Sunny day

It rained overnight and I was up before dawn.  I thought sunrise would be pretty as there were clouds hanging in the East, but I missed any color.  However, on my way up Church Street I saw a raccoon that had been hit by a vehicle.  On my way back, a mockingbird perched on a utility pole and sang. 

At home, everything outside was wet.  Titmice were crowding the feeder along with the regulars. A Carolina wren explored the sunny patio. The morning glory vine is gone which may distress some birds. 

In the afternoon there were more spiders in the skimmer.  A wasp found its way into the house but the butterfly net caught it.  A honeybee worked on the rosemary alongside carpenter bees.  I think I glimpsed a hawk leaving - I should have looked around before standing up. 

Overcast

The clouds were broken at first but congealed by lunch.  I glimpsed a brown thrasher in the dogwood by the corner of the house.  The kingfisher was fussing about something - it made a lot of noise on the creek, then flew over the house, TWICE, while we were cooking lunch.

Mallards paddled and geese flew by on the creek.  I roamed around looking at fungi.  Carpenter bees were working on the rosemary but not much else was around.  The sun attempted to glare through the overcast, ineffectively. Fortunately there was little breeze so I didn't freeze after swimming. 

Passing clouds

I saw the sunrise this morning behind the trees.  There was a heavy dew but I could not find yesterday's spiderweb.  The creek reflections were gorgeous.  Two Carolina wrens visited and I glimpsed a brown thrasher under the red cedar.  Egrets worked the creek.

An eagle (or at least a soaring bird with a white fan tail) and an osprey passed overhead around midday.  An orange butterfly flew fast toward the street and a cardinal appeared to be following it.  I heard woodpeckers and kingfishers. A swallowtail egged the rue where earlier I saw a first instar caterpillar. 

I found a 5-legged bird grasshopper and a little snail in the pool, along with spiders.  A Carolina wren did a head downward imitation of a nuthatch on the oak.  A kingfisher flew upstream and son returned with another in hot pursuit.  Both were males.  Two blue jays and then two brown thrashers quarreled on the ground next door.  The squirrel with the white spot shows signs of nursing recently and seems to have a warble. 

Beautiful morning

At breakfast, the creek was a mirror with bright reflections.  No birds visited at breakfast but K hung the hummer feeder in case migrants passed through.  Later in the morning I saw a Carolina wren and a titmouse in the mulch and the regulars on the feeder.  By then, the creek was no longer glassy.

I went up to Pleasure House Point and walked around a bit.  I saw a brown thrasher, a towhee, and a blue jay.  There was a wild persimmon tree somewhat the worse for fall webworms.  A dragonfly presided over a stretch of wet slough. A jumping spider hung out on the fence.

We ate lunch outside.  I saw a skink as I was minding the grill.  An eagle flew over, preceded by its shadow, but I didn't get the camera organized in time.  Wasps were all over and a tiny spider built an orb web in the rose.  I only saw it because it was in the sun but behind it was deep shade.  Lots of butterflies defeated my attempts to photograph them. 

So I went in the pool again and rescued spiders, beetles, and tiny wasps. I'm still trying to tell whether the spiders are fishing spiders or wolf spiders or what - maybe grass spiders. 

Gray turned blue

It rained overnight and drying out proceeded slowly.  A Carolina wren visited early and a dove later, and, of course, finches and chickadees. 

The sky cleared by lunch time and the sun was intense.  A skinklet scurried around the steps.  A male cardinal picked at the beautyberries while a brown thrasher poked through the mulch.

The sun lured me into the 70° water.  I found a few beetles and two spiders.  Afterward, a black swallowtail flitted around the herbs. Carpenter bees enjoyed the rosemary.  I saw a towhee run along the fence. 

Dull gray day

The sky looked like rain all day though there was a flicker of sun around lunch time.  The last hibiscus of the year bloomed today.  A titmouse joined the usual suspects and a blue jay put in an appearance.  Egrets and herons were out on the creek.  I was running around all day. 

Down by the street, there were birdsnest fungi and bracket fungi and far too many azalea moth caterpillars. 

Rain

Sigh.  We are now about 4 inches over average rainfall for this year.  Too bad it can't go off and fall on the left coast.  The regulars were accompanied by doves and wrens.  I heard jays because K had the windows open to let the damp in.

