Backyard Birds Indy

08/31/2025

Migrating birds will flood overhead again later this week. The winds will be perfect behind the cold front on Thursday to guide birds south for the winter. Thursday night and Friday night looks like the biggest nights for the migration. I got word yesterday from the Black Swamp Bird Observatory that there might be a large number of bats in this migration as well which is very interesting to me. As always, you can help out the birds by turning off outdoor lights and limiting light pollution. It helps the birds navigate better.

08/29/2025

September's Full Moon is most often known as the Harvest Moon, but this year it's known as the full Corn Moon. https://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-dates-and-times

08/28/2025

The wind patterns are setting up perfectly for a birding highway about 1,500 feet above the ground. The fall migration is off to an early and strong start. After today's cold front, the winds will be moving north to south Thursday night and Friday night. This will place the migration highway right over Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. This will push farther south Friday night as the cold front continues to move deeper into the country. Remember, you can help out the birds navigate the night sky by turning off your outdoor lights and limiting light pollution. Millions of birds are on the move!

08/28/2025

Hummingbirds are filling up at our bird feeders before heading south! Peak migration leaving Indiana will be over the next 2-3 weeks.

The color bands roughly indicate the peak timeline of when most species of hummingbirds will be leaving your area.

There will still be stragglers until Halloween, so keep your feeders full until then!

According to Journey North, males leave first, then the females, then eventually followed by the new chicks / young. They are not guided by their parents, but rather use instincts to get to their winter homes in Central and South America.

The newly born hummingbirds need more time to fill up and strengthen before the long journey south.

08/27/2025

HUMMINGBIRDS On The Move! Yes, these tiny majestic birds are flocking south in the late summer and early fall migration. Typically, it is the Ruby-throated hummingbird moving south across the Great Lakes and eastern United States with various varieties of hummingbirds in the western United States. The map below are the confirmed hummingbird sightings in most, if not all states. (Data: Hummingbird Central)

This annual migration of the hummingbirds south ramps up in early August post-breeding as the hummingbirds seek to beat the fall chill south back to Mexico and Central America.

YOU CAN HELP: Consider leaving the hummingbird feeders out through the migration. A little extra nectar (homemade works!) One part sugar four parts water goes a long way to fuel these little guys with extra calories on the journey south!

08/27/2025

Birds are on the move! A current view of the map around 9pm central on Tuesday night showing 170 million birds in flight and heading south to warmer climates.

BirdCast, live migration map; Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/migration-forecast-maps.

08/26/2025

Butler V

08/25/2025

Our guest dogs don’t like carrots in their kibble!!!!! Ma I won’t eat veggies🤪

08/24/2025

08/17/2025

Bald Eagles are flourishing once again across Indiana! 🦅

Bald eagles were once heavily endangered from Indiana in the 1970s from a rapidly declining population, habitat loss, & reproduction set backs due to DDT pesticides. Since that period Bald Eagles have dramatically increased once again across the Hoosier State!

Between 1985 & 1989 73 chicks were released at Monroe lake. Indiana's first successful nest occurred in 1991 at Monroe Lake & Cagles Mill lake which was the first successful nest recorded since the late 1800s according to the DNR.

In 1991 there were only 5 confirmed nesting territories established in Indiana. Fast forward to today there are over 350! Please note that the map data below is from 2020. There many be many nests/Nesting areas not mentioned below.

For more Information in Bald Eagles in Indiana, head over to the Indiana DNR: https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/bald-eagle/

08/15/2025

Mid-August marks the start of fall migration for millions of monarchs! Now through mid-November, these butterflies will travel during the day and roost in trees at night. You may see anywhere from a few to hundreds taking a break along the way.

📷 Mike Budd/USFWS