No Tiny Needle Tuesday…. getting the office (and then the studio) back in order took up my whole weekend.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to post….

For weeks there are have been some VERY noisy birds in the yard. It sounded something like the goldfinches, but was much louder.

Last week, I finally caught sight of what it was…

Juvenile goldfinches! There were two of them – they were old enough to fly, but they were still following Mom and Dad around absolutely screaming for food.

Between my neighbour and I, we have quite the sunflower buffet for them. I spent a good hour watching them, shooting away with my camera

They prefer the more delicate, multi-stemmed sunflowers, and it always amazes me that these little guys can balance on the small stems.

They are absolute little acrobats!

So much fun to watch!

But the goldfinches aren’t the only tiny birds I captured.

This little lady was still fluttering about. And you may be thinking… Hummingbirds still around in October???

In Southern Ontario, Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration begins surprisingly early. Adult males are usually the first to leave, with some departing in late July or early August and most moving south through mid-to-late August. By the end of August, many of the familiar red-throated males have disappeared.

Adult females generally follow from late August into early September. Juveniles remain a little longer, feeding heavily and preparing for their first migration. By mid-to-late September, most local hummingbirds have left Ontario, although juveniles and northern migrants continue passing through. Numbers usually fall quickly during the final week of September.

By early October, it’s the the tail end of the migration. So this little one is probably the last one for the 2026 season. I’m so glad my garden was a stop on the journey