The birds were hungry enough to come out anyway but they were soaked and looked miserable.  And the feeder counterweight kept tripping so the birds were more than usually unwilling to share.  An earthworm crawled across the patio. A brown lacewing sheltered under the door handle.  I stayed inside. 

Dull overcast

The regulars and doves, titmice, and wrens have visited.  Egrets and geese have passed over the creek and, of course, there were crows.   The weather in the newspaper predicted sun.

The cardinals got into the beautyberries.  A lacewing was flying past me when I persuaded it to land on my finger.  I saw an early instar black swallowtail on the rue.  It was way too cold to swim, but a squirrel hung over the edge to drink. 

Equinox

The day dawned bright, but the night will be dark - the final sliver of the old moon will pass overhead around noon.  The squirrel with the white spot foraged under the feeder.  The regular feeder birds were late and joined by titmice and doves.  A mockingbird hopped around the patio and had an altercation with the dove. 

I went down to our rickety dock and saw a pair of bluebirds in the pines across the creek. A mockingbird landed down by the dam.  And a kingfisher flew by.  Yellow jackets were fascinated by the wood pilings - is it resin or the salt treatment that attracts them? 

Skinks were out at lunchtime.  The thread-waisted wasps with red on their abdomen show up in late summer to enjoy the rosemary. 

Wispy clouds picked up the gold of sunset.  A great blue heron croaked as it flew upstream at twilight. While out on the dock, I got bitten by something that left welts. 

Overnight rain

Well, that wasn't in the forecast.  Morning was soggy but the birds came out.  I saw the tentatively-identified song sparrow peeking out of the morning glory.  Carolina wrens and doves foraged below the feeder.  A blue jay and I think a catbird flew around.  White spot showed up looking very wet and another squirrel hustled along with a pecan.

The sky began to clear about 1pm.  A buzzard circled.  Down on the creek, the egrets and great blue herons were joined by a juvenile kingfisher.  It dove from a piling and came up with a silvery fish and was immediately harassed by a gull.  Foliage obscured who won.  The regulars fought for a place on the feeder and a squirrel crawled under the vines.

An "obscure bird" grasshopper with only one jumping leg flew all around the patio.  It seemed to be trying to lay eggs.  A black swallowtail did egg the parsley.  I glimpsed a cloudless sulphur on its way out to the street.  I found a drowned, bright pink caterpillar in the skimmer along with a mama spider and the usual complement of beetles. 

Passing clouds

The clouds are coming from the North and the sky is overcast at times.  Titmice, two Carolina wrens, and a dove joined the regulars in the morning.

The afternoon was darker and windier.  An egret paused on the dock.  I saved a mama spider and found a snail.  Wasps and the honeybee were back. And then it rained a bit. 

Two great blue herons circled each other over the water.  Then a hawk swooped directly at me & the feeder but sheered off toward the trees.

I noticed a dragonfly got trapped in one of the garage fluorescent lights. 

Beautiful day

The cumulus are coming from the East but the higher clouds are moving slowly South. Just the regulars at the feeder, but a mockingbird visited the beautyberry and a dogwood.

A red spotted purple has been all over the yard but returned frequently to the cherry.  A cloudless sulphur and a dark orange butterfly (monarch?) hustled through toward the creek.  A honeybee and a thread waisted wasp visited the rosemary.  Something circled high up - osprey or eagle. 

The clouds disappeared in the afternoon.  An egret prowled the creek.

Blue sky

I don't know where the newspaper was getting its prediction of rain.  I took more pictures of leaves than anything else so far. 

At lunch, an egret visited the dock.  A Carolina wren hunted under the morning glory.  A titmouse joined the regulars on the feeder.  I glimpsed an orange butterfly too fast to identify.  A thread-waisted wasp visited the herbs.  One leg seems to be stuck at an odd angle. 

Good day for birds!

Overcast rolled through and in between there was sun.  The dove, Carolina wren, and titmice were back along with the cardinals, chickadees, and house finches.  One titmouse tried the hummer feeder.  Gulls cruised the creek.

As I rested outside, a paper wasp walked on my foot, tickling.  When I moved, it hustled off apologetically.  Butterflies showed up while I was cooking.  One was a painted lady.  A fiery skipper enjoyed the rosemary.  A palamedes swallowtail flitted around.   

