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Welcome Jolly June
Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: 2021/06 – June
All the Creation celebrates the Summer of Love
June is a special month for the birds and the bees.
In the avian world, April sees birds returning to their summer breeding grounds, re-establishing territory. May is given over to finding a mate and pair bonding. The symphony in the woods is all about finding your own kind and paring up. Female and male learn each other’s song and sing to each other. They might also feed each other, perched together on a branch. This is courtship. The bond is formed.
In May and June, birds build nests. She most likely does the actual construction. He might bring her nesting material but she puts it in place. The male might feed, beak to beak, the female on the nest. He might take a turn at sitting on the incubating eggs or just hang around, guarding the territory. The parents will probably share housekeeping and feeding duties, disposing of fecal sacs and bringing worms and insects. This couple could raise three broods in the season, a new nest each time. Their bond might extend across seasons.
True to nature’s course, we have made June our Wedding Month. Ovid wrote that June was named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. June is the Wedding Month for all of creation.
June is other things as well. This month marks the halfway point of 2021.
Welcome, Summer of Love!
June 20 has the most daylight hours of any day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the first day of summer.
June also has its own bug, the June Bug, not to be outdone by May with her Mayfly.
This is a jolly month.
