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Nancy Overcott - Columnist

Nancy Overcott is a freelance writer, columnist, and author of three books in collaboration with artist Dana Gardner-At Home in the Big Woods, Taxon Media, 2002; Fifty Common Birds of the Upper Midwest, University of Iowa, 2006; and Fifty Uncommon Birds of the Upper Midwest, forthcoming from the University of Iowa, 2007. She lives with her husband and three cats in the Big Woods of Fillmore County, Minnesota where her passion for birds and writing began.

uly in the Big Woods of southeast Minnesota where I live looms as a hot, sultry month in which there is little exciting bird activity. No obvious migration is occurring and most of the birds have settled into particular areas for the summer, so the species present in July are generally the same species that were present in June.

But wait! Something is always happening in the avian world. In my area, July is a very important month, a time when young birds are learning to fend for themselves. Although some second broods may still be inside their eggs, many youngsters have hatched, fledged, become at least adequate fliers and know where to look for food.

Read the rest of the Nancy's column in our July issue...

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