Storm in the night

It left debris but not much water.  A black swallowtail was laying eggs everywhere.  A Carolina wren tussled for space at the feeder with a flock of finches.  Squirrels are busy.

At lunch the butterfly was still at it.  A hummer appeared with something yellow dangling below it.   It got rid of whatever it was. 

Hibiscus in bloom

I refilled the hummer feeder.  It is already very hot.  I thought maybe the hibiscus was early, but it was in bloom on June 30 last year.  However, last year the gladiola was still blooming.

The hummer seems pleased with the refill.  It got very hot and still.  The wren is still busy with the birdhouse.  A dove dropped by.

Three squirrels puttered around the feeder.  A hummer came early to feed and then I saw it or another over by the camellia, backlit by the rising sun.  A mallard and her duckling got in the pool and of course the little one had a hard time getting out.  No wonder she has only one left.  The ducklings hatched much later than the geese.

In the afternoon a bluebird found a shady perch up in the oak.  A wren maintained a vigil over the birdhouse.  You have to look between the leaves to see it.  And the hibiscus is about to bloom.  The temperature is high but there's a breeze and it doesn't feel sticky.  A mangy-looking cardinal came to the feeder.  I saw this last summer but I don't know if this is normal molting or feather mites or...?

Ripe blueberries

Nice breakfast.  It is still mild this morning and birds are singing.  A cardinal checked to see that the feeder is refilled. Even after noon there's a light breeze.  A skipper is working on the lavender.  Hummers, cardinals and finches on their respective feeders.  Lots of doves - one perched on the grille.  Lots of crows too and I hear blue jays.

A palamedes swallowtail passed through.  Late afternoon, a spotted wing and a gold striped and a saddlebags dragonfly each patrolled airspace.  The one with spots drove off the saddlebags.  A chickadee that made a very buzzy call picked bugs out of the well in the center of the hummingbird feeder - a fledgling?  The first quarter moon is high in the cloudless afternoon sky.

While I ate supper, two rabbits showed up.  A flycatcher hung around the birdhouse for a while.  Then the fireflies came out.

Home to a hummer

Did you miss me?  I saw nothing of interest while I was gone.  But when I came in the house, there was a hummer at the feeder.  The other feeder was empty.  I am very glad to be back.

Scorching solstice

The seed feeder was empty and the sugar-water needed to be changed.  So all is now fresh and there's some spilled seed to amuse the ground feeders.  A blue jay stopped by before I refilled.  A robin crashed into a window but flew off.  A dragonfly is using the perch I set out for such.  It has already reached 90 in the shade. The portulaca has begun to bloom and the gladiola is finished.

Wet and cloudy

Early morning drizzle left leaves dripping but put no water in the birdbath.  Cardinals and finches are still tussling over the feeder.  A hummer visited.

At lunch the skink ambled around the patio.  The chaste tree is blooming.  There have been buds on the sakaki bush for weeks but they haven't opened.  The gardenias are still perfuming the yard.  

Warming up

After a week of cold winds out of the Northeast we are reverting to normal June temperatures.  The feeder was full of cardinals and finches.  They all seem rather crabby this week.  The stress of parenting fledglings?

By noon it clouded over.  The hummer visited as did a Carolina wren.  A mallard got her five ducklings stuck in the pool.  Someone's baby bird, not yet fledged is sitting on the patio, mostly sleeping.  It has a seed-cracking beak and it's as big as a finch already, but still downy.  Are cardinals so colorless at this age? 

Broken overcast

The wind has finally dropped to a breeze.  The sun occasionally gets through between the clouds.  Four squirrels and a towhee were working on the mulch.  Titmice, cardinals, and finches were on the feeder.  The hummer came but a finch that couldn't get a place at the seed feeder landed on the other feeder and startled the hummer away.  Despite this being Father's Day, the male finches got pushed off the feeder most often.  And it became clear that four finches is one too many.  Apparently four finches weigh two cardinals or one blue jay. 

At lunch, the goldfinch pair visited.  The male was all over around the feeders, even perched on the hummer feeder, but not feeding at the seed feeder.  Then they regrouped in the dogwood by the birdhouse.  I don't think they cared about the birdhouse but the wren was upset.  The female pulled something light and papery off the dogwood.  Then they left.  Meanwhile a female house finch was feeding a fledgling down on the patio. Doves also visited.  It's still mostly a gray day.

Sunny

The young squirrels continue their antics.  Cardinals and finches tussle over the feeder. Sometimes the finches wait on the roof for a turn at the feeder. In a quiet moment two titmice perched on it - almost always it is one alone.  It is still windy but somewhat less so and there's no cloud cover this morning.  The hummer came to drink repeatedly.  I saw the tiger swallowtail and an orange butterfly but no dragonflies.  A blue tail skink ran across the patio.

Cool and cloudy

The clouds are still rolling out of the Northeast but the wind isn't nearly as strong today.  It is cool and damp and breezy with intermittent sun.  A big carpenter bee is working on the lavender.  I can smell the gardenias.  Finches and cardinals are busy.  A brown thrasher passed through. This spring's squirrels continue to try new things.  Here's "Look Ma, no hands!" 

