Here in Cook County—Illinois, not Minnesota, where “Migration Is Near” is based—goldfinches are busy flocking to our yellow-topped bird feeder with their hungry fledglings in tow. A couple of hummingbirds arrive to sip sugar water at a red feeder nearby. We’re aware that in a few weeks these birds, along with pretty much every other avian species, will abandon our backyard in Chicagoland for balmier climes. Maybe we’ve had more of an infestation of insects this summer than Minnesotans, but the past few cool nights have let us sit outside without collecting bites from mosquitoes upon which birds dine alfresco all the time. One reason we won’t be seeing birds in our backyard during the fall is that their blue-plate-special bugs will have died off.

Botanist and plant ecologist Chel Anderson sums up the late-summer situation to a T. She pays special attention to nighthawks that gobble insects with “tremendous acrobatic prowess.” She vividly describes dozens of nighthawks congregating over Lake Superior. If you want to learn about nighthawks—that aren’t really hawks at all—you’ll especially enjoy Anderson’s chat. The only thing I found missing was a broader discussion of other winged creatures, such as goldfinches and hummingbirds, during this bye-bye-birdie season.