What to Do in Late June
Your main tasks over the next few weeks will be to:
1. Complete Your Species Lists
Keep on building your species lists with a goal of completing this task by the end of June. To meet block completion criteria, at least 80% of the species found in the block during the first Atlas must be detected.
To check a block’s species list, type the block name into the “explore a region” search box. The resulting page shows block statistics, as well as the current species list for the block. Use the dropdown menu and “Set” button at the top to see the Atlas I list to scan for prevalent species you may have missed, and be sure to seek out uncommon habitats—perhaps patches of conifer, wetlands, or grasslands—to add additional species.
2. Target Early Nesters Now for Confirmations
While you’re at it, you can also easily confirm many early breeders right now, especially with codes like CF and FL. All species that got started breeding more than a month ago should be investigated because many will have young nearby, for example: woodpeckers, sparrows, blackbirds, chickadees, waterfowl, turkeys, grouse, and cranes. Neotropical migrants are still a little hit or miss, but it won’t be long until confirming them also starts to become easier!