Drippy dawn

Either there was light rain or heavy dew overnight which left drops dangling from leaves.  Sometimes the sky had fish-scale clouds and sometimes it cleared.  At times it looked like a storm was coming but then the clouds passed or dissipated. 

A titmouse came for breakfast.  A hummer rejected the feeder juice.  The sunflowers began to unwrap.  The beautyberry and the chaste tree began to bloom while the sakaki was about finished.  Wild cherries were turning red.  Some of the stale barley I tossed out for squirrels germinated and even went to seed. 

An assassin bug nymph walked on me so I took its picture.  I fished a queen ant, a robber fly, and an ichneumon wasp out of the water, but too late for all of them.  I did save other wasps, a zelotes spider, a tiny caterpillar, and beetles, including ground, scarab, and gray sidewalk tiger beetles.  Dragonflies perched all over, though one turned out to be another robber fly.  Blue dashers, a saddlebags, and amberwing, and others I couldn't identify hunted the air over the pool.  

A yellow-kneed wasp found the yellow milkweed, as did a load of aphids.  The stalks were bare, whether from caterpillars or something else, however, seedpods were forming.  A few butterflies appeared, including a cabbage white. The orchard spider was gone from the azalea. I found a large glass snail and an almost microscopic one. Skinks enjoyed the heat. 

Crows chased something over the yard, screaming all the way.  Whatever it was it was the same size as the crows.  Egrets and night herons flew up and down the creek.  A cardinal pair hunted bugs in the grass for their offspring.  I also glimpsed a fledgling.  Blue jays evaded the camera.  Three osprey circled very high up.  A white breasted nuthatch competed with house finches and chickadees at the seed feeder.

Home again

While gone, I saw dragonflies at the airport, a persistent egret that finally caught something in the pond in front of the convention center, an osprey that buzzed me while I trudged on the elevated walkway back from the convention center, a cormorant where the egret usually hunted, and a couple of huge koi that looked to be more than even the osprey could lift.  But I took no pictures.

 Today was lovely but hot and humid.  A very few wispy clouds passed from West to East.  The gladiolus had finished blooming but the orange daylilies were bright. The sunflower that lost its bud a couple of weeks ago responded with a crown of six buds.  A male goldfinch checked into the buds but didn't find anything to eat yet.  A female came a little later.  A Carolina wren came early, but I had not yet refilled the mealworm dish.  It did return later.  A blue jay lurked in the cedar.  I saw a papa cardinal feeding a fledgling in the camellia. 

Dragonflies were everywhere but I only saw a few butterflies, including a brown pair that danced in the air.  Mating saddlebags flew over but didn't stop.  A wandering glider took up a perch.  Later a blue dasher did likewise.  Bees were still working on the lavender.  In the pool I rescued a wasp, a cricket, and several beetles, but not the three Japanese beetles I saw.  A green head fly tried to bite me but my splashing either discouraged her, or maybe I actually drowned the wretched thing.  Several of the small gray tiger beetles scurried across the gray concrete.  I believe I saw mosquitoes laying eggs in a dish of rainwater.  Skinks began darting around the patio early in the day.

In the late afternoon, the male goldfinch returned.  Several doves flew over the yard and later one poked through the mulch.  It was joined by a mockingbird that kept flashing its wings.  A white breasted nuthatch landed on the post but didn't stay. And the day finished in a rosy sunset with fireflies.

Up early

During a hurried breakfast, without the camera handy, I saw a male hummingbird come to the feeder.  It didn't like what it found. I hope K will think to change the juice. 

Summer

In addition to the regulars, a Carolina wren came for breakfast.  Later, as I walked past the window I saw three male goldfinches spiraling up into the air over the feeder.  I had no idea there were that many around.  The sky was cloudy much of the day.

Froggie was back.  As I came down the steps, it shrieked and jumped into the pool.  I think it had been hanging out by the debris bucket to catch flies.  Fledgling Carolina wrens were hopping through the undergrowth.  I saw a tiny, but brightly colored, moth in the grass.  I believe it was a Southern purple mint moth. After lunch, I saw another Carolina wren hunting along the edge of the grass and mulch. 

