeding, protecting, teaching, and caring for their young.

All these activities present fascinating wildlife watching opportunities—abundant, free, and constantly changing! Come learn about these events as they unfold all around you.

Read more

Secrets of Successful Nests»
Butterflies Among the Flowers»
Summer School for Baby Mammals»

Resources

• Brock, Jim P. and Kenn Kaufman. Kenn Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
• Harrison, Hal H. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Eastern Birds’ Nests. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975.
• Heinrich, Bernd. Summer World: a season of bounty. New York: Harper Collins, 2009.
• Reid, Fiona A. Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Mammals of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Online

» NestWatch 
» North American Butterfly Association 
» Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Create a sanctuary

Enjoy the company of your wild neighbors in your own yard. Every day, more and more wildlife habitat is lost to the spread of development. But you can help wild animals in urban and suburban areas by offering them sanctuary in your own backyard (or front yard, roof-top garden, or deck), no matter how small. Learn how your green space can become an Urban Wildlife Sanctuary.

Debra Firmani is a writer and long-time advocate for animals and nature. Her articles on wildlife, wild lands, backyard habitat creation, and nature education have appeared in print and online.