A relatively cool summer evening and clear skies had me out birding late Friday night, in search of birds feeding from flowering native plants along the Rouge River near Dearborn, Michigan.
While I saw and heard American Goldfinches, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Killdeer, it was a pretty quiet night for birding.
But the full moon made up for a lackluster birding adventure as the golden sphere rose in the southeast sky at dusk.
July’s full moon is called the Buck Moon, and is also known as the Thunder Moon.
I’ve mentioned before in blog posts featuring full moon photos that according to the The Old Farmer’s Almanac, full moon names come from Algonquin tribes in the northeastern part of the United States.
The Buck Moon is named for the time of year new antlers of buck deer are in full-growth mode.
A few other names
- Feather Moulting Moon
- Halfway Summer Moon
- Berry Moon
I like the last alternative name, Berry Moon, because July is when I know blackberries and black raspberries ripen in southeast Michigan.
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, did you see this weekend’s full moon?
