Of the 4,300 hummingbirds tallied this week, only 162 were reported in Ontario. Those that remained in the province were typically single birds at a feeder. They'll head out out on migration as soon as their fat reserves allow.
"After a late spring and short breeding season, early September saw at least a few breeding females almost certainly still recovering from the grueling responsibilities of raising young, and a great many of the young that hatched out this year were still putting on weight and perfecting the life skills they needed before lighting out on migration," explains ornithologist Laura Erickson.
Image: Leslie Bergum, New Hampshire, September 16, 2014