I was somewhat surprised yesterday when a Swainson's Thrush hopped about beneath my arbor bird feeder with the myriad of Juncos, WT Sparrows, Blue Jays, M Doves, WB Nuthatches, D and H Woodpeckers and RB Woodpekers, etc. But my brother had me beat by a mile. He is a newbie birder and called me about what the GC Kinglets were in his yard and asked if it was time to take the hummingbird feeders down. He lives in in the corner of Apple Valley that is immediately north of Lakeville and just east of Burnsville. I thought with the cold weather approaching that it would be a good idea or he could suffer the consequences of expanding freezing liquid in a glass container. He called back breathless a bit later to report that as he took it down a RT Hummingbird came by to check for a quick meal! I thought those little guys had enough sense to move on by now. Even my friends older parents headed for their Arizona housing already! The feeder is still up and we will see if late migrating hummers or MN weather is the indicator of when to take down a hummer feeder.
Thomas Maiello Spring Lake Park
