Cooler

A North wind brought a beautiful Spring day but I mostly had my back to the window..  A female bluebird lunched on seeds.  Goldfinches visited at suppertime, but only for a drink.  Then the female red bellied woodpecker had some seeds.  Of course, there were cardinals, house finches, chickadees, and a titmouse.  And that was all I had time to see.  

Dragonflies

Overnight rain dropped the temperature.  A blue jay came for rain-softened barkbutter balls.  I took advantage of the pleasant weather to do some yard puttering.  Tiny, bright orange wolf's milk slime mold Lycogala epidendrum popped out of the end of a landscape timber.  There were eleven flowers on the orange daylily.  A Carolina horse nettle was blooming.  Parsley flower heads looked like fireworks bursting.  The first gladiolus spears appeared.

I spotted a dragonfly on a clump of dead leaves floating in the pool.  It didn't move even when touched so I figured it was dead.  I think it might have had a damaged wing.  In the afternoon, I found it floating on the surface of the water so I hauled it out and discovered it was alive.  My best guess is that it was a harlequin darner Gomphaeschna furcillata.  A female blue dasher kept watch from a dried up daffodil.  Lots of wasps were busy around the yard.  I rescued a bumblebee and a couple of beetles.  The forktail damselfly was again perched on the pool coping in the late afternoon. 

A soaring bird might have been a Mississippi kite.  An egret flew downstream.  The male pileated woodpecker came by to see if there was suet.  But even though I put out fresh sugar water, I didn't see a hummer.  

Beautiful weather.

An early blue jay landed in the trees.  Another tried to get some seeds but the baffle closed.  The first blue jay showed how to do it.  I rescued a few beetles and spiders from the pool.  The only flying insect I saw was a cabbage white.  In the evening, a Carolina wren had some barkbutter balls.  Clouds made sunset colorful.  

Stealth blue jay

The day was bright and breezy.  Dragonflies cleaned up the post-rain blood seekers.  A blue jay sneaked seeds.  And a rose bloomed.  I found a few spiders in the pool.

Thunder and lightning

A goldfinch pair visited at breakfast.  A female cardinal chased another away, then snuggled with her mate on the feeder perch.  Avian soap opera.  Five orange daylilies bloomed and a rosebud opened.  Rain began mid morning. 

While we were eating lunch, lightning flashes were accompanied by thunder that rumbled for a long time.  A hummer was not deterred from her feeder.  Around 6pm the light dropped and another set of storms rolled through with the same drawn-out, rumbling thunder.  The rain was heavier, filling the ant moat.  I saw a red bellied woodpecker on the feeder but it was too dark and rain-streaked for a photo.  

Afternoon thundershower

I put fresh hummer juice out in the feeder that is least affected by rain.  After lunch and before the rain, I startled a beautiful green female (or possibly teneral male) pondhawk that I only saw as it flew away.  Buds on the butterfly milkweed were getting orange.  I saw no sign or eggs or caterpillars though.  The rain was enough to wet everything, but not much more.  Afterward, the hummer returned.  While swimming, I noticed a mother spider clutching an egg pearl and trying to stay out of the water on the top step of the ladder.  A mosquito pestered me for a while but I think I may have gotten it.  

Dragon and damsel

The female bluebird was back at the seed feeder.  Both sexes are more interested in seeds noe that we're adding a mix to the sunflower seeds.   The female pileated made a brief stop but didn't find any suet.  Blue jays found the barkbutter balls.  An orange daylily bloomed.   The hummer returned.  A grown up skink put its head out, saw me, and retreated. 

At last, today more Odonata appeared.  Male and female blue dashers used the bamboo perches.  As did a female common whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia).  A damselfly watched from the pool edge.  Maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by an in-your-face bloodsucker?  A small orange snout butterfly, an even smaller pale butterfly (probably an azure), and a black swallowtail explored the vegetation.  Wasps searched everywhere.  I rescued a ground crab spider Xysticus (sp) but I think I drowned a mother wolf spider with a ball of eggs.  

Humid

A little rain fell overnight, not enough to dissolve the barkbutter balls.  A bluebird got one while evading the camera.  I missed photos of the white breasted nuthatches as well.  The hummer was back with an appetite.  The yellow cat prowled around.  A blue jay thought the barkbutter balls were still edible. 

