Summertime is the most wonderful season to feed the families of birds.

Adult male Towhee feeding a fledgling.

The old adage about not feeding the birds in the summer is not true.  Parental birds will continue feeding the young for several weeks after they've flown the nest. They'll teach the fledglings how and where to find food. They demonstrate to the young on how and where to get insects, fruit, nuts and natural seeds. Parents will also bring the fledglings to your feeders to show them a reliable source of foods. This information will be useful for the birds when the colder days arrive.

You may see a decline of birds at your feeders during the hotter days. Face it nobody likes to eat when it's 90 degrees plus. in summer birds may frequent the feeders during the cooler hours around dawn and dusk. Your birds may abandon the feeders when we get to late summer and early fall. At that time of year Mother Nature's pantry is at it's fullest. There's an abundance of natural seed, fruit, nuts and nectar and your feeders become a back up. 

Baby Bluebird begging for food from Mom.

Purple Martin bringing home dragonflies to her young.