Skink

There was some sun but, all in all, it was mostly gray.  The pileated pair discovered that there was suet again.  As usual, he got his first.  A blue jay used to post to check out the menu.  I saw three butterflies again, a black swallowtail, a monarch, and a red spotted purple.  I was guessing based on their behavior as only the monarch stopped and it was out of focus.  And I found some very tiny caterpillars on the rue.  A female great blue skimmer dragonfly took up a guard post but didn't stay.  

 A young skink was swimming in the pool skimmer but reluctant to be rescued.    After I did catch it, the lizard rode my hand out of the pool and over to my camera.  I've learned the camera cannot focus on my hand so I had to put the skink down and hope it wouldn't run off immediately.  Graciously, it paused.  I didn't see anything else but leaves in the water.  Plenty of mosquitoes hung around just above the surface.  Later, a different, older skink crossed the step.  

While I was photographing hummers a fine drizzle fell.  I covered the camera with the washcloth that I'd been using to dry my hands after swimming.  That worked, but it probably looked ridiculous..  But who cares -- I got the male's ruby throat!   I was surprised that the female waited and didn't drive off the male.