Bye Bye Birdies

by Jim Easton · Published September 5, 2022 · Updated September 6, 2023

Most ospreys are migratory, heading south in September. Ospreys may log more than 160,000 air miles over a lifetime.

In our yards and gardens, ways to help migratory birds

Our kids getting on the school bus aren’t the only things that are on the move this fall. More than 40 species of birds make the Williamsburg-James City County area their spring and summer home and return to warmer climes as our weather turns cooler in September & October. These include osprey, terns, flycatchers, swallows, and many species of warblers. Many head to Central America, South America, and the Gulf Coast.

We can do several things in our yards and in our gardens to make these birds’ last days here in town as comfortable and nourishing as possible and ensure that our feathered friends have plenty to eat before they depart. Here are simple actions we can all take right now to help reduce the danger and ease their trek towards their wintering grounds.

Energy for the long flight – food & water

Migrating birds will be grateful to you if you leave flowers and other plants in the ground for as long as possible. These plants continue to attract insects (AKA bird food) long after their blooms are beautiful. Many birds also eat the seeds that flowers leave behind, as well as berries from other plants (with the exception of nandina-please remove & discard these berries as they are poisonous to many bird species).

Holding off on removing leaves from your flower beds, and the surrounding area behind the beds is another way to provide food & shelter to birds. Leaves attract many species of insects, providing birds with a great food source.

Keep your birdbath clean and full of fresh water, especially during dry spells. Something else the birds will appreciate is your clean bird feeders, filled with high-calorie, high-protein bird food especially as the weather gets cooler.

A few additional action items you can do to help birds on their journey south. Keep pet cats indoors, go lights out for birds, and make your windows obvious to help prevent window strikes. Window strikes are the second most common cause of death for wild birds.

See you next year!

Making sure our departing avian visitors are well prepared for their travels is something we can all help with. We want to ensure that as many of them as possible arrive healthy down south and that we see them again next year.

Watch for these migrators stopping over in your garden.

Photos by Jim Easton, Nature Photographer.