Steve, hummer question.....

[finnbay]

Came back from my canoe trip and right away it feels like fall. A number of birds I haven't seen all summer are at the sunflower seeds, so assume they're getting ready to migrate. My hummer feeder is empty and I'm just wondering, should I refill it? Seems I read somewhere that if you keep feeding until late in the fall, the hummers stick around longer than they should. Any info or suggestions?

[Steve Foss]

Ken, I'd refill it for sure. August is when all the immature and formerly nesting female hummers rejoin the mature males at the feeders, and we generally see hummers here into mid September. August is the busiest time at the summer feeders for a multitude of species, since all the young have hatched, fledged and are flying, so there is a BIG population of birds right now staging for the southern trip.