Right at dusk, several families of geese started grazing near the creek edge.  An adult with goslings that had turned adult colors drove off another family whose goslings were still fuzzy beige, though good sized.  The attacking goose, on the right, actually pushed goslings into the water.  I've never seen rivalry between goose families before, 

Solstice

The longest day began with a fierce sun.  A squirrel fell in the pool.  I heard the splash and looked in time to see it scramble out and shoot up the red cedar where it sat and dripped.  One of the female cardinals also lost her head feathers.  Titmice seemed to be everywhere which suggests a nest-full fledged.  The white breasted nuthatch also visited but kept running into more aggressive birds.  The same thing happened to a downy woodpecker.  The goldfinches showed up separately and the female stayed in the dogwood. 

Dragonflies were out.  Blue dashers used the patio perches while a Carolina saddlebags cruised over the creek.  It finally perched by the neighbors' bug zapper, over a spiderweb.  And in the creek, I saw a jellyfish.  A periwinkle snail was stuck up in the hot sun at the end of a stick in the mud. 

A couple of skinks escaped being photographed. A bluebird appeared at lunchtime.  It was either female or immature without much blue.  It did not notice the mealworms, alas.  

Swallows flew over the pool and I heard a lot of chatter up in the oak.  A hummer visited the feeder in the late afternoon.  I saw a small butterfly, maybe a spring azure or a hairstreak.  While I was tying up the hibiscus stalks, a female pondhawk flew past my legs.

This is the first full moon to coincide with a solstice since 1948, according to National Geographic.  I did not pay attention in 1948. 

Warmer

It was not so windy today.  The male goldfinch was back, alone.  Perhaps the female has begun nesting.  A downy woodpecker visited the feeder, as did titmice.  A grackle wandered around, then tried to eat seeds instead.  It was too heavy, but it frightened off a hummer.  A morning dove foraged under the gladiolus.  A blue jay lurked around the yard and came out into the sunshine for mealworms. 

A skink was up early.  A variegated fritillary butterfly seemed to be laying eggs.  Blue dashers hunted from the perches I put out for dragonflies.

A female towhee appeared while we were eating a late lunch.  She hopped away amazingly fast.  A great blue heron explored the dam outfall and an egret flew North in the blue sky.  The bald cardinal was back. 

When I rescued black ground beetles from the water, two of them bit me.  They couldn't break the skin but the pinch hurt.  So much for gratitude.  I startled a wolf spider into galloping across the surface of the water.  A damselfly had already drowned.  I saw a couple of fireflies keeping a low profile in the daytime.  The orchard spider's web looked all disorganized but the spider hung in there.  The hummer was wary of me but a titmouse was more preoccupied with ignoring its begging offspring.  The blue jay came back for another mealworm snack.  A great crested flycatcher popped around in the cherry. 

Sunny

It was still cool and windy.  Three squirrels wanted breakfast and each had to test the feeder.  A downy woodpecker landed on the post, then left.  A male goldfinch was bold enough to defend the feeder from chickadees and titmice, but not house finches and cardinals. 

A Carolina wren looked for snacks and settled for mealworm soup.  An osprey circled in the sky and an egret fished below the dam. A bar-winged skimmer hunted gnats.  K rehung the clean hummer feeder.  A hummer discovered the fresh juice but also visited the gladiolus. A yellow crowned night heron stalked crabs while the camera was tied up downloading photos. 

When I got home, titmice were still at it and a downy woodpecker visited.  In the pool, a bullfrog was hiding behind the brick.  I tried to get it out but it got away and disappeared.  A damselfly flew away almost as soon as I saw it.  A snail didn't move at all.  As usual, I fished out beetles.  The orchard spider was not moved by yesterday's storm.  Swallows zipped overhead.

Overcast

There was a terrific thunderstorm around midnight even though the sky was clear at sundown yesterday.   Titmice, a white breasted nuthatch, and downy woodpeckers joined the regulars.  A hummer sniffed at the juice so I guess it was past its sell-by.  An egret fished the dam outfall.  A squirrel atop the seed feeder had a terrible itch.  I glimpsed a pine warbler, the first one since Spring warmed up. It seems to me that they most often appear on rainy days. 

After lunch, a yellow crowned night heron stalked along the bank and hopped up onto the dock.  The wind caught its feathers and tossed leaves in my way.  A mist turned to hard rain in the afternoon and the wind made it chilly. And from somewhere a butterscotch-and-cream dog appeared and galloped through the back yard. 

The sky cleared before supper.  A hummer tried the gladiolus flowers.  Four titmice came for seeds, along with the regulars.  A Carolina wren poked through the mulch rather than fish floating mealworms out of the dish.  I think there was activity around the birdhouse.  A slug climbed the window.

