On a mild summer morning this week, I went to visit the shore of a nearby lake. The sun was out and it wasn’t too warm yet. I heard some birds, including a couple of red-shouldered hawks and a couple of red-winged blackbirds. I saw a ruby-throated hummingbird zoom into a cluster of cattails by the shore; it tried to feed from the remaining tiny flowers near the top of the cattail stems. I saw them make a couple of trips back and forth to the cattails.

One wouldn’t think that cattails would attract hummingbirds, but there they were. Hummingbirds weren’t the only small flying creatures seen at the shore. There was a myriad of dragonflies and damselflies zooming around the area; they would land once in a while on a nearby plant, giving me a close look. Some were hunting for small flying insects and others were in the midst of their breeding cycle.

Various species of dragonflies and damselflies emerge throughout the summer; the parade of Odonata ends with the Autumn Meadowhawk, which can be seen well into October.

There are a variety of plants usually visible on these shorelines; many of the plants produce colorful flowers. Aside from cattails and blueberry bushes, you might find patches of purple loosestrife or some cardinal flowers by lake, pond, or stream banks. Cardinal flowers are native to the area and attract hummingbirds with their ruby-red blooms.

A good thing about these shores is that there is less noise encountered than one would find on a visit to the Jersey shore or even a local beach. You might hear the soft motorcycle-type sound of a close flying dragonfly or various birds, perhaps interrupted at times by a bellowing bullfrog. Enjoy the tranquility of a summer shore.