More rain fell at lunch time but brown headed nuthatches didn't care.  The female bluebird chose seeds for lunch.  After the rain, the temperature rose and we went for a swim.  The humidity brought out bloodsuckers which kept getting in my face.  I saved more beetles, but spiders were stubborn.  The snail had not moved so I was left unsure whether it was alive. 

Hummingbird

At last, the hummer seems satisfied by my offering.  A blue dasher enjoyed the heat as he took up a post on a bamboo stake and feasted on no-see-ums before they feasted on me.  I found a snail floating in the pool.  Several spiders walked on water but other species had drowned.

Hibiscus sprouts popped up so I must get out the Neem oil.  Mysterious rings appeared in the creek at twilight.  A mallard drake cut through them and left his own wake.  

Monarch & more

The heat brought out the butterflies, a monarch, a red admiral, a cabbage white, and smaller ones that wouldn't hold still.   

A mockingbird flashed its wings, briefly posing like an eagle on a coin.  I was sorry the dish was empty and refilled it.  Then a blue jay descended on the barkbutter balls but I didn't see the mockingbird again.  A swallow hunted in the blue sky.  And a house wren sang atop the feeder post.  

Warm, at last

"Chuck Norris" the cat tried to catch a squirrel.  After that, I saw a brown headed, then a white breasted nuthatch at the seed feeder.  A spring azure was flitting around along with the ubiquitous cabbage white, but the spring azure refused to perch anywhere.  The sky was intensely blue.  A blue jay raided the seed feeder.  I wonder if the counterweight has gotten rusty?  Buds popped out all over the sakaki. 

A polistes wasp went caterpillar hunting in the grass.   A hummer visited the new feeder I just put out and rejected it.  I will have to start from scratch.  The pool needed a good scraping and finally I was able to get in and go to work with the brush.  I hauled out a spider and saw another that was a goner.  I also saved a few scarab beetles.  The sun was really hot and the water was really cold. 

The round moon followed me home at twilight but when I took the camera outside all it got was a bright circle.  I don't know why this camera has so much trouble with moon shots.  The full moon is on the calendar for May 23 but it certainly looked full tonight.

Seedy day

Seeds were all that was on offer today.  The cardinals used seeds as their love language.  A squirrel was baffled by the feeder and climbed to the top of the post to vent.  Later, he came to the door to beg.  Brown headed nuthatches slipped past larger birds to get a share of the seeds.  A titmouse was bolder than a house finch on the feeder perch.  The bluebirds scattered house finches when they landed on the feeder perch.  Even a blue jay used the feeder perch, very carefully.  

Hummingbird

The day was still mostly gray but the wind dried surfaces.   Brown thrashers seemed very hungry but I didn't risk barkbutter balls in case of rain.  So they went for seeds but they were very close to the weight limit.  Bluebirds, titmice, and the red bellied woodpecker were also after seeds.  And, of course cardinals and chickadees. 

A female hummer found the feeder.  The two male cardinals encountered each other and the less dominant one fled.  

Rain

The female red belied woodpecker got hungry early.  A brown thrasher checked to see if food had been delivered.  It had not.  I was too chilly and the air was too wet.  The roses bowed under the weight of water. 

Gloomy

Under a gray sky the air felt dank.  The brown thrasher checked to see if there was food yet.  A squirrel was annoyed at getting wet in the birdbath.  When I finally did put food out, a mockingbird arrived almost instantly, followed by a stream of blue jays.  The male cardinal sampled the barkbutter balls.  The cabbage whites fluttered around but I didn't see other butterflies. 

Summery

Confounding predictions, it was a warm, sunny day.  The yellow rose went from bud to full blown.  Blue jays were happy I put out barkbutter balls in the morning.I was gone all afternoon.  I spooked a bluebird when I came home.  A brown headed nuthatch had designs on the seed feeder.  The female cardinal fed the male this time.  A hummer briefly visited the freshly filled feeder then zoomed off before I clicked the shutter.  I had dumped the old sugar water and brewed fresh, and scrubbed the feeder.  

Yellow flowers

Yellow daylilies bloomed beside the yellow iris.  Yellow rosebuds poked above the yellow rue.  Even the parsley flowers looked yellow.  Unfortunately the rain beat the yellow coreopsis out of sight.  The pink evening primrose revived from the rain. Cabbage whites flitted around but I didn't see any other butterflies. 

