Migrants

There was sunshine but not much blue sky and it was not warm enough to lure me outside.  A bandit-faced yellow rumped warbler paused on its migration to stock up on barkbutter balls.  I believe it must have wintered farther South because it has been weeks since I saw the ones that wintered here.  Anyway, its summer plumage was evident.  The white throats lingered.  

Blue jays, bluebirds, the red belly, and a mockingbird couldn't stay away from the barkbutter balls, even when I covered them with mealworms.  The poor squirrel with the ruined tail came back.  It didn't behave like its tail hurt, as far as I could tell, but it did seem anxious around other squirrels.  

Bright again

Sunshine returned but not warmth.  A cardinal sampled the jelly.  I missed a blue jay and a bluebird but the red belly cooperated.  White throats were still hanging around.  A squirrel had a badly abused tail, probably from a mating competition.  

The female pileated came back for the suet remnant.  Her crest was up, whether because the suet was almost gone or some other reason.  She seemed to freeze for a while on the post so maybe there was a raptor around.  

 

 

 

 

A cabbage white flew despite the wind but that was the only butterfly I saw.   A white breasted nuthatch came for seeds.  

Dank

Rain fell overnight and the day's temperature flatlined in the mid 50s.  A strong breeze made the temperature feel even colder.  Cardinals continued courting.  A bluebird ate seeds.  A brown thrasher tried to get some suet though it was almost gone.  White throats foraged in the wet mulch.  A blue jay was disappointed that the barkbutter balls were covered.  We kept the barkbutter dish covered till lunch because of the chance of morning rain.  

There wasn't any more rain but the day stayed dark.  A bluebird sat on the barkbutter hanger looking sad so K opened it and the bluebird returned immediately.  I saw but didn't get a picture of the red belly going after a seed.  A Carolina wren also prospected for a seed.  

Very pleasant

A crow came looking for a handout but nothing was ready.  It had a feather sticking up.  Then the female pileated arrived and tore up the suet.  A blue jay was only interested in barkbutter balls.  A brown thrasher felt the same.  A Carolina wren was less choosy.  In the afternoon, I spilled the bag of barkbutter balls and a white throat took advantage.  It was late in the day when I finally saw bluebirds.

A yellow jacket queen prospected around the birdbath.  A skink tiptoed across the lower patio but I didn't get a picture.  I also missed a tiger swallowtail, a silver spotted skipper, a red bellied woodpecker, and a mockingbird.  

Nuthatches

The birds slept in but after breakfast they came in a wave.  Two brown headed nuthatches appeared to be courting.  A mockingbird, a bluebird, and a Carolina wren were more interested in eating.  So were the seed feeder trio - chickadee, cardinal, and house finch.  A brown thrasher got away without a photo.  Bluebirds and blue jays were more cooperative.  The male red bellied woodpecker returned.  

I went outside after lunch and saw lots of butterflies.  The black and tiger swallowtails were recognizable but not the brownish orange ones.  I think there were dragonflies as well but I didn't get any pictures of them either.  Wasps worked hard.  Rain started after 2pm but wasn't heavy and didn't last very long.  The pink evening primrose started blooming.  Bud clusters formed on the milkweed.  The beautyberry leafed out.  White throated sparrows were still here but rushing around and hard to capture.  A vulture and an osprey flew over.  

3 caterpillars

A Carolina wren attacked the suet from underneath.  Then a downy woodpecker male did the same thing.   White throats scuttled around.  The wren queued up with blue jays for barkbutter balls.  

Three first instar black swallowtail caterpillars occupied the bolting parsley in K's pot on the front patio.  The caterpillars weren't moving.  I harvested a pepper and admired some green ones.  The pinxter flower, a native deciduous azalea, was blooming as was the false indigo.  The moon was at first quarter.

 

 

Birdhouse

I didn't see anything at breakfast.  At lunch, the male red belly took an interest in barkbuter balls but I missed it, twice.  A mockingbird and a blue jay followed.  White throats ran around the patio.  The house finches got very passionate.  A Carolina wren sampled this and that.  A titmouse had seeds.  A female bluebird had a bath.  And I finally got the red belly.  

The first night heron of the year landed on the dock and promenaded up to the grass where it stepped off to stalk along the spartina.  And I was without the camera because we were hanging the birdhouse.  Later, I saw a heron behind the bushes later but I think it was a great blue heron.  A cabbage white flitted past.  The blue eyed grass bloomed.  

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