A white breasted nuthatch came for lunch.  Several squirrels showed up, one of which had raw patches, and another I hope was white spot - I haven't seen her for quite a while.

The beautyberries were popular with a cardinal and a brown thrasher while the finches and a mockingbird ate dogwood berries.  I hear lots of jays calling - I don't know if they were eating berries or acorns.

A least flycatcher visited - first time I've seen one!  A female red-bellied woodpecker tried the oak where a limb had been sawed off.  An egret fished across the creek. I rescued a beautiful tiger beetle and it didn't even bite me. 

Cloudy & sunny

The sky was broken overcast.  The same birds greeted us this morning: Carolina wrens, a dove, and a titmouse joined cardinals and finches.  There were juvenile cardinals again poking through the mulch.

The sky cleared during the morning.  Over at the Kempsville Library I saw something strange scuttling across the sidewalk.  It was two stinkbugs, gray above and red below, attached at their rears.

Back home, the chickadees were busy.  A skink hustled over the steps.  A swallowtail floated over the bushes.

I rescued a yellowjacket, a bumblebee, and a grasshopper from a watery grave, along with beetles.  The bumblebee insisted on clinging to my finger, a weird mixed feeling of fear and comfort.  Then the clouds rolled back in and the temperature dropped.  A wasp wandered around the concrete, possibly following the trail of the caterpillar the other evening.  An egret wandered around the dock.  And then the sky cleared again. 

Pretty morning didn't last

The birds were lively this sunny morning.  A titmouse, a Carolina wren, and a dove joined the regulars.  An egret fished off the dock while a great blue heron flew downstream.  A moth zigzagged through the air and I realized that small moths and butterflies have different characteristic ways of flying. A Carolina wren stared intently into the feeder trough and caught a moth. 

The afternoon clouded over. Mockingbirds and blue jays went for the berries.  The regulars, titmice, and wrens visited the feeder,  It was cool and the sky threatened rain but didn't deliver.  Acorn shrapnel was everywhere.  I rescued a spider and a wasp. 

Chilly morning

The morning was sunny and windy and quite cool.  Along with the regulars, a titmouse, a Carolina wren, a female goldfinch, and a mourning dove showed up. The goldfinch was more successful getting a drink from the hummer feeder than getting a turn at the seed feeder. 

In the late morning, a titmouse hung upside down to attack something in a fascia vent.

The afternoon was lovely but I spent most of it inside at the convention center.  There were mallards and a blooming water lily in the courtyard pool.  I thought I'd take a photo of the waterlily when I left but at 4pm it was already closed up.  Of course, the duck was still there.

Back home, I saw a Carolina wren and three doves beneath the feeder.  There were mushrooms in the mulch that look like shiitakis to me. Toward evening, the sky clouded over. 

Quiet

The sky was blue but then overcast spread from the North.  The regular feeder birds were hungry. Late morning, the doves and the Carolina wren showed up.  The wasps and bees were back. 

Some glimmers of sunshine at lunch encouraged skinks.  A variegated fritillary and a black swallowtail visited.  I rescued a tiger moth from the pool. Eaten acorns kept dropping into the water.  Great egrets fished along the creek.  I heard blue jays and crows squalling.  K rehung the hummer feeder.

Heavy clouds swept through from the West and a sprinkle of rain fell after 4pm.  One of swallowtail caterpillars wandered around the patio changing direction repeatedly.  I don't know if it was looking for another parsley plant or a place to hang its chrysalis.  At some later moment the rain became heavier and steady.  The evening gloom arrived early. 

And back to wet

That was a brief interlude.  The sky was overcast when I got up and around 9am a fine mist-like rain began.  I could see it blowing up the creek so the wind must have shifted back to the East.  Before the rain, two Carolina wrens hopped about on the ground while the regulars fed.  I need to refill the hummer feeder. 

The afternoon brought two doves, a wren, two female goldfinches, and a titmouse in addition to the regulars.  This cardinal and finch were each pretending it wasn't their fault the feeder closed. 

There was a lull in the rain, but the weather put a damper on the bees and wasps as well as dragonflies and butterflies.  Caterpillars were still chomping on the mangled remains of the parsley. 

West wind

Cumulus clouds are moving East on the wind and higher cirrus clouds don't seem to move but have changed the next time I notice.  It is sunny and much warmer.  Two black swallowtails flitted around the herbs.  The caterpillars have eaten the very stalks of the parsley.  I wonder what became of the smaller caterpillars that were on the same plant? 