The overnight rain overflowed the ant moat and the dish feeders.  Today's early bird was a female bluebird after seeds.  Then a brown thrasher arrived.  Pretty soon another joined it.  I assumed they were mates. When the rain stopped, I put a few barkbutter balls on the ground.  

A mockingbird eventually showed up and flashed at the barkbutter balls.  The male cardinal was a very determined lover, more successful on terra firma than the seed feeder perch.  Late in the day, I saw a brown headed nuthatch. 

Rain

Under a gray sky, nuthatches came for breakfast.  A brown thrasher was back.  I put out some barkbutter balls and they called down the blue jays.  A mockingbird came too and discovered I'd left some on the ground.  K saw a vole run across the patio but I missed it.  Later, the rain started and fell gently but steadily all afternoon.  

Spider

The female red bellied woodpecker was not upset at the disappearance of the suet.  She just kept on eating seeds.  A blue jay watched.  A male goldfinch fled into the trees when he saw me.  Blue jays got excited when I filled the dish feeders at lunch.  A crow couldn't figure out how to get some.  The female bluebird wanted barkbutter balls.  Chickadees ignored me in favor of seeds. 

I shook dead flowers off the azalea and one caught in an orb web.  I didn't mean to make work for the little spider.  I think it will grow up to be an venusta orchard orbweaver. A tiger swallowtail again fluttered around the yard.  An American lady butterfly spent time on the rue.  A spring azure perched on the sakaki.  Of course there were cabbage whites.  

 

Rabbit

At lunch a hummingbird visited the feeder but I couldn't tell whether it found the sugar water palatable.  A tiger swallowtail crossed the yard.  The first daylilies bloomed.  A blue jay gave me a stern look.  A dove tried to reach the seeds but it was too heavy. 

While watering plants, K saw the rabbit on the front walk  

Brown thrashers

I was gone till mid afternoon.  When I got home, two brown thrashers were foraging on the ground.  They also looked around at everything high and low.  I wondered if they were residents or just thinking about moving in.  Blue sky gave way to cloud cover and then back to blue.  The temperature stuck in the mid 60s.  Cabbage whites flitted around and I glimpsed some swallowtails. 

Meanwhile the female bluebird and brown headed nuthatches competed with the cardinals, house finches, and chickadees for seeds.  The barge I saw the other day headed downstream, again ignoring the "no wake" signs.  The lanceleaf coreopsis, aka tickseed, was flowering, but a lot of the flower stalks were lying on the ground.  The evening primroses and coral lilies were also blooming as I circled the pool.  I rescued a scarab beetle too. 

Some birds were also upset because only the seed feeder had food.  The suet was gone, to the distress of the female pileated woodpecker.  A mockingbird had a look into the empty cage as though the suet was just hiding.  I rearranged the feeders so the hummer juice is where the suet was and the barkbutter dishes are at either end of the patio.  That got the blue jays excited and the bluebird switched from seeds to barkbutter balls.  Toward evening, a couple mourning doves roamed the patio. 

Last night there were sightings of the Northern Lights because of a solar storm.  But we had rain. 

Stand-off over suet

A mockingbird tried to nibble on the last of the suet.  A blue jay had the same idea so there was a stand-off.  Later one of the mockingbirds flashed repeatedly.  During a brief moment of sunlight, a female bluebird visited the barkbutter balls.  K rigged a chain to lower the suet cage which I'll soon replace with a hummingbird feeder.  I've had a hummer feeder out for a month but all it attracted were ants.  Vegetation obscured the turtle log so I probably won't see them again till Fall. Overall, this was a gray day with the temperature slowly falling.  Rain finally arrived around 7pm.  

Waiting

Rain fell in the morning.  Then the temperature rose but I kept expecting a storm that didn't come.  A bluebird visited at breakfast and again at lunch.  At supper, I saw a brown headed nuthatch but didn't have the camera.  

Butterflies

The male pileated came for breakfast.  He didn't know that was the last of the suet   A female goldfinch surveyed the food on offer and turned up her beak.  Mockingbirds also had some suet.  The cardinals were courting again but I caught them as they turned away.  A female bluebird appreciated mealworms.  A brown headed nuthatch took seeds to hatch.  It also intimidated a much bigger house finch. 

