After leading a wonderful crowd through Avalonia's Benedict Benson Preserve on a chilly morning, I returned home to start the woodstove and get some warmth back in my body. While I was sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee, I felt the passage of a small shadow on the other side of the window, and when I looked at the hummingbird feeder, which had been sitting there customer-less for several days, I spotted the first nectar freeloader of the year. As is typical, it was a resplendent male—the guys always arrive back on the ridge first to stake out territories— but barely an hour later, the first arriving female of the year zipped in for an energy drink. This is atypical, and while their arrival is a bit on the early side—they used to show up around May 4th—it's in keeping with recent history in these climate-change days. Welcome back, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and good luck in your nursery endeavors.