The June Issue: An Eye-Opening Bird Walk+Summer Solstice Plans+Plant Walks+Paddles
Welcome to the first issue of Probably Outside, a newsletter designed to help you spend more time outside with local, social, dirt-cheap outings. And what better time to start up than in June.
When a Birding Walk Is More Than a Birding Walk
I joined a small local urban bird club about a year ago for the annual membership fee of $25. For months, I’d been too busy to attend its meetings or field trips. Then I saw it had planned an outing on a privately owned farm run by a couple who had moved to a rural part of the state and turned a 40-acre property from a GMO-grown soybeans farm to an organic heritage grain farm. One of the owners is an avid birder.
Eight members showed up on a stunning spring morning. After introductions, we set out, strolling past a pond with a couple of striking-green frogs, and a nest box that the owner opened to reveal young bluebirds inside (see below). We walked along a meadow and through forest, then past a stream with native brown trout that was being restored thanks to a federal grant. We saw a red-eyed vireo; a blue-gray gnatcatcher mobbing a male cowbird; an eastern bluebird feeding its young; four Baltimore orioles; a rose-breasted grosbeak; and a pair of yellow-throated vireos building a nest.
But we saw so much more thanks to some experts in our group, including a past president of a native plant club who identified native and non-native plants, and a former president of a butterfly club who pointed out a tulip-tree moth and a red-spotted purple butterfly. At a trail leading to the stream, one of the owners pointed out the remnants of a former railroad that ran through the property and delivered peaches from orchards to the main freight line in the late 1800s.
At the end of the three-hour tour, the owners suggested we drive to a field a mile up the road for a chance to see bobolink. Five of us did so, and were treated to dozens of these birds (lifers for me) emerging from the high grass before dropping back down—a sight made all the more special by the appearance overhead of an adult bald eagle. Below is the field, but of course no bobolink offered to grace my footage.
Outings to private properties are a perk of membership in local conservation groups. They are worth their weight in gold, or at the very least the annual membership fee. Our small group got way more than a bird walk. Thanks to the owners and the experts on the trip, we learned about land and water restoration; native plants; butterflies and moths, and the history of the land.
You don’t have to be an avid birder to join a local bird club. Just show interest and show up. Some clubs, such as my local Audubon chapter, welcome nonmembers to its local outings and will even loan you a pair of binoculars. Members will point out the birds. You focus on finding the birds. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a whole lot more.
Make Plans for the Summer Solstice
The summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere occurs on June 20, and marks the official start of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year. Look (and register) for guided walks, live music, and a host of outdoorsy events, some with a hefty dose of woo-woo, others straightforward outdoor activities such as paddling and hiking. Near me, I found a paddle and picnic at a park, a campfire and night hike at a nature center, and a bonfire at a historic farm where you’re encouraged to play a drum, wear a mask, and dance beneath the stars. You’ll probably have to register for solstice events because they’ll likely fill up fast.
Join a Hydrangea Walk
First came the tulips, then lilacs, followed by rhododendron and mountain laurel. Now the hydrangeas are budding. Aside from admiring these plants during their bloom times in small settings, consider joining guided walks to view them en masse.
Depending where you live, hydrangeas may start blooming in May and continue through July. Look for guided walks at botanic gardens, historic houses, and arboretums. Some even run early evening strolls.
Look, too, for festivals. Some towns hold their own, including the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival in Douglasville, Ga., and the Duxbury (Mass.) Hydrangea Festival and Garden Tour. The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival July 5-14 may be worth planning to attend. If not, beach towns with Victorian architecture (I’m looking at you, Cape May, N.J.) are often chock full of hydrangeas.
Paddle Your Way Through the Warm Months
An Outdoor Industry Association study found kayaking had one of the highest growth rates across all outdoor categories. It’s not surprising given that it’s fairly easy to kayak, and rentals are offered at so many local bodies of water, including reservoirs, rivers, lakes and bays.
If it’s your first time out, look for guided daytime paddles. For a little added adventure, consider moonlit paddles.
Thanks for reading. I hope to send out another June newsletter with new ideas for outings. Until then, get outside!