Still fairly cool

The sky was mostly cloudy without being completely overcast.  I found two black swallowtail caterpillars on the rue, one older than the other.  An adult black swallowtail enjoyed mountain mint.  The usual wasps were busy.  A blue dasher perched on the cinquefoil near the rue. Earlier I almost bumped into a skimmer on one of the perches. 

A hummer took exception to the presence of a squirrel on the post holding up her feeder.  Meanwhile, crows were screaming about a predator which might explain why the squirrel was pretending to be part of the post.   

Later, I came outside and immediately heard a kingfisher.  Hoping to see it, I nearly stepped on a skink.  A brown headed nuthatch popped up on the feeder hanger and we looked at each other.  I didn't want to scare it off and I think it hoped it was invisible. 

Summer vegetation obscured the lake but I was able to see turtles on their log. I found a small monarch caterpillar on the milkweed in the front yard.  The days of rain washed away the fig crop.  The ripening and rotting figs just disappeared.  There were still green figs, but when they ripen one-by-one, the birds get there first.  A green June beetle walked around on the driveway. 

A female downy woodpecker had bark butter for supper.  K discovered a bean-size crab in the pool and very kindly returned it to the creek. 

The sky cleared somewhat for sunset.  A bar of cloud glowed bright orange in the North.  I saw dragonflies and swallows swooping through the humid air but all I caught was a gull.