Cloudy

The overcast is breaking up now, but the individual clouds look like rainmakers, not thunderheads, or so I hope.  Last night, something knocked over my portulaca pot and generally tossed things around - raccoon?  Finches. a titmouse and a Carolina wren have been on the feeder, and a hummer visited. I don't know why, but the wren goes stiff with its beak pointed up every so often.  It cannot be to look around because its view is blocked by the feeder.

A black swallowtail is hanging around laying eggs and some kind of fritillary is flitting through.  A sulpher investigated the gladiola.   Lots of dragonflies are prowling the air.  The cardinals and chickadees have arrived.  The wren disputed precedence with a cardinal more than twice its size.  A hummer tried to feed on the gladiola again. Later a hummer took alarm at a cardinal on the other feeder.  The hummer kept darting around instead of drinking, and even when it did, it popped back up quickly. 

Then around 5pm the rain finally began.  It has not been heavy but maybe it will keep up long enough to make a difference.  As it began to grow dark, a wet young raccoon sauntered up to the patio and began to rummage in the mulch.  My efforts to photograph it were frustrated by reflections.  When Kathleen turned the light out, it saw me and ran.