Gusty

Heavy, dark, wet clouds are moving through.  It rained briefly.  Gusts of wind whip the trees and birdhouse.  I should have put a weight on the birdhouse, I think.  A half dozen house finches, or more, mobbed the feeder.  I saw six at one time that had no red male feathers, then another wave with some males showed up.  I think some are this year's hatching and not necessarily female.  They were quite contentious about a place on the perch, even driving off a cardinal.  Midair battles and unlikely perching spots ensued.  A Carolina wren landed on my flip-flops.  Squirrels on the ground ignored the finch frenzy.

The wind out of the Northeast has dispersed the clouds.  A tiger swallowtail stayed close to the trees.  The house wren is singing and the finches and cardinals are out in the wind.  Clouds are moving so fast that their shadows strobe across the ground.

Now the clouds are gone and the wind is a bit chilly.  The creek is very high  - the floating dock is higher than the fixed dock.  Waves are flowing upstream.  A brown thrasher joined a squirrel under the feeder.  A hummer came by but flew off at the sight of me.  The chickadees, finches and cardinals are bad tempered and poke their beaks at each other on the feeder perch. 

Gloomy sky

Still overcast after yesterday's rain.  Lots of house finches and squirrels. At mid-morning, the cloud cover is breaking up and moving off to the West.

By noon, it was sunny and windy.  The skink ventured out.  I saw a tiger swallowtail and a black butterfly.  Doves and a brown thrasher joined the feeder party.  A squirrel perched in the flowerpot.

Toward evening a hummer investigated the gladiolas, but I alarmed it getting the camera.   The sky was smeared with flat clouds that blurred the sinking sun.  A large darner dragonfly cruised the yard. 

Goldfinches!

A pair showed up at breakfast.  I think they may be eating green dogwood berries.  Also a brown thrasher and a brown headed cowbird foraged in the mulch under the feeder.  The thrasher chased off the cowbird.  About six house finches swarmed the feeder.  Cardinals, titmice, and chickadees also visited.  It is overcast with a wet mist in the air.  Chairs are wet too, but if it rained overnight it was not enough to fill the birdbath.

Rain at lunchtime.

More heat

Busy birds and squirrels. The cardinals are even closer to gladiola color than the house finches, but I couldn't get a cardinal to pose.  A Japanese beetle did pose on the bricks but I didn't realize that's what it was till I looked at the photo.  A dragonfly paused too briefly for me to get the camera up.  An osprey circled in the distance.  I can hear little green herons croaking. The gardenia bush smells wonderful even out of sight. 

After lunch, a skink flowed past along the timber retaining wall.  A male eastern pondhawk dragonfly used the perch I set out.  A tiger swallowtail flitted through the trees.  They seem to stay high now that the yard is more open. The wren continued to sing and a bluebird passed through. The lawn care staff next door rousted a rabbit who came hopping alongside the pool.  It is very hot with the usual afternoon pile up of cumulus clouds in the West..  A blue jay and a brown thrasher peeked around the corner of the house and flew off.  Then a young rabbit did the same and hop-walked right past me..  There are a lot of young animals out for the first time and less wary than they should be.  However, I have not seen a hummingbird today.

Hot sun

Fresh food has drawn everyone back - doves and squirrels, cardinals, finches titmice, and chickadees.  I also saw a brown thrasher in the mulch.  When I refilled the hummingbird feeder, I discovered that a spider has taken up residence in one of the hollow tubes that provide support for the dish.  I hope it catches many bugs there!  This morning at least four mallard drakes were determined to swim in the pool.  One even tried the birdbath.  The blue jay is staying in the shade.

I got some nice photos of  the wrens that took over the birdhouse.  A very pregnant squirrel scared off a curious juvenile squirrel.  The youngster then climbed up to the seed feeder, jumped on, and the swinging feeder scared it so much that it peed all over the roof.  The hummer is happy. 

Down in the creek, I saw a jellyfish.  An amberwing was being annoyed by a red damselfly.  A dragonfly with spotted wings flew across the creek but never came back. Looking back at the house, I saw a pair of bluebirds.  They flew off across the creek.  Two little green herons prospected along the bulkhead, then one chased the other and both flew off. Something fairly large swam purposefully toward the dock, apparently saw me, and circled around, but never came up for air.

Goose invasion

About six adults and about ten goslings at various ages attempted to sneak past me to the pool.  I have made it clear they are welcome to feed by the creek but not up where I may step on their little green tootsie-rolls.  Geese often merge their goslings into nursery groups.  And I think the two adults in the photo may actually be young helpers -  their tail feathers show more white. It is impossible to get the whole group into one photo.

The wren is singing away near the birdhouse.  The hummer saw the bees on the lavender and tried it herself.  Nah.  Back to the feeder.  I need to change the sugar water again - something is swimming in it.  Not to mention refilling the seed feeder.  Nobody comes to visit if I don't put out breakfast.  I did see a very pale cardinal, but maybe it was just the angle of light.

