September's end

A Carolina wren came to the feeder first this morning. The creek looks polished but the reflection has a slight ripple.  There's a light breeze and there are clouds but the sun is bright. 

At lunch the song sparrow emerged.  And the sun went away. I checked the feeder because so few birds were coming, but it is full.  The breeze has picked up and without the sun, it's chilly.

By mid-afternoon the sun was back.  A katydid lurked on a pea leaf that was too dark for camouflage. But, since this species comes in pink and orange as well as green, perhaps it doesn't know any better. 

Fox came out one cloudy morn

K and I remembered different parts of the song. At any rate, not one but two foxes paraded across the yard this morning under an overcast sky.  I think they are the juveniles from next door.  I thought the fox family had left the area but perhaps the young ones felt like a visit?  After they left, the song sparrow emerged. 

The Northeast wind is still pushing the clouds and making occasional rifts for the sun.  Low, dark clouds are sliding past higher, brighter cumulus.  Chickadees and titmice have been visiting the feeder. 

The sky cleared around the time the sun was overhead, and a Carolina wren came for lunch.  A red spotted purple paused on the peavine, but not long enough.  A couple of mockingbirds had a fight over the berry territory.  An egret passed on its way upstream.  It is quite windy now. 

Almost a Nor'easter

Today was the second day of wind and clouds out of the Northeast.  I spent the day out of town but returned for the evening cormorant commute.  The three regulars visited the feeder while the cormorants flew every which way against a dramatic backdrop. 

Golden dawn

The rising sun turned the tops of the pines to gold but left the clouds dark as smoke.  Now the world has returned to normal with green pines and white clouds on a blue sky.  K rehung the cleaned hummer feeder.  That's the last of the sugar water, so I think I'll put it away after this is gone. 

Doves joined the regulars this morning. Later, Carolina wrens arrived.  A buzzard circled.

In the afternoon, I saw a red spotted purple.  The sparrow tried out the feeder, first time I've seen a song sparrow do that.  Dogwood leaves are falling fast. 

Clouds and sun

A song sparrow and a Carolina wren joined the regulars for breakfast.  There are lots of clouds but the sun is finding breaks.  K said one of the squirrels appeared to be injured. 

Now that I've see the squirrel, I think it's a bad itch of some sort.  The poor squirrel was scratching and biting its shoulder. 

Meanwhile, we were flooded with doves, one of which has a white tail.  The song sparrow is still foraging under the peavine.  A titmouse visited the feeder.  Blue jays are up in the trees.  A woodpecker hid in the wild cherry - a hairy or a sapsucker.  A flicker perched high in the sweet gum. 


A tiger swallowtail fooled me with its convincing imitation of a leaf drifting on the breeze. Mid-afternoon, a black swallow took an interest in the rue. 

Still summery

A bumblebee was an early visitor to the morning glories.  Cardinals, chickadees and titmice visited the feeder.  I heard jays and a pileated woodpecker but could not see them. The clouds are streaky to the North, frothy overhead and fluffy to the South, kind of a gradation from cirrus to cumulus. 

A thirsty male finch showed up at lunch.  Later the song sparrow and a mockingbird appeared.  A couple of great blue herons flew up stream and then one-by-one returned.  A buzzard circled. There are honeybees on the rosemary and beetles rafting on leaves in the water.  It is hot in the sun but chilly in the shade. A green pondhawk drank from the pool. 

Early birds!

I looked up from my cereal and the feeder post was covered with birds.  I reached for the camera and they all flew away.  In addition to the usuals, there were titmice and a woodpecker.  I think it may have been a sapsucker as it had some red but was smaller than a red-bellied.  Two doves landed on the railing and a blue jay attempted to join them.  A tiny wren rushed under the rosemary.  I think there may be two song sparrows now.  The sun is bright on the glassy creek. 

Now, at 9, there are dark clouds building on the Northern horizon. Cormorants, gulls, and an egret are using the wind.  A skein of geese passed overhead,  And a hummer visited the feeder.

Before noon, the sky cleared and it has been gorgeous.  Lots of dragonflies in parking lots, seduced by cars reflecting light like water.  Speaking of water, the pool is down to 70 degrees and full of leaves.  Chilly!  But an eagle circled very high up in the clear blue.