Q: I apologize for an anthropomorphic observation: We enjoy birds at our cabin in Ely. Before the hummingbirds left in September, they hovered at the window near the feeder for two days. They seemed to be trying to get our attention, just as they do if we’re late in filling the feeder. But the feeder was freshly filled and we even filled it again. The window-hovering behavior continued until they left after two days. It was as if they were thanking us and saying goodbye! Sounds silly but I can’t get the concept out of my head.
A: There is no harm in believing that the birds visiting our feeders might feel a sense of gratitude. Hummingbirds are smart little creatures, and they quickly come to associate nectar feeders with the humans who fill them. One other possible explanation for this behavior: Your regular hummingbirds might have recently migrated and been replaced by two similar birds from farther north. But go with what you feel.
Tiny but tough
Q: I find it hard to believe that monarch butterflies and hummingbirds migrate thousands of miles. How do we know this?
A: I know, it’s difficult to believe that a tiny backyard bird, only 3 ½ inches long and weighing a tenth of an ounce, can power its way to a winter home in Central America. But ruby-throated hummingbirds do make these long journeys, back and forth each year, and this has been proved by bird banding that established their astonishing range. Some ruby-throated hummingbirds travel from Canada as far south as Panama, although some spend the winter in coastal Florida. The autumn migrants tend to follow a land route around the Gulf of Mexico to reach their destinations, while in spring, most fly straight across the Gulf. Interestingly, at our latitude, hummingbirds seem to time their autumn travels to coincide with peak flowering of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), a significant source of nectar for them.
As for monarchs, tags attached to their wings proved that those from eastern North America end up in the mountains of Mexico to spend the winter.
Downy hacking seeds
Q: I watched a downy woodpecker doing something unusual: It went back and forth from my feeder and seemed to be hiding seeds in a cracked 4 by 4. But a closer look showed only sunflower shells. I believe that the woodpecker was wedging seeds into the pole and then pecking them open. I’d never seen this before.
A: That’s a very interesting observation, and it suggests that this woodpecker, at least, is operating as nuthatches do, jamming seeds into openings and then hacking them open. This is a good example of avian intelligence — coming up with savvy solutions to problems.

Most fishing hawks are en route
Q: When do osprey migrate out of our area?