OK, now the seed feeder is full.  A skink (with a tail) scurried across the steps.  It is really hot already.  A dragonfly perched on the lavender - a great photo-op, but it left before I could fumble up my camera.  That's because I had my hands full of hose for chasing off the geese, again.  The cardinals are the first to discover the refilled feeder.  Papa is suspicious whether there is seed yet. A cicada is definitely buzzing in the trees.

This evening cloud wisps turned from butter-cream to rose-lavender.  A smaller Carolina wren poked around the mulch.  (The bird house is taken by house wrens.)  I hear tree crickets and see fireflies.  Large darner dragonflies are on the prowl and Kathleen says she saw a bat. 

Tall ship on creek

A dredging barge with tall mast-like posts slowly motored downstream a little after 8am.  Not as pretty as the OP-Sail tall ships, it left a nasty wake of churned mud.  The seed feeder is completely empty and so is my cupboard.  Squirrels nosed about but the birds deserted.  The wren still sings by the birdhouse and the hummer is happy with its feeder.

When I came home toward evening a pair of brown thrashers were having a merry time in the mulch under the pecan.  The mid afternoon clouds dissipated and several herons flew past.  A firefly landed on the door, the first I've seen for a couple of weeks.

Last room temperature day

This week has been cool, partly because of rain, but it is warming now.  The sky is crystal blue and the sun feels intense.  There is only light air movement and the creek is a mirror.  A blue jay and a grackle visited the feeder, both perching on the side to keep from tripping the counterweight.  The grackle was still too heavy.  I don't know why the jay didn't stay.  The hummer visited the gladiolas but it clearly prefers the feeder.   The wren is singing away on a branch near the birdhouse.

Curiously few dragonflies are around and just cabbage butterflies.  Down on the dock, I saw several egrets, a cormorant, and a little green heron.  An eating size crab nibbled on a piling.  Thunderheads are building in the West but the rest of the sky is blue.  And, I thought I heard a cicada.  Is that possible in early June? 

Still cool

The temperature dropped with the last couple of days of overcast.  There is sun but also cloud cover over much of the early morning sky.  The female towhee came this morning along with cardinals finches, titmice and doves.  The birdhouse tenant is back redecorating.  It perched on a dead twig in the dogwood and sang at lunch. 


There is a grackle without a tail feeding a fledgling who has a tail.  It's the darker bird on the left.  The lack of tail is very obvious when it flies, but very hard to photograph.

Heavy dark overcast

The male towhee was checking out the wet mulch.  I see it most often after rain.  Cardinals and finches on the feeder.  A brown thrasher is up in the dogwood.  It looks like rain but so far, none has fallen. Now a hairy woodpecker is in the dogwood and the brown thrasher is down under the feeder.  The thrasher rises up and then hammers down with its beak.  Is it breaking open a seed or killing a bug?  A sparrow is hanging around in the background - I think it's a white throat. I have not seen any activity at the birdhouse.  Sticks are visible in the entry. 

Sun and clouds

A brown thrasher poked around under the feeder along with squirrels.  Three male finches contended for the perch.  Strangely, last night's downpour did not fill the birdbath.  It was short but there was a lot of water on the roads.  The nearly full moon lit the clouds with drama as they moved on. 

At noon the tail-less skink came out.  Some very young squirrels investigated the feeder.  The titmice are getting bolder and will come even when I am outside.  Several dragonflies , a black swallowtail, and a huge black bee flew around. 

And then the clouds built up and rained again while I was out.  Afterward, the sun made beams through the cloud rents, but the camera could not seem to see them.  Now I hear thunder. And a downpour with hail ensued. 

Rare June day

The temperature is perfect and the air is clear.  The creek reflects the flotilla of geese.  Four squirrels got into everything including flowerpots.  The finches and the cardinals are playing king-of-the-mountain on the feeder and the finches are winning.  A mallard drake came up the steps to investigate.  House furnishing continues unabated. A towhee stopped in briefly. 

Day lilies are blooming

Heavy overnight rain swelled the buds.  The gladiola is also budding.  A dove sat on the feeder again.  Cardinals and finches showed up and I hear the wrens.  Everything is very wet and a gust of wind made the trees rain.  The clouds are streaming off to the Northeast. Periods of sun are alternating with overcast.

The wrens are struggling to stuff grass and twigs into the birdhouse.  An osprey circled.  A Halloween pennant dragonfly nestled in the rosemary.

Nesting or just playing

The wrens are giving the birdhouse a thorough going over.  Unfortunately, I cannot persuade my camera to focus on the house - the feeder keeps intruding.  Some brown-headed cowbirds showed up this morning but didn't stay long.  A dove was also in evidence.  The usual suspects hit the feeder.  A finch pair ejected a single male.

At lunch, a tiger swallowtail and a skink without a tail.  The wrens continue to work on the birdhouse. Sitting outside, I was able to persuade the camera to focus.  The wrens are definitely moving the furniture in.  Another finch kept possession of the feeder despite a cardinal.  I heard a woodpecker calling. 

By late afternoon, heavy clouds were rolling up from the South with a spatter of rain and high wind gusts.  I hope the wind does not discourage the wrens - it is tossing the birdhouse around.