Bugs

At breakfast, a pileated woodpecker visited the suet but left so fast I don't know which sex it was.   Again the afternoon temperature was in the 90s and the water was a little warmer.  I rescued spiders and beetles and one small wasp, very carefully.  Some of the spiders were goners as was a green stinkbug.  When I deadheaded a rose, I disturbed an assassin bug nymph.  The little butterfly made the rounds again.  

Cold water

A Carolina wren got a barkbutter ball from the dish.  A titmouse fooled around.  Then I saw a very bright pine warbler.  The outdoor thermometer read 95° so I ventured into the pool today.  It was cold but bearable.  I tried to rescue a spider in the skimmer but it evaded me.  

Heat wave

A brown thrasher took off just as I pressed the shutter button.  Fortunate it only wanted to get closer to the barkbutter balls on the patio.  The mockingbird preferred to eat them from the dish.  A white breasted nuthatch agreed.  A Carolina wren took its treat under the furniture.  A crow finally came for the barkbutter balls.  I glimpsed a bluebird.  

An egret waded under the new bulkhead across the creek.  I saw 91° on the thermometer.  The tiny butterfly I'm guessing was a spring azure was back to torment me.  So was a cabbage white.  The milkweed bloomed.  

 

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 made the rounds.  What I thought was a painted lady landed on the nandina in an awkward spot I couldn't get in focus.  It turned out to be a red spotted purple.  Rain lilies bloomed at the foot of the dry creek.  The false indigo bloomed too.  

The brown thrasher pair and a mockingbird were lured back for barkbutter balls.  So was a titmouse.  The sky was a beautiful blue but the wind was strong.  The yellow cat prowled alongside the water, then darted after something in the azalea bush.  

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.  A buzzard soared over the house.  

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.  

Petrichor

Word of the day, petrichor is the name for the smell after a shower or light rain.  I learned this from a children's book, After the Rain by Eleanor Spicer Rice, but I wasn't that impressed with the book otherwise.  There was rain overnight but the day was sunny.  A blue jay posed on the railing.  The mockingbird didn't cooperate with the camera.  The female pileated came for suet.  

The milkweed buds were turning orange and an orange butterfly flew through the yard.  I saw a bud on the magnolia.  A Carolina wren inspected the feeders.  K tempted crows with french fries.  I saw the little butterfly I think was a Spring azure.  A bluebird visited.but the red belly was not willing to come to a feeder while I was outside.  The yellow cat sauntered up from the creek, then saw me and skedaddled.  

 

Showers & sun

Yesterday was really busy.  I glimpsed a white  breasted nuthatch on the seed feeder but I've nothing to show for it.  Cabbage whites flitted around and I saw a blue jay.  A squirrel has been eating the suet that was supposed to be too hot pepper flavored for squirrels.  The temperature warmed up and the wind wasn't so fierce.  This is where we held our celebration.

We had a rain shower at breakfast today and visits from a blue jay and a crow.  Bluebirds and a mockingbird showed up at lunch. A titmouse joined the seed eaters.  I have been persuaded that the bush I've been calling sakaki, Cleyera japonica, is actually a cheap substitute, False Japanese Cleyera, Ternstroemia gymnanthera .  They are related and look very similar.  But I am not absolutely convinced.

Rainy day

A wet, dreary, chilly day brought few birds.  A male pileated woodpecker came for a late breakfast.  A Carolina wren joined us at lunch.  The camera fought with the water-spotted window.  

 

Gray

This day wasn't as warm as the last two but just as windy.  I saw bluebirds, blue jays, and not much else.  A squirrel ate "hot pepper" suet that's supposed to be squirrel-proof.  A left-over Cinco de Mayo squirrel, perhaps?

 

Windy

A mockingbird breakfasted on suet.  A squirrel coveted bird food.  Blue jays were thirsty.  I also saw a pine warbler and a bluebird drinking from the pool puddle.  A titmouse looked into barkbutter balls.  Our thermometer showed mid 80s but the wind kept it from seeming hot.  After lunch, I noticed that the hummer feeder seemed to be missing.  Somehow it had come unscrewed from the hook and fallen.  I put it back together and rehung it which may have been unwise.  A couple of hours later I saw a male hummer visit it.  I was too close to move and take a photo but the bird didn't stay long.  Was I too close or the sugar water gone off or the wind too much?  

Despite the wind, I saw a few butterflies, a dragonfly, and wasps.  Butterflies included the ubiquitous cabbage white, some kind of dark swallowtail, and some that were too quickly gone to guess.  Some kind of midge followed me into the house.  

Dragonfly

Today became sunny, quite warm, and very windy.  I was focused on getting photo proof that the white throats were still here and didn't realize I had chopped the head off a brown thrasher - I never saw it was there in the background.  A Carolina wren ate seeds and a bluebird ate what she found in the glass dish.  A blue jay picked at the barkbutter dust.  The bluebirds also ate seeds and the seed feeder perch kept rolling which flustered them.  The catbird was back.  So was the crow.  

A yellow dragonfly with rusty striped wings and matching eyes perched on a garden stake.   It was a painted skimmer, Libellula semifasciata, the first I've ever seen.  A very small butterfly kept circling the yard, never stopping for a photo.  I wasted many pixels.  My best guess would be a spring azure.  Wasps were flying around.  The male red bellied woodpecker ate mealworms while I was outside, a first.  A titmouse picked through the seeds.  

