A different caterpillar

Last night was still cool but the day warmed up into the 80s, at last.  The creek was a sunny mirror at breakfast, but that didn't last once the wind started up.  One of the male cardinals was going bald.  That reminded me of Rosemary Mosco's cartoon.  A Carolina wren worked at the suet.  

A wasp performed jumping jacks on the window at lunch.   Perhaps it was newly emerged and pumping up its wings?  I rescued two more skinks but, thankfully, no more cicada killers. A variegated fritillary caterpillar was hiking across the hot concrete.  I scooped it up with a gladiolus leaf to move it to a better location.  It was dark red with black bristles.  

A red spotted purple flew past but didn't land where I could see it.  I checked on the monarch and swallowtail caterpillars but only saw a couple of each.  The spiders were hiding too.  A wasp with a doomed grub climbed the railing, maybe to have more height for takeoff with such a burden.  Then another skink crossed in front of me.  Maybe it was the same as the one yesterday with the purplish tail.