Hot and sticky

The hummer visited frequently.  I could hear the nesting brown thrashers and see the house wrens.  The caterpillars on the rue mostly disappeared. The storm made a big change in the plants, finishing the azaleas and starting the roses, pushing the hibiscus up and germinating the moonflower. 

After lunch, an egret stalked along the bulkhead.  An osprey cruised over the creek.  Geese invaded the yard.  A great crested flycatcher hung out in the beautyberry. Several skinks dashed around.

I went for a swim but was driven inside by a biting fly, not a greenhead but a small, triangular, black fly.  I killed one, then another popped up in my face and I gave up.  I didn't think it was a deer fly, but I can't find an ID for anything smaller.  Afternoon clouds looked like a summer thunderstorm but nothing came of it.  Sunset was a golden blaze again.  The official high temperature was 90°F, two degrees short of the record.