Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, Sphyrapicus varius, unlike many other woodpeckers, don’t excavate insect larvae. Their major summer foods are fruit, ants, sap, and the inner bark of trees. American bitterns, Botaurus lentiginosus, blue herons Ardea herodias, and other shorebirds are moving south. The young will follow later, in September and October. If eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus, produce two litters, the second batch is usually born in late July. If it is hot and dry, American toads, Anaxyrus americanus, spend the day beneath loose soil, emerging at night to search for food

The peak of the annual meteor shower Delta Aquarids comes this week. The name is derived from the star Delta Aquarii which is the brightest star in the direction from which the meteors seem to come. About 20 bright yellow meteors can be seen per hour. Large dragonflies such as the green darner, Ajax junius, may replace flying with some gliding on hot days to prevent overheating their flight muscles. The summer menu of screech owls, Megascops asio, features large insects: moths, (various species of Glosatta, a sub-order of Lepiddoptera, the moths and butterflies), June bugs (various species in the genus Phyllophaga), katydids, (various species in the sub-order Ensifera), and crickets (in New England, primarily the fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus). Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus and other species of Pleurotus), are found in large, overlapping clusters and are considered choice edibles. Often, bark beetles, (various species in the Scolytinae family) have gotten to them first.

Northern harriers, Circus hudsonius, are fledging. Also known as the marsh hawk or ring-tailed hawk, they will stay near their nests for several weeks. Male gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar, begin flying. Look for these orchids in cedar swamps this week: early or northern coralroot, Corallorhiza trifida, ram’s head lady slipper, Cypripedium arietinum, yellow lady’s slipper, Cypripedium parviflorum, tall northern bog orchid, Platanthera huronensis and calypso orchid, Calypso bulbosa.