The first round of eastern phoebe chicks for 2025 peek out as they get close to being big enough to leave the nest on the quilt shop light at Six Mile Lake. They were gone within days. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

It’s July, which for the northwoods seems like summer already is halfway over.

We’re far enough north that most breeding seasons get crammed into June, yet far enough south that the warmer conditions should last into September, allowing young animals time to mature.

Conditions so far seem to have been almost ideal for reproduction, no matter the species.

Most birds have nested and now have fledglings. Fawns born in late May or early June now are following their moms; the daily commute turns up numerous does leading twins or, more uncommon, a singleton.

The turtles have finished laying eggs. Many of the nests in our driveway wound up plundered this year, the eggs dug up and left as dented shells like collapsed ping pong balls.

The eastern phoebes on our property have successfully raised three chicks atop the quilt shop light and are now ready to start brooding the next batch. Still to be determined is if they will set up at the same nest or shift to the pole barn light.

A female Baltimore oriole was very active chasing insects in the yard, which bodes well for a nest nearby, though she’s hid it well.

Canada geese goslings are fat and developing feathers. The lake has had few mallards with young so far.

If judged by what hits the windshield, this seems to be a “buggy” year, especially in terms of butterflies and moths.

The small skippers are abundant during the day, as are white admirals, the mostly black butterflies that have a broad white band on their wings. They lift like popcorn when walking in the driveway, where they gather to soak up minerals.

The eastern tiger swallowtails are winding down but at their height formed swirling swarms at the boat launch.

At night, large moths make suicide flights into the headlights.

I don’t remember a past year that had so many “junebugs,” classified as May/June beetles. That could result in lawn and plant damage if the beetle grubs match the adults in numbers — junebug grubs feed on roots and, in turn, attract animals such as skunks, raccoons, turkeys and sandhill cranes that dig them out, leaving lawns pockmarked with holes, according to the University of Wisconsin Extension Wisconsin Horticulture website, https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/.

Standing out this summer has been the loon chick, the first on Six Mile Lake in at least a decade. I caught sight of it last weekend but haven’t been able to spot it or the adults this week. Hopefully all is well.

And a snowshoe hare has taken up residence in the yard in recent days, continuing to munch on the daisies even while I unloaded groceries Thursday evening. Hares don’t show up every year, so it’s a welcome sight.

I look forward to seeing what else appears as the summer progresses.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.