The hummingbird numbers visiting my feeders have increased in past ten days.
They consume nearly a liter of nectar every day in five feeders.

Most of the summer resident male hummingbirds have left. The birds visiting
the feeders are mostly (probable migrant) molting juveniles and females.

This evening around 5:30 PM, I saw a group of unfamiliar swallows: 6 PURPLE
MARTINS and 6 CLIFF SWALLOWS. They foraged over the pastures and scrubland
for nearly an hour before flying off to the southeast.

I haven't seen any Cliff Swallows here for about two weeks. On Thursday, a
single bird flying with the Barn Swallows  landed on my roof and spent a few
minutes picking at the shingles. I have only seen one Purple Martin here in
three years.

My Barn Swallow colony is beginning to thin out. On Thursday I counted 32
(total colony 40-50) perched on a rafter in the upper level of the bank
barn. Today there were only about 15-20 birds. There are still two nests
with unfledged young. It will be so very quiet here when they leave.

Felicia Lovelett

Swallows' Nest
Sykesville, MD