While this week marks the average last date of hummingbird sightings in Grand Rapids, it’s certainly not time to take down your feeder! Stragglers may still arrive through mid-October, and they’ll be grateful for some extra help along their way.
During migration season, Staff Phenologist John Latimer recommends increasing the ratio of sugar hummingbird nectar to 1 part sugar to 3 parts water. The increased concentration helps the birds pack on more energy as they prepare for their long journey south.
John recommends keeping a little bit of nectar in your feeder until mid-October. Remember to replace it every 3 days, so it doesn’t ferment in the warm fall weather! A drunken hummingbird is a dead duck, metaphorically speaking.
Topics
- Introduction (0:00-0:25)
- A warm fall (0:25- 1:17)
- Hummingbirds depart (1:17-5:01)
- Fall colors (5:01-13:39)
- Birds (13:39-15:19)
- Pines losing needles (15:19-17:05)
- Conclusion (17:05-17:56)
Fall colors
John was kind enough to provide an article he wrote about fall colors! Click below:
What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
That does it for this week! For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
