Backyard Almanac: Summer Takes Flight and Swamps Take the Stage

With a few hot days already past, Larry Weber informs us that summer is flying high.

The majority of avion young have transitioned into fledglings, which is perhaps most noteworthy in swamps. Red-winged black birds have been filling marshlands with song through the latter part of spring, but now they are doing so in families.

There's activity all around the neighborhood of swamps with dragonflies still owning their month and irises popping into full bloom. A peek at the water might yield a tadpole sighting - the amphibious young are now in the early stages of metamorphosis.

And then there are the bugs. Little wood satyrs are out in droves, deer flies are making their presence known, and young spittle bugs are encasing themselves in a bubbly mixture that looks a lot like human saliva. This might be an unappetizing sight to us, but the spittle bug within is enjoying a meal.