Even hotter!

The mockingbird came early, followed by blue jays.  Then a rumpled dove visited.  Despite it being 92° we ate lunch outside and I saw a silver spotted skipper.  I think a couple of swallowtails were flitting around the trees but I couldn't get a good look.  The sky was hazy and brushed with thicker clouds.  There were berries already on the hackberry.  A Carolina wren sampled the suet.  

Hot

What with one thing and another I didn't see much yesterday except a mockingbird that posed nicely and a blue jay that didn't.  Today I saw an osprey while driving to Ocean View and an egret on my way back.  I heard a mockingbird in a street tree.  

At home there were white throats, a red bellied woodpecker, blue jays, and a mockingbird.  The mockingbird ate the barkbutter balls K had scattered for a crow.  A white throat took a bath.  The day was very hot -- 88° at lunch.  I forgot to check later but wouldn't be surprised if it was a record.  The National Weather Service reported 90° which tied the record.  The dogwoods finished blooming and there were buds on the roses.  

 

Hazy

The white throats were still with us, packing on the calories for the trip North.   Bluebirds visited the glass dish.  The mockingbird pair were hungry too.  Of course, blue jays came as soon as the dish was refilled.  A Carolina wren popped in for a barkbutter snack.  

I saw a honeybee in an azalea flower.  A few other bees and wasps checked out the flowers as well.  The day was windy so the temperature in the low 80s didn't feel hot.  

 

Mellow day

White throats bathed on a very pleasant, sunny, room temperature day with a light breeze.  Blue jays wanted food and drink.  A mockingbird was bold enough to eat suet while I was near.  The male red belly almost collided with the mockingbird on the way to the suet.  Bluebirds ate the mealworms in the glass dish.  So did a squirrel.  Two doves progressed beyond flirting.  A male downy got some time with the suet.  

In addition to birds, I saw at least three butterflies -- tiger swallowtail, black swallowtail, and something smaller -- and a couple of dragonflies, one perched and one cruising about 18" above the grass.  A queen yellow jacket prowled the mulch looking for a nest site.  A skink panicked and rain right into my sandal.  

The azaleas were at their peak, but insects didn't seem very interested.  The wild cherry's flowers were too high to see details but they looked like spikes of white foam.  The coral honeysuckle was covered with flowers that will feed any hummingbird that arrives before I put the feeder out.  It's probably past time to retire the grape jelly.

Skink

While I was in an online meeting an osprey flew down and tried to catch a fish. Alas, no photo.  

At lunchtime I saw a skink soaking up the sun and staying out of the wind.  

 

Frustrations

I was busy on a phone call without the camera and two tiger swallowtails danced together outside the window for several minutes.  It didn't occur to me to try to use the phone's camera - probably just as well.  The phone camera isn't great for small critters and I might have bollixed the call.  Toward evening, a brown thrasher raided the barkbutter balls and flew off before I had it in focus.  I did get its cousin the mockingbird.  A Carolina wren also posed.  .After a week of below average temperatures, today was warmer and sunny.  

Crow

 There were more birds today.  K continued to tempt the crow with barkbutter balls.  

 A tiger swallowtail flitted among the dogwood flowers but didn't alight.