Gone With the Wind
The last day of September delivered a strong cold front, and a clear change was witnessed on October 1st. Large numbers of our continent's hummers had been concentrated in Texas. Here's what people reported:

"The numbers dropped off very suddenly to about half of the frenzy feeding numbers." Willis, TX

"After the front our numbers are way down." Kingwood, TX

"Seems like every time the wind comes in from the north the hummers that are here leave and new ones come in. Nice tail wind to help them go south." Huntsville, TX

Now 90% Gone
Adult males are now 90% gone from sites reporting in the U.S. and Canada. Of the 688 sites we heard from last week, only 10% saw adult males. An observer in Tarpley, Texas recorded a similar ratio where he is monitoring daily.

And Then There Was One
Read through this week's comments. You'll see sightings of "a straggler," "one roly-poly female," or "a lone ranger." Double-digit reports dropped dramatically this week. Only 22 sites saw ten hummers or more.

Fat and Fluffy
Where hummingbirds remained, most were eating voraciously and trying to cope with cold.

A fat-packed, torpedo-shaped hummer appeared in West Virginia (see picture): "This little one showed up at yesterday. Overnight temps fell into mid-30s with some snow flakes mixed with a cold rain."

"Totally surprised by 2 hummers at 7:23 am at the feeder. Only 41F, a very cold morning, and not even full light yet. They sat with their beaks buried in the feeder for 30-45 seconds at a time. They spent at least 10 minutes feeding intensively." Indianapolis, IN

Northernmost Sighting? Winnipeg!
This fall's temperatures have been an unseasonably warm in Winnipeg. On Wednesday came this surprise:

"I still don't believe it but a Rufous hummingbird flew into the three sided carport and couldn't find the way out. It remained long enough for me to realize that it was a hummingbird, and that it was a Rufous! The last Ruby-throat was seen here on September 10."

Look Out!
"I would not have believed the photo if my sister hadn't taken it," wrote Rebecca Reid. The picture is not for the faint-hearted. It shows a praying mantis eating a hummingbird. "To add to the astonishment, my sister removed the praying mantis from her feeder and took him to the other side of the house. Before the day was over, the praying mantis had returned and killed a second hummingbird."

Shawn Wilson shared a shot of a praying mantis in his backyard: "I have dozens. I get a bit concerned for the hummers. Yet I try to either move or just see where they are. I never knew until a few years ago that the mantis is a predator to hummers. No good!! But I do not want to harm the mantis either."

Images of the Week

Cold Missouri Morning Peter Connolly

Fat and Fluffy Eleanor Briggs

Torpedo-Shaped Wade Snyder

Look Out! Wikipedia

Shawn Wilson

Hummingbirds are fast, but a praying mantis can be even faster!