Clouds

At breakfast a bald male cardinal showed up.  He was not either of the two that keep chasing each other.  One of the bi-color daylilies survived the trenching and bloomed this morning.

We had rain at lunch.  A punk female cardinal showed up.  A hummer preened in the dogwood.  The orchard spider had not moved. 

Some of the goslings were beginning to show adult color patterns though they were still much smaller.  I heard and then saw swallows hunting above the trees.  There were butterflies, but they were small and not very colorful. 

Toward evening, two titmice came for seeds.  The hummer and the bald cardinal were back.  The sky was clear and dragonflies flew reconnaissance at treetop height.  Surprisingly, the moon helped me photograph them.  On the other hand, trying to photograph the fireflies was futile.

Overcast off-and-on

The hummer got bolder and chased off a female goldfinch.  A lot of birds hung out in the dogwood - downy and red bellied woodpeckers, the goldfinches pair, and a white breasted nuthatch.  All except the red bellied woodpecker visited the seed feeder, along with its regulars.  The red-belly appeared to be a fledgling. 

By lunchtime it was quite hot.  A skipper joined the bees on the lavender.  A blue dasher perched in between hunting forays while other dragonflies zoomed around.  Several great blue herons fished along the creek.  The downy, the hummer, titmice, and the regulars were back at their feeders.  Meanwhile in the front yard, the false indigo was making pods while the crape myrtle had begun blooming. 

In the afternoon, a female widow skimmer also perched on a stake.  Overhead, a saddlebags patrolled. I saw another butterfly I thought was a swallowtail.  I rescued another carpenter bee from the water, along with beetles and something small with a pattern of white triangles that flew off.  Oh, and spiders: wolf spiders and a crab spider, and a  floating dead spider.  There were fewer wasps as the rue was nearly finished blooming but plenty of lavender for the bees.  A hawk rode the afternoon thermals.

After an evening meeting in Norfolk let out, there were sprinkles of rain but they did not follow me home. 

Early birds

The sun shone in a hazy blue sky.  Titmice came for breakfast.  Three male house finches got testy with each other, as did two male cardinals.  Chickadees also fussed, but who knows if they were males.  A white breasted nuthatch also showed up.   A pair of goldfinches came, but spent their visit courting and drinking.  The hummer feeder has become a goldfinch pickup bar.  The hummer waited out the other birds and had a long drink.

A thirsty squirrel climbed into the watering can after looking in the window at me.  An egret fished along the bank.  Big, all-black carpenter bees were looking for nectar, and later I fished one out of the water, along with many beetles.  It swam impressively by vibrating its wings.

A yellow sided skimmer perched high in the dogwood, in a spot the hummer likes.  And I saw an amberwing in the front grass.  The orchard spider was still hanging out in the azalea behind the patio chair. 

On the way home in the evening the sky had pink cloud rays stretching from the southern horizon.  Behind us in the West a cloud burned.  But the sunset was all over when we arrived.

Breezy

A hungry hummer came for breakfast and brunch.  The regulars were briefly joined by a male goldfinch.  A skink was up early.  A bug on the window caught the morning light.

The hummer was back at lunch, and later visited the Mexican sage.

Winged termites were bumbling in the air.  The bees and the wasps continued to feed on the herbs.  A beautiful orb web and its weaver caught the sunlight.  I also saw a black swallowtail, a 12-spotted skimmer and a widow skimmer.  A real swallow squeaked in flight.  A tufted titmouse fed its offspring.  The white breasted nuthatch was bold enough to come to the feeder while I sat nearby.

I missed the first quarter moon last night, but this evening's waxing gibbous made up for it.  Just enough clouds captured the setting sun's light.  Something made ripples in the creek's pink reflections - fish catching bugs?  And then the fireflies came out.

Still hot and windy

At breakfast, the male goldfinch brought the female.  The gladiolus began blooming and a hummer investigated.  K rehung the clean fresh hummer feeder but I didn't see any action.  A skipper landed on the window frame. 

Clouds obscured the sun for much of the afternoon.  While I was in the pool, a little green heron stalked along the metal bulkhead.  Then it flew over to our floating dock where it was out of sight.  I rescued beetles and wasps and one spider from the water.  I did not rescue a couple of roaches.  Bees and wasps fought the wind to reach the lavender and rue.  A hummer found the feeder.  Other than that, all I saw were cardinals.  Raindrops started falling around 5pm and I heard rumbles of thunder.

