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I was at the trailhead for the Rogue River Greenway the other day and saw some swallows flying around over the river. Then I saw a hummingbird. I thought these species of birds all migrated. But these birds had not. So it got me wondering about why some birds don't migrate with the rest of their flock. Do you know why? — Mildred P., Gold Hill We, the bird nerds in the Since You Asked nest, took your ornithological query to Frank Lang, author and former biology professor at Southern Oregon University, and John Alexander, director of the Klamath Bird Observatory. The consensus is that you might be a bit premature in your assumption that your feathered friends aren't heading south for the winter, Mildred. Maybe they just haven't left yet. Or it could be this is simply the first time you've seen them around this late, suggests Lang. As October hits midstride, we are approaching the tail end of migration for Rogue Valley natives, but many species coming through from farther north are still heading south, he says. Lang had a grand time watching flocks of turkey vultures head off over the Siskiyou Pass recently. Huge flocks, called kettles, of the big birds assembled in the valleys around Ashland. After taking to the skies to find warm air currents, the birds rode the air currents as they gained elevation. Some species of hummingbirds, particularly Annas, do hang around the area year round because people have put out feeders, say Lang and Alexander. And there are several other species of birds that remain year-long residents in the Rogue Valley, Lang adds. "They don't leave because they can make a living through the winter," says Lang. Alexander, who likens migration to "some kind of a miracle," says birders of every level can record sightings on a really neat tool called "ebird." To find out more, see www.ebird.org/klamath-siskiyou. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected]. We're sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.