We are one week away from the official start to fall. One sign that the seasons are changing - migratory patterns.
According to BirdCast, a bird migration network from Cornell, nearly half a billion birds migrated south last night.
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And a lot of them passed through the Carolinas!
How do birds know when to fly south?
Hummingbirds can sense the change in daylight along with the loss in flowers, nectar, food sources, etc. This is why they gain 25-40% of their body weight before flying south for the fall and winter months.
Cooler weather can kick start that migration as well, which is something we see signs of next week.
Even this week, though, a shift in the wind out of the northeast is just enough to send the hummers buzzing on south.
When will we no longer see our humming friends?
Keep the feeders out in the coming weeks, though, to help them fuel up for their journey.
According to Mississippi State University, hummingbirds usually leave our area in the last week of September.
The university's Extension also suggest that you "Clean all feeders from earlier in the year and fill them with a new batch of hummingbird food. Mix one part of refined white sugar with four parts water."
It goes onto say that you should to keep an eye on the feeders during the heat, as food can spoil within three days of replacing the batch.