The “dog days of summer” usually means the hottest, most humid part of the year. That term applies to the weather in July and August at the Orlando Wetlands, but not what you can find there during those months.
Even if you start your visit at sunrise, the temperature quickly jumps into the 80s once the sun is up and starts racing toward the brutal 90s. The weather isn’t great but the birding is pretty good.
Late summer may be considered the slow time for birding, but there’s so much going on at the wetlands. The Ruby-throated Humming Birds are buzzing about, juvenile birds born back in the spring can still be hanging around, and every now and then you get a surprise visitor, like the King Rail this year.
Rails are notoriously shy birds and hard to spot, but the one at the wetlands seemed to be soaking up the attention from photographers.
Throw in some butterflies, some blooming flowers and even some photogenic insects, and it can be a fun, albeit hot, day.
So, yes, it’s usually not comfortable birding over the late summer at Orlando Wetlands, but it definitely can be worth it.
Just take a look…