The sun returned around 6pm. A half dozen geese grazed on marsh grass while an egret did the balancing trick on the channel marker.  Dragonflies chased the bugs the rain brought out.

Sunset was colorful with tangerine cumulus clouds on the horizon. 

Warmer

The male goldfinch was back for breakfast, but he didn't eat any seeds.  Cardinals and chickadees visited and a couple of chickadees got into an aerial battle.  A crane fly on the glass caught the sun.

When I got back, it was past the middle of the afternoon and it was HOT.  I got into the pool where I rescued the usual beetles, and with some trepidation, wasps and spiders.  I heard birds but didn't see any but the ubiquitous cardinals and chickadees.

The wasps stayed busy with rue and the bees with lavender.  I watched a video on bees and wasps a couple of days ago that said all bees feed their larva pollen but wasps feed theirs meat.  Maybe the lavender offers more pollen than rue?

The moon was overhead around 6pm.  Wind was whipping the tops of the oak trees and making the heat tolerable. 

More sunshine

Another gorgeous June day.  At breakfast I saw a male goldfinch, titmice, and a Carolina wren I think may have been a fledgling.  The male cardinals continued to compete.  A crane fly rested on the door screen.

While I was out, I saw a blue jay and a grackle down the street, and an osprey over Bayville Park.  As I pulled into the driveway, a male widow skimmer landed on the trellis beside the lantana.

During lunch, a much tidier wren visited the mealworm feeder.  A skink wiggled its long blue tail as it poured itself into a crack, then popped out and raced off.

The way to see wonderful things is to be in the pool and without a camera.  I came upon a little brown damselfly and a tiger swallowtail flew over me.  Yet another little glass snail was bobbing in the water.  So were many beetles.  Then I saw a brown thrasher hopping up and down.  I swam closer, it flew off, and the black rat snake it had been harassing looked at me, turned and flowed down hill.  After I got out, nothing. Well, later I saw a great egret standing where the water was too deep for that to be possible.  It had perched on one of the channel markers and sunk it. 

Toward evening, a school of small fish made waves in the creek.  A lacewing came fluttering up to the patio.  A hummer turned up its beak at the feeder.  A house wren visited the birdhouse.  A male cardinal sang from high in the oak and a chickadee was bold enough to join our company.

Sunny

A Carolina wren looked at the mealworms but was startled off.  A hummer got breakfast, as did the usual seed feeder species.  The temperature was pleasant enough to have the window open. 

A skink with a long, wiggly blue tail scampered across the step and into a crack at lunchtime.  Egrets flew downstream.  Then I left for a meeting.  Both coming and going, I saw an occupant in the Lake Smith osprey platform. 

When I got home it was quite breezy.  I saw cardinals and chickadees and a male house finch.  Something serenaded us for a while, maybe the finch?  Crows flew over.  The bumblebee was back on the lavender and black-and-white wasps on the rue. 

Windy

It was much cooler and less humid after the rain last night.  But the sun was bright with just fluffy cumulus clouds passing East.  The wind kept a lot of birds and bugs grounded.  Not the hummers, of course, or the seed feeder trio.  The cardinals were still courting, and the males still fighting.  A parent downy woodpecker was feeding a fledgling.

I saw a wren visit the birdhouse.  A little green heron stood on the dock until I lifted the camera.  A great egret flew over and another fished below the dam.  A real bumblebee visited the lavender and I rescued a honeybee from the water.  Many wasps worked on the rue.  A spider visited the bathroom!  Another left an orb under the arm of an outdoor chair.

Rain early and late

The regulars came to breakfast anyway.  One chickadee followed another around, to its annoyance.  Hummers dodged the raindrops.  At one point, one chased another away.  And I thought I glimpsed a male, but maybe not.

The sun came out mid morning.  After lunch, two families of geese with nearly a dozen goslings camped out in the redwood shade.  But then some started to move uphill toward the freshly cleaned pool.

In the late afternoon things got lively around the feeders.  A downy woodpecker, a parent and  fledgling titmice, and the white breasted nuthatch joined the regulars.  The woodpecker seemed to have precedence.  Hummers came too and a wren hopped around.

The evening clouds were very dramatic and a little scary. Fireflies took advantage of the twilight before the rain.