September Nature Happenings in the Mid-Atlantic Region

• Bats are busy feeding on moths, beetles, and mosquitoes, building fat for hibernation and migration. These valuable nighttime neighbors can eat between 50 to 100 percent of their body weight in insects each night!
• Woolly Caterpillars are out and about, seeking the perfect overwintering site. 
• Ruby-crowned Kinglets begin to arrive from their northern breeding territories. 
• Hummingbirds are on the move, heading south. Although most will be gone by the end of the month, leaving hummingbird feeders out can be a tremendous help to young birds that have yet to leave us, as well as northern migrants passing over needing to refuel. 
• September is an important migration month and is well underway for most of our long-distance migrants. Did you know that Virginia is a major stopover point for migratory birds along the Atlantic Flyway?
• Look for American Robins in their non-breeding flocks feeding on crab apple berries.