Hummingbirds are leaving for the winter – silent summer.

July 31, 2013: It is a sad time on my patio in Las Vegas. Most of the hummingbirds that have kept the place hopping for the last month are nowhere to be seen. My Costa’s has no one to chase away. It is way too quiet around here! Even the Mockingbird is no longer showing off his large repertoire of songs. I sit outside in the morning waiting – nothing. All is quiet.

Anna's panting in the 106 heat.

The Costa’s comes for a drink of sweet water, then I hear him whistling in the bush next to the feeder. When I walk my dogs, I hear the song of an Anna’s coming from a nearby tree. Other than that -- nothing.

I knew it was coming, it always does. The birds are lying low. Many are molting their summer garb and feathers are missing so they are staying quiet. They don’t want to be noticed when they are vulnerable. The job of raising babies is over for most. The males no longer need to attract females and defend nesting territories.  Many of the young have already left for their winter homes.

My finches still show up at the feeder, more often to drink water from their private watering hole – otherwise known as the ant moats on my feeders – than to sneak a sip of sweet water. Even they are silent in the heat of summer.

Female Finch comes to get a drink of water from the ant moat. It was 102 degrees F at the time.

In July in Idaho I switched to watching and photographing butterflies. I thought I would do the same here. Wrong! In the heat of Las Vegas the butterflies never stop long enough to even identify them. And certainly there is no time to photograph them. Up north I went out as the sun was coming up and took pictures while the butterflies spread their wings to absorbed the heat of the sun. I went out again just after sundown and got pictures as they fed on wildflower nectar in the cool of the evening.

One day this month when it was cloudy and cooler I actually saw a gorgeous folded-wing skipper sitting on my bush here in Las Vegas. He sat there long enough for me to ooh and aah over him, but left before I could grab my camera for a shot. Sigh, such is the life of a butterfly watcher in Las Vegas – and of birdwatchers at the end of July. Surely the migrants will start arriving soon so I’ll be out of the Doldrums.