Hummingbirds of Indiana Are Preparing For Their Return Journey South

There's no denying it any longer; fall is coming.

Kids across Indiana have gone back to school, the "unofficial" end of summer arrives with Labor Day, and football is back. Now, yet another obvious sign the summer season is over:

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The birds are taking flight and returning south.

Even the other night as I was sitting out on my balcony I had a sad realization: I already saw my last lightning bug of the season and didn't even know it. How sad is that? Don't get me wrong, I love bonfires and cider and corn mazes as much as the next gal, I'm just not ready to let go of summer yet.

As our tiny, feathered friends begin to prepare for their big journey home, you may notice an uptick in the amount of hummingbirds at your feeder.  Here's why:

Our hummingbirds will be flying back south in September...But keep those feeders full until Halloween in case of stragglers...You may have already had some new hummingbirds arrive from Michigan or Canada. They are refueling for the long journey back down south -- Meterologist Matt Standridge via Facebook

And it's not just hummingbirds either, the great fall migration has already begun.

And actually, there's a way you can help. Because most of these birds make their journey at night and can easily become disoriented by light pollution, experts recommend turning off any unnecessary outdoor lighting between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to reduce confusion and help prevent collisions with buildings.