Farewell

I thought I saw some ducklings across the creek but even the photo left me uncertain.  It was low tide with lots of gnarly detritus exposed.  Another butterfly blurred past me.  The  coral honeysuckle bloomed and the first evening primrose.  The temperature rose into the upper 80s.  A blue jay came for barkbutter balls which I put in the lower dish that swings more.  That seems to slow down consumption.  

We said goodbye to the dog today.  He was declining for the last several weeks.  It's hard to feel an animal trusts you when you know what is coming.  Afterward, I sat outside and listened to birdsong.  K went for a walk.  When I came inside, a parade of woodpeckers queued up for suet, first the male pileated, then the male red belly, and last the downy.  They had been complaining from the trees. 

Squirrel's bad day

The wind was much cooler and waves muddied the creek surface.  A mockingbird wanted a refill on the barkbutter balls.  So did a blue jay.  A few turtles enjoyed the sunshine. The pileated woodpeckers got their share of the suet though the pesky starlings ate more. A tiger swallowtail flew across the yard.  A female bluebird worked on the dregs of the barkbutter balls.  The sycamore and the pecan leafed out and I saw flowers on the wild cherry.  . 

I noticed a courtship pursuit where the female squirrel stays just a couple of feet ahead of the male as he chases in slow motion.  A crow noticed too and began to harass the male squirrel, swooping down on him like a hawk but not actually touching the squirrel.  That broke up the courtship chase real fast.  The female abandoned her erstwhile pursuer.  Another crow watched so maybe the bully wanted to impress the other one?  Finally the crows had had enough fun and left.  The squirrels eventually reunited but then the dog demanded to go out and make them leave his territory.  I was glad to see him take an interest.  He chased the squirrels and treed them, but then one jumped down and dashed across the pool cover and the water from last night's storm.  The dog followed - the first time I've seen him set foot on the pool cover.  In the end, the squirrels took their courtship elsewhere and the dog was satisfied.  

The crow monster

The birdbath was frozen when I got up and the money plant leaves were frosted.   No ice marred the reflections on the creek and the sun made them glow.  Warblers competed with the downy for suet.  A bluebird decorated the top of the post.  Brown headed nuthatches rummaged through the seeds.  The red bellied woodpecker was particularly flighty.  Blue jays grabbed barkbutter balls.  A mockingbird foraged underneath.  A lone red-winged blackbird visited.  A Carolina wren found a fallen barkbutter ball and hammered it to bits.  But a white throated sparrow muscled in to get the bits. 

All three cats visited and had to be discouraged from birdwatching.  So when I heard the dog growling and carrying on like he saw a yard-invading abomination, I hustled to let him out.  Instead of a cat, a crow was walking around the patio.  The crow flew into the maple, maybe six feet up, but the dog thought it had gone invisible in addition to its other monstrous qualities.  The dog hunted around on the ground while the crow watched.  I don't know what the dog thinks is so objectionable about crows - their size?  That they walk on two legs?  Maybe he had a run-in with a crow once upon a time and carries a grudge?  

Meanwhile pelicans were flying and fishing.  A surfboard washed up on the dock during the high tides.   Turtles enjoyed the sun on their favorite logs while a Northern shoveler paddled by. 

The Scourge of Squirrels

I have given the dog the title above.  Twice this morning he wanted to go out just as a squirrel had settled in to glean fallen sunflower seeds.  He blew out the door leaving ten years behind in the dust.  Of course the squirrels were faster but they had to run all out for the trees.  I wondered to K why they didn't just climb the post.  Did they think the dog could climb like a cat?  He certainly tried!  Just as he missed the squirrels, I missed a tiger swallowtail.   A skink wit a regrown tail headed for cover under the boards.  Later, I saw one on the steps with a classic blue tail.  

A pair of geese paddled by trailed by at least three goslings.  A reddish paper wasp hunted among the weeds.  A queen yellowjacket cruised low over the ground.  A bumblebee hunted for azalea blossoms that still had nectar.  Blue and yellow Dutch irises began blooming.  I think it's time to start spraying for spidermites.  Crane flies have been hanging around the patio door for a week. 

A male goldfinch in summer finery sought a drink from the ant moat that was pea-green with algae.  I hope that's nutritious?  A female cardinal sat eating on the sunflower seed perch when a male came wooing.  She made him hover instead of letting him join her.  It was poor timing on his part since she was already feeding herself.  

As I ate supper, I was joined by a mockingbird, a bluebird, and the female pileated woodpecker.  A yellow rumped warbler in summer feathers scavenged the crumbs left at the end of the day.  Brown headed nuthatches argued with a male house finch that tried to hog the seed perch. 

Pileated woodpecker

The sun was back but the air was no warmer and the wind was stronger.  That may be why the songbirds stayed away.  I didn't put any food out, either.  The male pileated woodpecker, a female downy woodpecker and a starling were all I saw.  Of course, songbirds are busy mating and nesting at this time of year.  The downy looked damaged but it might have just been rumpled feathers.  

When we got home, geese had come right up to the back door.  The dog put them to flight.  I hope the lesson lasts - we don't need their poop on top of the dog's.  

No bunnies visited. 

88 Degrees

That's what the thermometer showed when I went out to plant seeds.  I faded fast.  But before that I saw another skink and two butterflies, a black swallowtail and a cabbage white.  The dog saw an egret and announced his displeasure.  I don't think he would have noticed it if it hadn't been in flight.  

Bumblebees were thick, especially on the money plants, and one tried to intimidate me but I knew it was bluffing.  Birds, however, were scarce.  For all the black swallowtail egg laying, I couldn't find any caterpillars yet.  The yellow rose opened and a coral lily bloomed.  A black ground beetle spread his hard front wings but didn't fly.  This early heat has plants and animals out of sync. 

