As we are starting into early fall, I have noticed that my bird feeders need refilling more often. The shorter days trigger an internal body clock in the migratory birds and even for those that do not migrate, it seems as though they eat more from the feeders than during the summer. Here is a good article on bird migration from Cornell University which is my go to site on birds.

Within the month, all the ruby throated hummingbirds will leave and I will not see them here in western NC until some time in April. I usually keep my hummingbird feeder full for at least one week after I have last seen a bird come to it. Generally, the males such as the one pictured below are the first to arrive in the spring and the earliest to leave in the fall. The females follow shortly after the males. The females do not have the ruby throat and are a slightly duller green on their backs.

Note: all photographs are from the Cornell University All About Birds website.

As for the other birds, fall can be an exciting time for bird watching just as it is during the spring. This is due to my being able to see birds that normally spend the warmer months in the more northerly climates and then spend the winter further south. I am always excited to see these birds, such as the rose breasted grosbeaks and the purple finches, pass through. The male rose breasted grosbeaks are particularly spectacular in their coloration. And the females are also handsome birds in their markings even though they are not flashy in their coloration. And some of these migrants will stay in the area for several days before heading further south.

Male rose breasted grosbeak.

This spring, I was overrun by pine siskens who descended upon my feeders in huge flocks and monopolized them for over a month. It was the first time I had seen them here in the ten years we have been here. Apparently, their migratory routes can vary from year to year so I may see them again this fall or next spring, or I may not see them again for a while.

This is also the time of year when the birds molt, leaving some of them with a very ratty appearance before the new plumage grows back. I did not have any birds that were bald headed this year, but last year, I had a blue jay that completely lost all of his feathers on his head. He was strange looking for a while. And even when the feathers were coming back, he looked like he was wearing a Mohawk hair cut.

This year, the only oddity I saw in the molt was a male towhee who regularly comes to my hanging feeder. Generally towhees do not come to hanging feeder, but I believe this is the same bird who was here last year and has found he likes the seed in the hanging feeder. During his molt, this towhee lost all of his tail feathers. Otherwise he looked normal. It was amazing to watch those feathers grow back and within two weeks they were normal again.

Male Eastern towhee. I think towhees are one of the most beautifully proportioned birds around. The female is a gorgeous reddish brown color.

Female Eastern towhee. She is quite beautiful in her own right.

Soon the goldfinches will molt for a second time in the year. Goldfinches are one species that always molts twice a year. During the spring and summer, the male gold finches sprout their gorgeous bright yellow and black coloration.
Male goldfinch in breeding colors.

But after the fall molt, it becomes very difficult to tell the male from the females as they both are a yellowish olive color. Generally, the wing bars on the males are slightly darker, but for all practical purposes, the males and females will look alike until the spring when the males come back into their brilliant colors.
Male goldfinch in non-breeding colors. The female looks very much the same.

So fall is an exciting time for watching the birds in my back yard.

This is an Open Thread so, please feel free to post whatever thoughts you may have.