Date: 6/26/25 10:22 am From: <sshultz...> Subject: Heat, hummingbirds, and "fall migration"
How many times has someone mentioned how hot it is outside over the last few days? If you are like me, many. And yes, it is the Carolinas in late June. It is supposed to be hot… and it is! But that first heat wave of the year still feels icky.
Birds probably don’t feel the heat the same way that we do, but it does make their lives a bit more challenging. Food is pretty abundant, and a lot of folks who feed birds stop in the summer, but water can get scarce. So if you feed birds/don’t feed birds/feed them only in the winter, at this time of year consider putting out a source of fresh water for the feathered folk. This morning has been a constant parade of bathers and drinkers at the simple water features we have outside. A shallow pan of fresh water is all you need. Just be sure to clean it out regularly.
You can spend as much or as little as you want to go beyond “the pan”. Some folks landscape beautiful water features specifically for birds. But you may not have the space, or money, to go fancy. An expensive, but effective, way to supply water is to get one of the several “cat waterers” from that big A company or your preferred vendor for such things. These plug in and provide not only a shallow source of water, but feature small fountains that tend to attract birds beyond what a still pan will do. They are inexpensive, fairly durable, and plug in to regular receptacles. They are also shallow enough to prevent most issues, while also making the gurgly sound that birds like. Be sure to use a waterproof connection if you plug into an extension cord.
Here is an example (it says indoor but works fine outside if you note the above): Amazon.com : Cat Water Fountain: Cat Fountain - Water Fountains for Cats Indoor - 67oz/2L Cat Fountains for Drinking - Pet Water Fountain - Ultra Silent - Cat Drinking Fountain for Small Dogs - AONBOY : Pet Supplies
Enough about the heat 😊
One thing we hear often at this time of year is “where are all the hummingbirds?” or “I only seem to have one, and not all that regularly”. Well folks, things are about to change. It is completely normal to have little to light feeder visitation in early to mid-June. Birds are nesting, focused on protein, and not as obvious on the landscape. But by the end of June, little ones are out of the nest and on the landscape. Mom and baby daddy might be trying again with another clutch, but we start to see a significant uptick in hummer activity about right now. And in fact, we have seen a pretty good increase in feeder visits just over the past couple of days. This will happen again toward the first of August when the 2nd brood is out and about, and we are getting increased numbers of northerly birds heading south.
And wait… migrant hummers at the beginning of August? Yep. In fact, fall migration has already started! Shorebirds are again on the wing. Generally considered failed breeders or successful early breeders, adults of some species can already be found heading back south (sometimes the earliest southbound birds “pass” the latest northbound birds!) So even though it might not feel like fall, and probably won’t for a while, migration has begun!!
