Clearing

A titmouse joined the regulars briefly.  An egret was again fishing in the dam spillway but the water was much lower today.  The wind switched over to the North and the cumulus were hightailing it toward Florida.

By mid-morning the day turned lovely, sunny and warm, with a light breeze.  High tide was above the dock and I saw mallards swim across it!  An egret preened and then fished for over an hour as the tide slowly fell. 

I rescued a skink I found rafting on a leaf.  It must weigh very little not to sink a leaf.  At least four large black swallowtail caterpillars were chowing down on the parsley.  A cloudless sulphur flitted by.  I found a tiny buffalo treehopper and a larger stinkbug.  Dragonflies buzzed me and one landed in my hair.  But they preferred perches on the dogwood. While I sat, I moved my foot and a small upset cicada burst out from under me.  This was close to where I found the dead one some days ago. 

The red dogwood berries and purple beauty berries are in full color.  A buzzard circled and I glimpsed an osprey.

In the late afternoon a brown thrasher tasted the beauty berries.  A bird grasshopper landed on the house.  I went down to the dock, which needs repair.  The saltmarsh fleabane is still blooming.  I heard a kingfisher but it didn't wait for me. A mockingbird perched in the redwood and later a blue jay did the same.  A goldfinch ate saltbush seeds.  And then a female wood duck paddled around the creek!