A ruby-throated hummingbird visits a feeder in Bath. But hummingbirds aren’t the only ones attracted to the nectar in hummingbird feeders. Other birds, insects and even mammals are known to partake. Press Herald file photo
Of all the questions that have come to us through this column over the past few years, by far the most common topic is hummingbirds. I thought we might have answered everything about hummingbirds by now, but apparently not yet! A fun mystery this week came from Maggie Dumais of Topsham, who was noticing her hummingbird feeder was being emptied remarkably quickly. Within 24 hours, the feeder was going from freshly filled to almost empty. Maggie asks, “What do you think could be getting at my feeder when I have not seen any birds there?”
Two years ago, I wrote about a couple of non-hummingbird birds at hummingbird feeders (try saying that five times fast), after people noticed woodpeckers and chickadees drinking from the feeders. At the time, we were experiencing drought conditions, so it was easy to speculate that those birds were taking advantage of that resource.
These are not the only critters we hear about sipping man-made nectar. Squirrels are definitely known to visit feeders, as are insects like ants and bees, and some moths. Maggie did mention safeguards against squirrels and hornets, so we need to think creatively about this one. It is worth clarifying, because I often hear this misstated, that there are not any bats in Maine that drink nectar, and so we shouldn’t consider them as potential hummingbird feeder-robbers.
One of the most overshared bird-related memes is the fabled “humming-horse,” a photo of a horse delicately tipping a hummingbird feeder to drink from it, with the caption “Does anyone know what kind of hummingbird this is?” Odds are good you’ve seen this. If you haven’t, check it out – but don’t share it on your bird friend’s Facebook page because, trust me, they’ve already seen it. The only point of mentioning this is that it is a great example of how just about any animal will be happy to take advantage of water, especially when it has been enhanced with sugar.
The exact perpetrator is anyone’s guess, but I’d be willing to bet we’re dealing with something like a raccoon. They are large enough to get around some squirrel guards, but not so big that they’ll do any damage, like a bear would. We are late enough in the summer that young-of-the-year raccoons may be venturing out on their own, and a sugary drink would be hard to turn down.
WHERE TO VIEW FALL MIGRATION
In my last column I recommended a few options for getting out on a boat to see pelagic birds. Since then, I’ve received a few inquiries from readers about where else they should be looking for birds this fall, so I wanted to broadcast a few here.
The first place to visit isn’t a physical location, but a website. In spring I encourage everyone to be using BirdCast.info, a website that uses radar and weather information to forecast nightly bird migrations. Using its “migration dashboard,” you can enter your county or state, see how many birds are migrating each evening, and get a list of which species are the most expected to be passing on that day. This is a remarkable tool and can be a great indicator of what your next day or two may look like for numbers and diversity of birds that could be around.
With that knowledge in hand, think about what birds you are looking for. Shorebird migration is peaking right now and most beaches or mud flats will be great places to look for plovers or sandpipers on their way from the Arctic toward South America. As tourists leave the state over the next month, ideal beach days for humans may fade but that only makes for better shorebirding days. Biddeford Pool and Popham Beach are certainly worth a visit, especially after Labor Day when there aren’t $35 parking fees at the former and you may even be able to get a parking spot at the latter.
Coastal areas are always good for looking for migrants, especially when the geography can help funnel birds to you. Timber Point in Biddeford (York County), Bailey Island (Cumberland County) and Sears Island (Waldo County) are some of my favorite places to be on an early fall morning. Think fall in the context of fall migration here; for most humans, fall starts with the autumnal equinox, but for birders it comes with the first southbound shorebird in July.
Sometimes, during fall migration, you can’t go wrong no matter where you are. Last year, while packing my car to rush down toward the coast I heard a call note from a bird I didn’t recognize. After a minute of tracking it down, I was floored to find a hooded warbler, a more southern songbird that rarely finds its way to Maine, foraging around the pines in my Windham yard. If you do need guidance or want to join a group walk, I recommend checking out what some of Maine Audubon’s volunteer-led chapters have to offer this fall. Their websites and newsletters can be found at maineaudubon.org/chapters.
Do you have a nature question for Doug? Email questions to ask@maineaudubon.org and visit maineaudubon.org to learn more about birding, native plants, and programs and events focusing on Maine wildlife and habitat. Doug and other naturalists lead free bird walks on Thursday mornings, 7 to 9 a.m., at the Gilsland Farm Audubon Sanctuary in Falmouth.
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