Cool and sunny

The finches are still congesting feeder traffic but chickadees and nuthatches are managing.  A hummer challenged a cardinal and was ignored.  A Carolina wren hunted on the ground, along with squirrels.  It is not as windy as yesterday. Lots of other birds are singing or chattering - I recognize a jay but not the others. 

Butterflies waited till it warmed up.  So far I've seen tiger swallowtail, a red spotted purple, and a gray hairstreak.  I believe I saw a cicada killer target a hummer.  Given the hummer's size and color, a mistake would be understandable, and would also explain why hummers seem more wary of bees than birds.  However, the insect I'm seeing is more orange than the ones in the link.  Whatever it is, it went for the hummer. 

Today's pool rescue was a cicada.  A skink took an interest even though the insect was twice its size.  Meanwhile, crows ganged up on a red tailed hawk across the creek.  I could see the tail clearly but my photo caught only the crows.  The wind has picked up and the rosemary feeders are struggling against it.  A hairstreak tried to hold its wings open and angled to the sun. 

Late in the day, another hawk, this one with a barred tail, flew into the trees, and probably on across the creek to judge by the cawing.  I couldn't tell if it was a Coopers or a Sharp shin.