Migration map

Cornell says this week is the migration peak for our area.  Here is their map.  Meanwhile, the white throats have not left yet.  A crow paid several visits to the area where I sometimes spill food.  A mockingbird also joined the feeder crowd.  Blue jays were right behind.  A catbird returned.  Bluebirds were in a hurry.  

A tiger swallowtail flew around the trees, despite the wind.  The sunshine must have compensated for the cool air.   A cabbage white stayed lower in its flight.  

 

Light rain

The rain fell all morning and off-and-on through the afternoon.  I hope it soaked in, even though it was light, because the year has been very dry so far.  At breakfast, the catbird returned with another.  I think this is the second bird.  They didn't seem very fond of each other, at least, I couldn't get them both in one photo.  A mockingbird was next.  It checked out the fresh suet.  I saw a Carolina wren but it was faster than my fingers.  

Mallard drakes paddled on the creek, leaving all the incubation to the females.  Bluebirds visited the seed feeder in the rain.  (K had covered the dishes.)   They hurried to grab a seed and go back to whatever they were doing.  Cardinals continued their courtship.  

 

Catbird!

The catbird chowed down on the aged, desiccated grape jelly.  I had no idea that jelly would interest a catbird.  Then an actual cat sauntered past.  It was the yellow long hair.  After it was gone, a mockingbird fed from the dish of barkbutter & mealworms.  A blue jay, and the male red belly stuck to the barkbutter mealworm mix.  Later the catbird returned and tossed mealworms everywhere.  A squirrel thought about raiding the dish but decided to go elsewhere.  Bluebirds showed up at mid day.  

Something sat in the top of the hackberry and preened.  It turned out to be a freshly bathed blue jay which really fooled me.  Lots of butterflies came out even though it wasn't quite 70°.  I saw a tiger swallowtail, a silver spotted skipper, and some I couldn't identify.  A downy rejoiced in a fresh suet block.  

Spring

The last day of April and the white throats and butterbutt were still here.  The male red belly hit the seed feeder.  This made a male cardinal unhappy.  He wanted a goodie to take to his mate.  He settled on a barkbutter ball.  Later, a titmouse took over the seed feeder.  A couple of mockingbirds argued about the barkbutter balls.  The short-tailed squirrel got a drink and some mealworms, I think.  It was very skittish around other squirrels.  There was something in the water but it never showed itself.  K hung a fresh suet block and a downy started eating it.  

 

Feeder fun

I missed a shot at a white breasted nuthatch but I got the butterbutt.  Blue jays, bluebirds, and a mockingbird visited.  A titmouse was eager for seeds.  A squirrel raided the barkbutter dish, but there was some left for bluebirds and the butterbutt.  A mockingbird didn't find much left.  There was more sunshine than predicted.  I need to replace the suet.  

 

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.  Even the cardinals succumbed to fast food.  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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Brown thrasher

The air was still cool and the wind gusty but the sun was bright.  Carolina wrens returned.  White throats lingered.  A mockingbird considered the menu.  A brown thrasher went directly to the barkbutter balls.  Then a blue jay took over.  Chickadees, house finches, and cardinals ate seeds, just as they do every day.  

Chilly

Wind gusts felt colder than the actual temperature.  Carolina wrens and blue jays came for suet and barkbutter balls. They were all I noticed.  Clouds fought with the sun throughout the day.  

Pileated woodpecker

The sky was gray all day and quite dark at one point, but there were only a couple of brief showers.  However, the temperature, which was comfortable at breakfast, dropped steadily down into the 50s.  Wind gusts made it even colder.  A bluebird showed up at breakfast and returned throughout the day.  Yellow flag iris opened.  

White throats dallied but arrived for lunch.  Carolina wrens also visited then.  I saw the pair flirting under a chair.  The cardinals were courting too.  After lunch, the female pileated woodpecker came for suet.  She dropped lots of crumbs to the delight of little birds.  

Not as hot

I was tired last night and skipped posting even though I had photos.  The mockingbird was back.  Bluebirds visited.  I was unable to catch a tiger swallowtail on camera.  Blue jays wanted barkbutter balls.  White throats continued to forage and bathe.  Cardinals courted.  A Carolina wren was thirsty and hungry.  A squirrel was itchy but crept close to me.  

A mockingbird started off the morning and visited on and off all day.  A male red bellied woodpecker came for breakfast.  The creek was sunlit and placid in the morning.  A Carolina wren came for lunch.  White throats were still packing for the trip North.  Titmice were hungry today, thirsty too, and in need of a bath.  A female brown headed cowbird got a drink.  Blue jays got a share of mealworms since there weren't barkbutter balls.  Bluebirds were very late arriving.  

The blue-eyed grass and the coral lily bloomed.  I think this is very early in the year for these lilies.  Blue flag irises were also flowering.  Wild cherry trees were done blooming.  The butterfly milkweed got a head start on the mountain mint.  I glimpsed a skink but it was faster than the camera.  Dragonflies also defeated me.  A silver-spotted skipper posed with its silver spots hidden.  I saw tiger and dark swallowtails and a medium-sized butterfly that was too fast to identify.  

Squirrels were very active, chasing, drinking, and eating.  One dived headfirst into the mealworms.  The mealworms are not peppered to discourage squirrels but they were resting on a bed of barkbutter dust that was.  The squirrel frantically brushed its face.  It was much more careful after that.  One squirrel was nursing.  Clouds spread across the sky in the late afternoon and sunset was fiery red.  

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.