Okay, Now It's Summer

For a true birder, the change of seasons is not marked by the stars, or the gradations of the thermometer, or by the date on the calendar, but by the disappearance and arrival of seasonal species. And for me, the truest start of summer comes when the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds arrive, in earnest. Today was the start of Cary BirdCam summer. I spotted a female hummer at the mainline nectar feeder this afternoon, and that's the magic moment when my mental calendar changes. What finally drew her in is unknown, but she is here, and no doubt has already laid out the territory she will defend with profound aggressiveness. There are several other nectar feeders, each invisible from the others. I expect a couple more birds to staff each one, as has been the case every year. Let high summer commence!