Eclipse day

A red-spotted purple flitted around the cherry.  The hummer made frequent visits.  And the male goldfinch came back.

There were lots of butterflies around lunch time.  I saw a monarch several times.  Also a sulphur, black and tiger swallowtails, and smaller skippers and such.  The monarch investigated the yellow birdhouse.  The tiger tried to drink from the hummer feeder and appeared to sip from the orange fungus on the morning glory leaves.

We used a pinhole, a mirror, my fingers waffle-style, dogwood leaves, and passing clouds to view the eclipse.  The mirror failed but the other methods worked.  The clouds were the best and I thought they would just be a problem. 

I rescued a very lively skink that tried to out-swim me.  Then after its photo session, it didn't want to let go of my hand. I saw several more skinks during the afternoon. 

The two argiopes were back at opposite ends of the shoreline.  A female red-backed jumping spider prowled through the violets.  The angle wing katydid perched at the tip of a hibiscus stalk.  There were a few dragonflies but I guess there was less to catch today. 

Something dropped a whole (but pecked) fig in the pool.  A night heron appeared at the edge of the dock, then flew up into the trees.

I thought I was finished for the day, but as dusk turned to night, a barn spider, AKA Charlotte, began an orb web across the patio door. Several slugs, a foolish plume moth, and smaller bugs all clung to the glass.  I believe the web took about two hours.