It’s still pleasant on the deck at 8 a.m. as I watch the locals begin their day. Sparrows hop on and off the feeder, leaving it swinging slightly with their featherweight hops. 

A downy woodpecker clings to a post, and a bluebird lands on the deck railing, sees me and flies away. 

Now that the coneflowers have gone to seed the goldfinches have arrived. They enjoy the zinnias, too, which are still plentiful enough for cutting. 

From the neighbor’s yard, I hear bluejays screeching and crows cawing. And in the tangle of rose branches above my head, a chickadee calls, as if to say, don’t forget about me.

All that’s missing is the whir of a hummingbird’s wing. 

I’m waiting.