Chilly

The haze continued to block the sun's warmth.  A North wind didn't help.  And the feral cat paid an early visit.  A female bluebird checked out the back yard, then sampled the bark butter.  She was followed by a male downy woodpecker. 

A monarch found the regrowth of leaves on the butterfly milkweed.  It must have laid a dozen eggs.  The poor plant could barely feed one caterpillar.  I also saw a buckeye, several sulphurs, and I think a red spotted purple. 

Skinks dashed around.  One paused to soak up the thin sunlight. A younger skink popped up near the adult and froze.  I thought I saw a white breasted nuthatch, but I definitely saw a brown headed nuthatch on the seed feeder.  Hummers came around but did not like our sugar water.  Carolina wrens seemed to be everywhere.  

A gray hairstreak nectared first on the mountain mint then on the herb mint.  At least four of the huge carpenter bees stuffed themselves on nectar.  A fiery skipper found the asters.  A yellow-legged mud dauber (Sceliphron caementarium) rode a leaf on the water. 

A great egret waited on the dock bench.  The beautyberry was getting visibly purple.