Heat wave

I saw 91° on the thermometer.  The tiny butterfly I'm guessing was a spring azure tas back to torment me.  So was a cabbage white.  

 

Butterflies

A black swallowtail landed on the Solomon's seal, but didn't give me quite enough time for a photo.  The usual cabbage white mad the rounds.  What I thought was a painted lady landed on the nandina in an awkward spot I couldn't get in focus.  

A pair of mallards found the pool.  I yelled at them but when K shook the pool net at them they left.  Meanwhile, a crow landed, hopped down to the top step and had a drink not ten feed from me.  Clearly those birds do not see me as much of a threat.  

The brown thrasher pair and a mockingbird were lured back for barkbutter balls.  

 

Crow bath

The male red bellied woodpecker clung to the glass dish in order to eat barkbutter balls.  The brown thrasher pair returned for the same reason.  A mockingbird dodged my camera but a blue jay ignored me.  The cardinals were still courting.  A goose family promenaded down the neighbors' back yard.  

The pool was opened today and the first one in was K's crow.  The bird stood on the top step and took a bath.  Milkweed flowers looked ready to pop open.   The little butterfly seemed to be circling the house because I always saw it headed in the same direction.  

 

Surprise shower

There was a little rain before I got up, but it dried and sunshine mixed with clouds.  A white breasted nuthatch, a mockingbird, and a red bellied woodpecker all escaped the camera.  A brown thrasher took its time and I took its picture.   A female bluebird made frequent visits.  (I still haven't seen any activity at the bluebird house.)  The squirrel was eating peppered suet again.  A titmouse got some seeds.  

One of the brown thrashers noticed the barkbutter balls that K put on the patio for the crow.   A blue jay found the dish feeder empty.  A crow swooped down on the barkbutter balls, scattering the other birds.  It wasn't greedy and a cardinal noticed there were some left.  

The surprise shower came after lunch.  The wind gusted and the sky darkened.  Rain streaked the North windows for about ten minutes.  Then the sun returned, accompanied by a bluebird.  A blue jay was close behind.  The red belly returned and this time I was lucky.  

Nuthatch

The sunshine was intermittent as there were a lot of clouds.  Some wind gusts flung the birdhouse around enough to addle eggs.  Today K tempted the crow with a buffet of seeds and barkbuter balls.  Both were found to be acceptable.  This particular crow had a noticeable beard.  I was whining about how little I had seen all day when a white breasted nuthatch kindly let me take some pictures.  A blue jay and a bluebird were in too much of a hurry.  

 

Pair of brown thrashers

A pair of brown thrashers visited several times on a lovely, sunlit day.  Despite the clear, blue sky, the temperature barely cleared 70° .  The breeze grew gusty at times.  A blue jay noticed noticed the barkbutter balls.  A bluebird ate seeds which were nearly empty.  The red belly fussed because I was too close to the seed feeder but a titmouse didn't care.  

At lunch, I spotted a tiger swallowtail resting on a dogwood twig.  It was right under the wild cherry so it might have been freshly emerged from a chrysalis.  Or it might just have been tired from laying eggs.  Eventually it took off.  

 

Cold

The day was gray and chilly with at least one shower and a fierce wind gust.  I saw all three woodpeckers at different times.  The female pileated was first, midway the red belly sneaked in, and the downy came last.  A brown thrasher showed up at least twice.  K's crow strutted up the steps to check if any fresh treats had materialized.  I caught a glimpse of something dark hovering around a red rose, maybe a hummer, maybe something else.  A few blue jays and bluebirds visited.