I think I could almost do without a calendar these days…at least for tracking the seasons. The birds will tell you most of what you need to know…because they know…when it’s time to leave. Species by species, we watch them depart for parts unknown but most surely they will be warm in the winter. For the hummingbirds, the old male will defend his feeder until his day of departure. Then a female or youngster will take the prized spot and defend it until they leave. And so it will go until the youngsters finally go south too. This process usually all happens in a matter of weeks, and almost always begins on a similar date every year.