On July 15th, birders can participate in the New York Annual Loon Census, a statewide event organized since 2001 by the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (Common Loon photo by Paul Konrad).

Early July is dominated by the American Independence Day, celebrated July 4th, but a few summer activities bring birders together later in the month for a variety of events in New York, Colorado, and Arizona. Mid-month, dedicated birders will take to the lakes for the New York Loon Census, and the following week there will be a combined meeting of the Western Field Ornithologists and Colorado Field Ornithologists in Colorado. At the end of the month, the Sedona Hummingbird Festival will be taking place, and some presentations will be live-streamed online for anyone to enjoy.

To learn more about each birding event, please refer to the links provided below:

July 15 – New York – New York Annual Loon Census, a statewide event organized since 2001 by the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation at Saranac Lake; see NY Annual Loon Census — Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (adkloon.org)

July 19 to 23 – Colorado – joint Western Field Ornithologists Conference and Colorado Field Ornithologists Convention, Copper Mountain, Fisco, Colorado; see Conference | Western Field Ornithologists and Convention - Landing Page - Colorado Field Ornithologists (cobirds.org)

July 28 to 30 – Arizona – Sedona Hummingbird Festival, The International Hummingbird Society, Sedona, Arizona. Presentations will be live-streamed too; see Sedona Hummingbird Festival 2023 | The International Hummingbird Society

Birding festivals will pick up in numbers and variety in August, leading into the exciting fall festival period. In the meantime, enjoy the variety of birding opportunities available during the summer season, as nesting season continues and the earliest fall migrants begin filtering out of the Arctic. It’s an exciting period to be a birder!