I rescued a rafting spider and a green frog.  A skink drowned before I got to it.  The regulars have been busy at the feeder, but no other species.  A hummer came to the window to protest the state of its feeder.  Five geese came overhead in formation, low and loud.

The clouds got thick and dark in the middle of the afternoon but then they cleared leaving a haze.  A young praying mantis came for a visit.  A tiger swallowtail and some dragonflies flitted through.

A pink camellia bloomed today.  Sunset was rosy. 

Clearing

A titmouse joined the regulars briefly.  An egret was again fishing in the dam spillway but the water was much lower today.  The wind switched over to the North and the cumulus were hightailing it toward Florida.

By mid-morning the day turned lovely, sunny and warm, with a light breeze.  High tide was above the dock and I saw mallards swim across it!  An egret preened and then fished for over an hour as the tide slowly fell. 

I rescued a skink I found rafting on a leaf.  It must weigh very little not to sink a leaf.  At least four large black swallowtail caterpillars were chowing down on the parsley.  A cloudless sulphur flitted by.  I found a tiny buffalo treehopper and a larger stinkbug.  Dragonflies buzzed me and one landed in my hair.  But they preferred perches on the dogwood. While I sat, I moved my foot and a small upset cicada burst out from under me.  This was close to where I found the dead one some days ago. 

The red dogwood berries and purple beauty berries are in full color.  A buzzard circled and I glimpsed an osprey.

In the late afternoon a brown thrasher tasted the beauty berries.  A bird grasshopper landed on the house.  I went down to the dock, which needs repair.  The saltmarsh fleabane is still blooming.  I heard a kingfisher but it didn't wait for me. A mockingbird perched in the redwood and later a blue jay did the same.  A goldfinch ate saltbush seeds.  And then a female wood duck paddled around the creek! 

Just wet

The sky was overcast when I got up and the trees dripped but I think there was no actual rain.  The regulars and a couple of titmice came for breakfast.  A squirrel poked around under the morning glory and kept shaking water off like a dog.  I am easily amused on a wet day. An egret fished at the dam outflow during high tide.  

By lunchtime the sun began to make appearances but the wind picked up.  It was still out of the Northeast.  Lots of leaves blew down and a fiery skipper blew into the pool.  Other than that, no birds but the regulars came by. 

Night fell with more heavy clouds. 

Rain

The regulars came to the restocked feeder despite the steady light rain at breakfast.  I noticed the clouds were moving in from the East instead of the SW wind of the last several days. 

There was a pause in the rainfall around 9:30 and we had a curious visitor.

Another lull in the rain came at lunchtime.  Two doves poked around, probably the same two as yesterday. 

The rain got really heavy in the middle of the afternoon. Apparently there was considerable flooding in the usual places.  The water level in the pool certainly rose. 

Overnight rain

The rain was late enough to soak the newspaper. Ick.  But it was clearing when we got up.  A parade of birds came: doves, a female goldfinch, a female hummingbird, titmice, the regulars, and maybe a Carolina wren. 

Well, it got dark again and looked very like raining by mid afternoon.  A titmouse, a hummer, and a wren all dashed away when I walked into the breakfast room.  I think it was a house wren.

Scattered drops of rain fell.  The pool contained one live frog and one dead cicada, much smaller than yesterday's.  I suspect the frog of being the same one rescued before, same size, same color.  There were also spiders and a biting fly.  Why couldn't they get together?  The air was quite cool compared to the water. 

Much nicer

It was still hot, but not so humid.  I had a meeting in the morning and on the way out saw two dead cicadas.  At home I discovered another, not quite expired.

In the late afternoon, the sky briefly filled with dragonflies.  I saw saddlebags for sure and a yellow bodied skimmer perched after zooming around the yard.  The regulars visited the seed feeder.  A great blue heron and a couple of great egrets worked the creek.  Crows were busy about something.  I heard a jay and thought I glimpsed titmice.  Spiders and beetles and assassin bugs needed rescuing.

Toward evening a hummer arrived for a bedtime snack. 

This blog has been added to the Hampton Roads Wildlife Enthusiasts member list. 

There was a wonderful moon tonight, nearly full and riding in a wreath of cloud.