Page 36 - AreaNewsletters "Sep 2021" issue

?HOME & GARDEN
When To Take Feeders Down
Broad tailed hummingbirds are summer residents and they breed in Colorado. They rst appear in mid- April. Rufous hummingbirds by contrast are only migratory visitors. They breed in the Paci c Northwest and we typically see them in Colorado in their southern migration.
In early September, both species are heavy feeders in your garden and at your feeders. These little birds are packing on the calories that will enable them to y to their wintering grounds in Mexico. By the end of September, hummingbirds will be well on their way to their Mexican “winter vacation” and Castle Rock will mostly be behind them.
If you have been so kind as to feed hummingbirds this spring and summer, the end of September or early October is a good time to take your hummingbird feeders down if you want. However, if you leave them up inde nitely, it will not keep hummingbirds from migrating south. They have a natural instinct to know when it’s time to leave, and those enroute will appreciate a drink along the way.
The Window Guys Window Cleaning Washing
By M. Shorts, member of Castle Rock’s The Hummingbird Watch group on NextDoor
My hummingbird feeder is being mobbed by starving hummingbirds right now, so it’s hard to imagine that by the end of September, everything will be quiet.
There’s a general rule of thumb to have feeders UP from April 15 – October 15. Hummers have a natural instinct when to leave so keeping them up will not stop them from heading south, and may give stragglers much needed nourishment.
W
hile there are many species of hummingbirds in Colorado, in Castle Rock we see broad tailed hummingbirds and rufous hummingbirds most often. The male broad tailed hummingbird makes the trilling noise as it ies that we hummingbird enthusiasts are all familiar with. The male rufous hummingbird has dominant orange coloring and is very territorial at feeders. Females of each species have similar coloring and can be dif cult to distinguish.
• Blow-Outs
• Blow-Outs
• Winterizations
• Winterizations
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September 2021 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters” 36
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