Immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Shortly after my return from Orlando yesterday I checked the traffic at our hummingbird feeders. Well, there was no traffic at all. Every year the last hummingbirds come through by the end of September and it will take until about May 1st next year before we see the first ones again. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird spends the winter in southern Mexico and even further south. Fall migration starts as early as mid-July and there is almost a complete exchange daily at the feeders and in the gardens. With few exceptions, during migration all the birds seen at feeders one day are gone the next. It needs a great deal of energy for this long flight and besides nectar eating small insects is crucial for their diet.
Today’s photo was already made September 19th, the last time I had a chance to point my lens at these tiny birds in our garden.