The Bird Days of August

American white pelicans, great egrets and Canada geese congregating on the Mississippi after breeding season ends.

I hate mention that summer is slowly ending, but the birds are beginning to show us that this season is indeed winding down. There is no better place to watch this action in the coming weeks - from your computer - than on the Mississippi River Flyway webcam. Here are some screenshots (courtesy of explore.org) of the recent gathering activity of birds finished with their parental duties.

A congregation of great egrets

A wonderful composition of water lilies and sandhill cranes. The purple plant is loosestrife which unfortunately is an invasive.

Fun to watch the egrets

In the coming weeks, birds will be feasting on the summer bounty of food to replenish fat stores for fall migration. With all the new fledglings, we now have more numbers of birds present to see than in the spring. So despite the declining daylight, there is plenty of time to enjoy these gifts of nature in the coming weeks.

Friday’s sunrise on the Mississippi River