The temperature got up into the 90s, with a nice breeze and moderate humidity.   Hot enough to swim, so I did.  That was fortunate for a camel cricket and two scarab beetles.  On the other hand, the two big black beetles I found in the skimmer were probably beyond reviving, though beetles can surprise you.  In the afternoon, more beetles were rafting but I did not try to rescue them. 

Then we went out for lunch and when we were home again, there were butterflies.  A black swallowtail laid eggs on the rue.  A couple of cabbage whites dueled in the air.  Then I saw two mating on a money plant pod, one much yellower than the other.  Another cabbage white, (maybe the one dueling earlier?) tried to break up the happy couple but did not succeed.  A variegated fritillary butterfly flitted around the yard.  The female bluebird came back for more mealworms.  

Threatening sky

The sky was blue to the North while scary clouds boiled South of us.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos.  The temperature touched 80° but the threat of storm kept me inside.  I saw mockingbirds and the usual downy woodpeckers, cardinals, house finches, and chickadees.  

Bluebird

 Too busy!  A bluebird visited at lunch.  She fluffed her feathers. 

Unsettled weather

We had sunshine and showers and everything in between.   A blue jay worked on the suet.  This did not please the mockingbirds and a kerfuffle ensued.  A Carolina wren investigated all the possible food sources.  The black cat stared into the pool.  I don't know if it was thirsty or hoping for fish.  I'm thankful it hasn't shown much interest in birds.  A convoy of female mallards paddled upstream.  I thought there might be ducklings but they all looked like adults.  

The male pileated had a go at the suet.  I think the crows chased a hawk but I couldn't get a good look at what was going on.  A female bluebird was sad over the empty dish but I wasn't going to put food out just to let it get soggy from rain.  

Booby-trap

The sky was mostly overcast, the East wind blew cold, and I didn't see much.  I thought I saw a house wren but it got away so I was uncertain.  I also glimpsed a bluebird.  Blue jays and mockingbirds made frequent forays for barkbutter and suet crumbs, and later, mealworms.  A blue jay counter rocked on the swinging dish just like a kid on swings.  A crow startled a squirrel.  It may have been laughing as the squirrel ran away. 

The female red bellied woodpecker came around for a seed supper.  The male downy woodpecker wanted suet but K had filled the ant moat and the woodpecker got a bath instead.  He decided to have seeds instead. 

Chilly

I thought I'd have another pool day but in the afternoon the sun vanished and the breeze became an East wind and the temperature went into a decline.  Bluebirds visited but all I got was a blurred tail.  The male pileated was more cooperative.  The two mockingbirds continued to squabble over food.  

I found several more caterpillars on the rue.  A couple were first instars and one was a second.  Sycamore seeds blew everywhere and made drifts on the patio and clogged the pool and photobombed my picture of a caterpillar.  

 

Cold water

It was lunch time when the birds finally got theirs.   Blue jays and mockingbirds were happy.  By afternoon, the sun was hot but the water was only 68.  Still, I got in till a black fly drove me out.  Butterflies continued to tease me.  A wasp worked on the rue.  Skinks went about their business around the steps.   A blue jay sunbathed on an oak limb.  A mockingbird grew bold enough to pretend it didn't see me.  Two downy woodpeckers argued over the suet.  Strange things moved beneath the surface of the creek.  Rings formed with no visible cause.  A line of turbulence moved downstream. 

Blue water!

Another day in the upper 80s with a pleasant breeze, and now the pool is open.  It was slim pickin's for birds in the morning because I hadn't put anything out and the suet was almost gone.  The mockingbirds and bluebirds were not pleased.  The female pileated was determined to get the last morsel of suet.  It was a stretch because the nubbin was lodged on the far side of the suet cage.  

The coral honeysuckle was ready and waiting for a hummingbird.  It looked to me like this year we will get a good crop of blueberries - if the rain gods are well disposed.  I found a black swallowtail caterpillar on the rue.  Tiger swallowtails eluded the camera.  Later I saw a female cardinal in the rue, possibly hunting caterpillars.  

A blue jay and a bluebird finally got some barkbutter balls.  But the female pileated discovered that there was no suet left.  (Tomorrow I will hang the last block.)  She gleaned some fallen crumbs.  And she raised her crest to express her feelings.  Or maybe because a crow showed up?