June, July, August

Summer birding can seem dull after the flush of activity in the spring. Even though fall is still a few months away, the first southbound migrants can be seen in July. Summer spectacles largely center around concentrations of breeding birds, especially waterbirds.

Bonaventure Island, off of the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, supports the second-largest breeding colony of Northern Gannets in the world and the largest in North America. Tens of thousands of Northern Gannets can be seen breeding on the island. June and July are good months for visiting Bonaventure Island.

The largest breeding colony of American White Pelicans can be found at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota. Between 10,000 and 12,000 pelicans can be seen here between mid-April and late July. June may be the best month to visit in order to see the pelicans, Piping Plovers, and much-sought-after grassland species like Baird's Sparrow and Sprague's Pipit.

More than 125 species nest at J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota, including 10,000 to 20,000 pairs of Franklin's Gulls. If you're not a gull fan, a visit in late July might be in order — this refuge produces more than 18,000 ducklings annually.

The Kauai National Wildlife Refuge complex on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, has some interesting seabirds. More than 1,500 pairs of Red-footed Boobies nest here, as well as 1,000 pairs of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters.

Some of the largest concentrations of seabirds in the world nest on the small, remote northerly Hawaiian Islands. While most of the islands are inaccessible, Midway has recently been opened for limited tourism. Between 150,000 and 200,000 breeding pairs of Laysan Albatross can be seen here.

Flocks of millions of Sooty Shearwaters can be seen in the waters off of Monterey Bay from mid-July through August. Many other species of birds and marine mammals are also seen on the numerous pelagic trips run out of Monterey.

In early to mid-August, more than 60,000 shorebirds stop to feed along the shoreline of American Falls Reservoir in Idaho. Baird's, Pectoral, and Western Sandpipers are some of the 32 species seen there.