A charm of finches

Charm is supposedly the proper collective noun for finches.  At least eight are chattering away and fussing over the feeder.  Some are still begging from parents as well.  It's hard for a chickadee to get in edgewise but the cardinals just shove everyone off the perch.  A hummer has chased some of the birds.  Titmice came early while there was a gleam of sunlight, but now the sky is dull white and it's all finches.

A squirrel tried to get a share of seeds but the feeder defeated it. I've seen white-spot and one-eye and at least two other squirrels this morning.  A squirrel sat in the dogwood eating berries.  Another climbed the garden hose. 

At noon, titmice rejoined the finches, cardinals and chickadees.  The gill-inspecting wren appeared as did the nuthatch and hummers.  A black swallowtail drifted through.  It is still dull and sunless and cool enough to have windows open.  

Some blue sky appeared in the afternoon along with dark cumulus, but by evening it was back to haze.  The setting sun revealed that the haze was marked by thicker lines of cloud in a pattern like drying mud cracks or the edges where bubbles touch.  Very fractal.