End-of-summer tips

One female and three male goldfinches

Labor Day is upon us, kids are going back to school, summer vacations are ending. Here are a few tips to consider as you enjoy your backyard birding at this time of year:

Lots of goldfinches may be at your Nyjer feeders. Provide only fresh Nyjer as the seed is high in oil. When the weather is hot, the seed can spoil in two months. Keep the seed cool and dry when you store it. One solution is to funnel the seed into one-gallon plastic jugs. Make sure the jugs have a lid. Store them in the air-conditioning or in a dry basement.

Hummingbirds are very active. Those in our area are preparing for the flight south and will be eating a lot. Migrants from up north will be stopping by to "fuel up" before continuing south. Be sure your feeders are clean. Replenish nectar frequently. Hummingbird migration should end (for us) by the end of September.

Most birds have finished nesting by now. However you may still see some young sparrows.

Keep bird baths clean and the water fresh. You'll see more activity if you do.

Use a seed mix that is mostly black oil sunflower along with white millet or safflower seed.

Leave seed heads on plants after the flowers fade. Many birds will eat the seed. Do you grow coneflowers in your garden? The seed heads are highly valued by goldfinches. They'll even hang upside down from a stem to grab a seed!

Pick an area of your yard to go natural. Overgrown is good. Those areas are prized for food and for shelter from rain. Leaf litter attracts invertebrates that birds eat. Nobody rakes the forest!

Listen for different sounds in your yard. Some birds are beginning to migrate south and may be stopping in your yard. Keep watching!