Butterflies

A Carolina wren greeted the morning with suet for breakfast.  A downy followed.  The spiders hadn't moved.  The creek was quietly reflective now that the hurricane was gone.  I found three black swallowtail caterpillars and lots of evidence of hornworm feasting on ground cherry leaves, but no sign of the monarch caterpillars. 

There were clouds today but otherwise the morning was as nice as yesterday.  Butterflies thought so.  I saw a tiger swallowtail, a monarch, a dark butterfly that behaved like a red spotted purple and a small, yellow butterfly I think was a sleepy orange.  The name would fit because at noon it was trying to get nectar from a morning glory that had already been pollinated and was closing up.  Only the monarch cooperated with the camera.  

I rescued a small threadwaisted wasp and a bumblebee.  After my swim, a fig beetle sauntered across the patio.  Hummer wars were heating up.  I believe I counted three hummers zipping around preventing each other from drinking.  A male did get a good, long drink.  Wrens came back for more food.  A young cardinal with a dark beak and one crest feather foraged under the feeder.  Then to my surprise, a mockingbird sampled the barkbutter balls.  A titmouse followed. The afternoon  was frequently overcast and more humid.  I spent too much of it in a meeting.