Caterpillars

Thin, high clouds reduced the warmth of the sun and the breeze felt cold.  I found one missing spider.  It had just moved upward a couple of feet.  The Argiope by the rosebush enlarged its web.  I occurred to me that for several weeks I haven't seen any of the mama spiders that walk on water.  Nor have I seen much in the way of web-building spiders except these yellow garden spiders.  All five monarch caterpillars and one black swallowtail caterpillar were still present.  The monarchs were still eating but the swallowtail was motionless.  The chrysalis had not yet opened.  

Between the dogwood and the beautyberry there was plenty for birds to eat but I didn't see any doing so.  In fact, the only birds I noticed were two flying fast upstream as they glinted silver in the sunlight.  I don't know what they were.  My only water rescue was an assassin bug nymph.  Two red spotted purples hung around the pool.