Nope, they just don’t. I know because I’ve looked and can’t find one.
Not a bird. A feeder, like the awesome, green, metal tube feeder that I bought years ago. It doesn’t have a brand name on it (what were they thinking?), but an exhaustive search - even with the help of AI - narrowed it down to one or two companies, and neither of them currently produce exactly the same feeder.
Which is sad because it’s the one my birds love the most.
I bought a pair of similar feeders this year (thinking they were exactly like my old one), but the food openings are ever-so-slightly smaller, which the birds seem to have a problem with. They’ll still visit the new feeders in a pinch, but they much prefer the old one.
This Week in the Backyard
I think I’ve hinted at this earlier, but I believe I’ve seen the last of my Ruby-throated Hummingbirds for this year.
My sightings - or lack thereof - match up pretty well with what’s generally accepted as fall migration times according to maps I’ve seen. (I’m actually writing this about a week before you’ll see it.)
So I guess after this week I’ll put the hummer feeder into storage until next spring.
What to Watch For This Week
Watch for birds you haven't seen all summer.
They say that fall migration is underway, and your backyard may start getting some temporary visitors. Keep an eye out for White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and migrating warblers moving through.
But there's another thing to watch for: the birds you already know.
Your regulars may suddenly be joined by a few unfamiliar faces, or you may notice that some of your summer visitors are becoming less common. (See above.) Check the shrubs, brush piles, and lower branches as well as the feeders. Migrating birds don't always come looking for seed.
And if you see a bird you can't identify, don't worry about solving the mystery immediately. Notice it first. You can figure out what it was later. Snap a photo if you can.
Backyard Moment
Okay, this isn’t exactly birding related, but I’ve just got to tell someone other than my wife.
I’m really good at “planting” wildflowers. Much better than I am at intentionally planting and growing flowers from a seed packet.
It’s true that we did get many amazing (tall) sunflowers last year from seeds I planted. In fact, the “stump” of one of them is still buried in my carrot garden. But those were more the exception than the rule.
However, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen several Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum, see below for one actually in my garden) blossoms that I had nothing to do with as far as their arrival in my garden.
Hm. Maybe this is actually birding related. I guess it’s totally possible that a bird “deposited” a seed or two there earlier this spring.
Journal Prompt
Have you personally noticed a new pattern in your own backyard - something similar to what I mentioned above? Jot a few quick notes about it in your journal. Your future self will thank you.
From the Backyard Bird Tracker
I’ve made 2 significant changes to the BBT app since I last updated you.
First, I’ve added some of my own photographs as thumbnails to the species selection dropdown. They look pretty nice, if I do say so myself.
Do you have any photos you’d care to add?
The other update is that there is now an export/import feature. You can download all your sightings and related data to your device. Then you can upload it to a different device and keep going from there.
Both devices won’t stay in sync, but that’s not the point here. I wanted to be able to change which device I’m using to track my birds without having to re-enter them all on the new device.
BBT is currently tied to the device you’re using, as opposed to having a login that lets you access your sightings from any device. That will probably change in the future, but that’s the way it works for now.
Cooling Off
I think we’ve run the air conditioner for the last time this summer. It’s starting to cool off here in Wisconsin with high temps in the 70s.
Great weather for sitting outside with the birds - if it’s not raining.