Warmer

The creek was placid and reflective in the early morning light.  Blue jays got up early for barkbutter balls.  So did a hummer, but for sugar water.  A mockingbird wanted plain water from the ant moat, also barkbutter balls.  Two brown headed nuthatches returned for seeds.  They made a larger chickadee wait for a turn. 

There was a flower on the hibiscus.  I had not expected that bud to open because the insects had bee at it, but it managed despite damage.  But the business parts were working even if the petals were tattered.  The sunflower continued to open center flowers.  The beautyberries were bright magenta.  The polypore looked like bread dough gone wild.  A seedpod on the butterfly milkweed opened. 

Finally I got back in the water.  It was a bit nippy.  One frog sat on the ladder and two more were on the rescue stick.  When I got over to the deep end, I only saw one frog.  It was sitting on the rescue stick so I left it alone.  I fished out two pink and green caterpillars.  An ant decided the first one was dead meat and tried to tug it home.  It was only ten times her size but she got it moving.  The other one was in better shape and I think it was a double-lined prominent moth Lochmaeus bilineata. 

There were two caterpillars on the butterfly milkweed as well.  And I saw a monarch hurry across the yard.  Mainly, I was watching for red spotted purples and they were all around.  One showed great interest in dogwood and wild cherry leaves.  A black swallowtail flitted around me and some snouts dashed between trees. Toward evening a white breasted nuthatch visited the feeder.