It was a relative month for wild birds in the immediate vicinity of Valentine. Nothing was especially exciting, yet the regular mix provided reasons to continue to watch and record occurrences at the usual spaces.
Notable for the month was the newly realized sugar water feeder at a resident along Lake Shore Drive. This food source was a regular attractant for a resident Ruby-throated Hummingbird. There were also numerous types of flowers also suitable as a nourishing food source.
The family group of Wild Turkey continued their regular presence, walking about as they foraged, looking for a grasshopper treat. Wood Duck were regular at the Mill pond, with an indicative number seen at the end of the month as these birds began to flock together for a pending southward migration.
One particular plant used by foraging birds is Canada Lettuce. American Goldfinch and House Finch were seen feeding on the seed heads. Bristle Grass seeds have attracted sparrows and the turkeys.
During the last days of the month, Common Nighthawk were seen moving southward. These birds were counted in the evening skies on the north side of town. The numbers seen this year were greater than those from the same days in 2015.
By the end of the month, any swallows had departed for elsewhere. Purple Martins were present during most of the month. Chimney Swift continued, being especially prominent in the evening northward of the queen city.
One nice feature of the local avifauna is the relative lack of Common Starling. They occur but are not so obvious as to always be seen.
Records are available for the North Lake Shore Hills, Valentine Mill Pond, Valentine and the "Water Tanks Tract" so named because of the prominent, big blue tanks atop the hill north of the city. Place names are indicative and essential for indicating where birds occur.
Overall, there were these 64 species noted. Many of these are permanent residents that could be seen any day.
| Julian Date > | 215 | 222 | 224 | 225 | 227 | 231 | 232 | 239 | 240 | 241 | 242 | 243 |
| Canada Goose | 3 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wood Duck | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | - - | - - | 43 |
| Mallard | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wild Turkey | - - | 7 | - - | - - | 8 | - - | 8 | 8 | - - | - - | - - | 8 |
| Great Blue Heron | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | 2 | 4 | - - | - - | 11 | - - | - - | 6 | 6 | 10 | - - | 14 |
| Cooper's Hawk | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Harrier | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Bald Eagle | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - |
| Red-tailed Hawk | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Killdeer | 1 | 1 | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 |
| Rock Dove | - - | - - | 3 | 12 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 28 | - - |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 10 | 9 | 17 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 8 | - - | - - | 12 | - - |
| Mourning Dove | 3 | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 11 | 2 | - - | - - | 2 |
| Eastern Screech Owl | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Nighthawk | 1 | 1 | 14 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 23 | 45 | 52 |
| Chimney Swift | 23 | 20 | - - | - - | 18 | - - | - - | 17 | - - | - - | 18 | - - |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 1 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Flicker | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Least Flycatcher | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Western Kingbird | 8 | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Kingbird | 5 | 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Bell's Vireo | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Blue Jay | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 5 | 2 | 3 | - - | - - | 2 |
| American Crow | 1 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 2 | - - |
| Cedar Waxwing | 5 | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 4 | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 2 | - - | - - | 2 |
| Horned Lark | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Purple Martin | 6 | - - | - - | 2 | 13 | 37 | - - | - - | 3 | - - | 5 | - - |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | - - | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Barn Swallow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - |
| American Cliff Swallow | 15 | 10 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | 5 | - - | - - | - - |
| House Wren | 3 | 7 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | 5 | - - | - - | 3 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Grey Catbird | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 3 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Brown Thrasher | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Common Starling | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Eastern Bluebird | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | 3 | - - | - - | 16 |
| American Robin | 17 | 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | 2 | - - | - - | 2 |
| House Sparrow | 6 | 5 | - - | 35 | 45 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 10 | - - |
| House Finch | 5 | 8 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 7 | - - | - - | - - | 23 |
| American Goldfinch | 3 | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | 10 | - - | - - | 9 |
| Common Yellowthroat | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 |
| Baltimore Oriole | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 |
| Orchard Oriole | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 15 | 15 | 45 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 45 | - - | 5 |
| Common Grackle | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Song Sparrow | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Chipping Sparrow | 2 | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 20 | 3 | - - | - - | 20 |
| Field Sparrow | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - |
| Lark Sparrow | 2 | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Spotted Towhee | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | - - |
| Northern Cardinal | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Indigo Bunting | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
The summer doldrums are indicated.
After a year of regular observations and record keeping, the variety of species present in the area is much better understood. There are probably more species of warblers to be expected, which would rely on more observation time at Valentine City Park.
The current, personal tally is 113 species, with each notable observation tallied in an expansive database. The tally is notably indicative of the most common species that can be appreciated every day.