Centred Outdoors: What to know about bird-watching in Centre County this summer

Midsummer offers a much different bird-watching experience compared to spring or fall. For example, the many migrating species that use our region as merely a rest stop have moved on by this time. Therefore most of the birds you can expect to find out and about during midsummer aren’t going anywhere because they are here to build a home and raise a feathered family.

Foliage is another factor that affects a birdwatcher’s strategy. Finding birds in the summer requires more listening than looking, as many of our summer species like to hide in the upper reaches of trees or are masked by the now dense growth of plants. Fortunately, many of these friends have very distinct voices and an outsized volume for how tiny they are. Digital guide apps offer the opportunity to compare the sounds you hear directly with confirmed observations and without the help of an in-person guide.

The birds we see most often this time of year are those that frequent our feeders or prefer to live near humans. Many bird species have learned to flock around humans because we leave food for them in feeders or have made them homes near ours. Some of the more common birds you can find in our region this time of year are detailed below.

Red-eyed vireos are one of the most plentiful summer forest birds. They are incredibly difficult to spot as they prefer to hang out in the very tops of the trees in summer and are camouflaged with green and white coloration. Despite their tendency to hide, they are easily the most vocal soundtrack in the summer woods with individual males singing 20,000 or more times a day. Their call is similar to a robin’s, but the habitat you’re in can help you decipher between the two. If you hear what sounds like a robin in the woods, it is likely a red-eyed Vireo.

With a call that can be heard over hundreds of yards, ovenbirds are the rock stars of the bird world. Despite their big voices, they are tiny in size and weigh about half as much as a tennis ball (about 1 oz.). Their distinctive, “teacher-teacher-teacher” increases in volume over the course of the song. Their loud voice makes their tiny body a little easier to spot as it flits about under the cover of closed forest canopy. Males will often sing in pairs or small groups, though, so differentiating an individual bird can be a little trickier from a distance.

Step outside in the early morning or evening for a chance to hear the distinctive call of a wood thrush as it lilts from deep in the woods. If ovenbirds sing the rock hits, then the wood thrush is a church chorister producing a three-part cantata. Truly a songbird, the many flutelike notes produced by the wood thrush come from two different vocal structures enabling them to produce two harmonizing notes at the same time.

Rarely heard but often seen are ubiquitous turkey vultures. They soar on air currents from North to South America using dihedral — the V-like position of their wings — to maintain stability during flight and stay aloft for extended periods without constant adjustment. They can be seen on most days and from most places with a clear vantage across the sky, often cruising in large circles or congregating in groups using the same lift.

The house finch is likely one of the most frequent visitors for those who keep a feeder full in the summer. They tend to gather in loud groups that hunt for new feeders to swarm and devour their favorite food, black oil sunflower seeds. The males are usually clad in a bright red chest and head, distinctly marking them from other common feeder birds.

Another very common bird to see around homes are purple martins, though not because they like feeders. For thousands of years people have been building homes for purple martins from gourds and now most of those along the east coast nest in man-made cavities. Purple martins tend to eat harmful insects like mosquitoes and biting flies making them ideal to have around your home. Unfortunately, they are victims of invasive species as European starlings and house sparrows will often force them out and take over their nest boxes.

Eastern Phoebes are another species that have adapted to be around humans. Their nests — a jumbled mass of mud, leaves, and grass — are often built under eaves or other protected alcoves near homes, though they are much less happy to share spaces with us and will fly away from humans while letting out quick calls. They are members of the flycatcher family and can often be seen darting after flying insects. Eastern Phoebes are not born with their calls as many other species are. Instead, they learn their calls from their parents.

Lastly, ruby-throated hummingbirds are common sights near gardens for a fleeting month or two before turning around and returning to Central America. Their tiny bodies burn through energy quickly and so they need to eat nearly constantly to maintain their furious pace. Their constant drive for food makes them relatively bold in that they can be seen feeding on flower and feeders while people are nearby. In fact, you are almost guaranteed to see hummingbirds if you have a properly maintained feeder in June and July.

Setting out on a bird-watching adventure? Here are some helpful bird-finding tips:

• Try to locate the source of the bird call before looking through binoculars or scopes

• Keep your eyes looking at the location while raising the binoculars or moving eyepieces

• Remain quiet and still, patience pays off when watching for birds

• Have a field guide or birding app nearby to match what you see and hear in real life with illustrations and recordings

• Mark frequently used pages in field guides or apps to make finding them easier in the moment

• If bird behaviors change suddenly, look for predators like cats or hawks

There are countless areas to spot a variety of midsummer birds throughout central Pennsylvania, including your own backyard or neighborhood. Below are a few other areas to spot different varieties of birds and those mentioned above.

Along Tunnel Spur Road in Woodward, you can set foot onto a portion of the scenic Mid State Trail and take a unique stroll through a newly renovated 250-foot tunnel that is memorable for kids and adults of all ages. Once on the other side of the always dark and cool tunnel, the trail widens to an easily navigable rail-trail. The occasional Bald Eagle has also been known to cruise through this area in the summer to catch a fish out from Penns Creek.

The Scotia Barrens in Port Matilda contains a wide assortment of forest birds and many of the trails pass through areas designated as important bird areas for some threatened species. Starting out at the Patton Woods parking area along Circleville Road grants immediate access to the woodland habitat with Scarlet Tanagers often calling just beyond the end of the parking lot.

The Spring Creek Canyon trail, accessed at any of the three main trailheads (Fisherman’s Paradise, off Rock Road in Benner Township, or off the Shiloh Road exit from Route 322) offers a stream-side view of many of our feathered friends. In the early evening many insect-eating birds will flock to the water to try and catch some of the hatching insects on the water making for a good show in the cooler part of the day.