Yellow crowned night herons

The wind finally shifted around to the West and blew cumulus clouds out to the Atlantic.  In between the clouds, the sunshine felt strong.   Again, a Carolina wren was the early bird, seeking suet to start the day.  A blue jay was disappointed to find only crumbs.  A fledgling bluebird landed on the seed feeder but didn't partake.  A second wren joined the first.  Then a red bellied woodpecker wanted suet.  

To avoid a possible afternoon storm, I swam in the morning.  But first, I went looking for the horntail caterpillar and found a skink instead.  Also, yet another Argiope, this one still at the striped leg stage.  A red spotted purple butterfly floated near me as I swam and it rested on the volunteer redbud.  Of course when I got out it was gone.  In the afternoon, I saw a buckeye, a tiger swallowtail, and two monarchs.  A great blue skimmer and a blue dasher were the only dragonflies.  A skink hiked up the brick wall of the house.  It amazes me that their little legs are so strong and so fast. 

After lunch, hummers visited their feeder.  I think one also visited the roses at the bottom of the hill.  A cranky, molting crow paced the roof and scared the songbirds off the feeders.  When they flew back, a white breasted nuthatch landed under the suet.  After It had enough, it moved to the seeds.  Young titmice tried everything.  Blue jays discovered I'd added fresh barkbutter balls to the dish.  The juvenile cardinal discovered wild cherries.  I glimpsed a mockingbird in the dogwood.  It was probably after either dogwood berries or wild cherries.  A great crested flycatcher was mostly hidden by leaves.  

Then a yellow crowned night heron landed in the redwood.  It bounced in and out of view and it wasn't till they flew off that I realized I'd been seeing two of them, just never at the same moment.   Rain fell in the afternoon and left the air very humid.