Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Argiope

The fledgling bluebirds woke up with an appetite.  A Carolina wren was right behind.  A pine warbler and a goldfinch competed for the yellow ribbon.  The not-bald cardinal showed up.  I wonder which fathered the fledgling I saw, but since the parent is no longer feeding the fledgling, I cannot tell.  Still, the fledgling popped up right after the adult. 

I decided to pick figs before it got hot.  A mushroom opened in the moss under the fig.  An argiope built a web in the fig on the North side.  I tried to photograph the wasps and the birds eating figs but they did not cooperate.  Meanwhile the mosquitoes had a feast.  I also picked blueberries, probably the last for this year.  A black swallowtail took an interest in the rue.  A big beetle landed in the mountain mint among all the usual Hymenoptera feeding there.  I saw a skink sidle along the retaining wall.

An adult mockingbird tucked into the mealworms.  One of the bluebird fledglings figured out how to feed itself.  But it still watched its parents hopefully.  The other fledgling was more speckled and perhaps younger.  A molting titmouse wanted seeds.  A hummer came to the feeder as I sat beside it.  She didn't like my presence and I didn't dare move the camera. 

Toward evening, a cormorant dried out on the back of the dock bench.  Fish jumped in the background. 


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