Construction zone

The brown thrashers were working on a nest in the camellia outside the kitchen window.  Their strategy is to enter the camellia bush at ground level and hop by stages up to the nest.  The house wrens were still nest building but the bluebird was back interfering.  A grackle prospected in the grass.  The hummer had breakfast and brunch.  An adult skink sauntered across the steps with much tail wagging.  Wasps enjoyed the heat and the swallowtail caterpillars munched rue. The sky had a white matte look but the sunlight was strong.

Work continued on the nests at lunchtime.  A Carolina wren came for what mealworms the squirrel had left.  A heron flew downstream and later an egret fished under the bulkhead.  A skink climbed the bricks.  Several species of polistes paper wasps continued to eat the bench.  The sun was hot.  Somehow I missed the blueberry flowers - little, hard, green berries have formed.  The pinxter flowers and the first rose have bloomed.

When I left downtown this evening the West was flaming and the rest of the sky was streaked with pink.  Swallows or swifts were dancing in the air making high-pitched calls.