Q: Why have my hummingbirds disappeared?
Q: Why don’t the orioles come to my grape jelly anymore?
Q: What’s happened to my cardinals?
A: One answer pretty much fits most of the questions about birds seeming to disappear in high summer: Birds are very busy at this time, as they rush to feed their nestlings a diet almost entirely made up of insects and spiders, and are eating insects themselves. This high-protein diet ensures that young birds grow at an explosive rate and are able to leave their nests quickly, before predators find them. Another factor is that berries and other fruits are abundant at this time of year and parents can feed these to older nestlings. Once nesting season is wrapped up, adult birds and their youngsters should begin appearing at feeders again.
Wren time
Q: In mid-July wrens were just starting to build with their typical small twigs inside my nest house. Wasn’t this late in the season?
A: Wrens are among the bird species that raise two broods during the summer, so the birds in your backyard sound right on schedule for starting a second nest. Other birds that nest twice in the breeding season include Northern cardinals, ruby-throated hummingbirds, American robins, Eastern bluebirds and, unfortunately, house sparrows.
Foster parenting