Seeds

There were starlings hanging around every time I looked so I never put any food out.  Of course there was the suet and the sunflower seed feeder.  The brown headed nuthatch was happy with those.  Blue jays, titmice, warblers, a robin, and other birds appeared to be eating oak flowers or maybe catching bugs.  I saw a junco foraging under the seed feeder.  The day was cooler, cloudy, and not so breezy.  

A myrtle warbler preened in the dogwood while waiting to defend the suet.  The pileated woodpecker returned and the warbler decided to retreat.  A downy woodpecker felt the same.  When the pileated flew away, he landed on a tree trunk opposite a squirrel.  The downy hustled back to the suet only to find a starling had got there first.  

A couple of doves wandered around the patio.  Bluebirds were not pleased with the lack of barkbutter balls.  The dog was feeling enough recovered to wander around the yard.  A white throated sparrow emerged from under an azalea bush.  The one dogwood once again made puzzle boxes of its petals.  The domestic cherry burst into bloom!  I begain planting seeds because rain is predicted for overnight.  

Astronomy

Money plants began flowering.  Bluebirds kept an eye on the feeders.  A male red bellied woodpecker ate suet, followed by a pair of downy woodpeckers.  Blue jays flew around the trees.  A clump of tent caterpillars built an nest in the wild cherry.  A brown headed nuthatch was thirsty.  The azaleas were not waiting for April to bloom.  

The yellow cat prowled around the pool.  Brown headed nuthatches ignored it.   A rumpled, molting oriole ate barkbutter balls.  Turtles enjoyed the pleasant temperature and didn't mind the rain.  The redwood began to leaf out.  The dog was very sick and we feared for him but a vet was reassuring. 

By evening the sky was hazy and streaked with clouds but they formed a gorgeous sunset.  An egret or heron flew over head. As twilight darkened, I was able to find two of the five planets that were supposed to be lined up.  I think they were Venus and Mars.  A black cat with white feet dashed past me.  We are getting overrun with cats. 

March wind

The wind was stronger a couple of days ago, but I really felt it today.  It didn't seem to bother the pileated woodpecker.  After he left the suet, he interacted with a flicker up in the oak.  Bluebirds wanted fresh barkbutter balls.  As soon as I put out more the orioles came back, then blue jays. 

A robin just wanted water.  A female house finch puffed up so much I thought I was looking at a different bird.  A handful of red-winged blackbirds came to forage.  A white breasted nuthatch wanted a turn at the seeds.  A brown headed nuthatch had an easier time of it. 

Something small floated on the creek, keeping the same spot despite wind and current, but I couldn't get it in focus.  The feral black and white cat made itself comfortable on my chair.  Fortunately, the dog was ready to go outside.  It took him a minute to home in on the cat but then he was off like a rabbit. 

The wind was really fierce on Tuesday.  I hardly saw any birds.  Toward evening as the light was failing, a white breasted nuthatch was frustrated by a cardinal that had taken over the seed feeder.  

February scorcher!

I saw 81 on the thermometer and the National Weather Service claimed a record.  The Southwest wind kept the humidity low and raised worried about wildfire.  More hyacinths bloomed.  So did a leucojum - will I ever finish pulling them up?  The dog sniffed a squirrel and sent it up the oak.  Later he rolled over in the grass which I thought he'd gotten too old to manage.  A blue  jay scolded from the fence line. 

The wind may explain why pelicans came up the creek despite the warmth.   Next I spotted a ruddy duck, maybe the same one as a couple of days ago.  A hoodie drake paddled upstream and a female headed in the opposite direction.  The kingfisher was back.  I think I saw a muskrat or nutria leave a wake as it headed toward the dock across the creek.  The turtles were out enjoying the tropical day. 

A flock of small birds flew over the dam in the evening.  The leonine cat sprawled on the dock like a dead thing.  Then it lifted its head so that's one worry removed.  A mystery animal's wakes made strange patterns in the water. 

Warmer

The creek reflected a beautiful day.  Quite a few cormorants popped up, rippling the reflections.  Pelicans fished throughout the day, as did a flock of hooded mergansers and a bufflehead.  One of the cruising pelicans turned out to be an egret.  A pelican napped on the boathouse roof, across the creek.  Four buzzards circled over a spot downstream. 

A white breasted nuthatch alternated between suet and seeds.  A brown headed nuthatch came later in the day.  Bluebirds and mockingbirds preferred the barkbutter balls. Myrtle warblers ate whatever they could get but pine warblers were scarce.  Meanwhile the cat lurked behind the bench, but the birds knew it was there.  Our dog explained that it was unwelcome. 

Juncos white throated, and song sparrows scurried across the ground looking for food.  Sometimes the myrtle warblers joined them.  The paler female oriole showed up for jelly.  I went after the rose canes that kept photo-bombing pictures of the creek.  Scrambling down through the leaves and mulch was not the best idea I've had.  At twilight, the evening cormorant commute was backed by bars of cloud.  

Birdwatchers

In the morning, it was the feral cat.  This morning the feline menace was not content to watch, but made a couple of futile pounces.  I wonder if it ate the sick finch and was looking for another easy meal?  The dog finally showed up at the right moment to chase the cat.  As far as I know, the cat did not return after that.  

Once the coast was clear, the songbirds returned.  A mockingbird wanted barkbutter balls.  A female oriole went straight for the jelly.  A starling tried the suet, then the barkbutter.  Myrtle warblers scrounged everything they could see, including jelly.  Pine warblers picked over the dust after the last barkbutter ball was gone, then glared at me for more.  The oriole was disappointed that the jelly was gone.  The downy woodpecker wanted the starling to leave her suet alone.  More starlings arrived and foraged on the ground. 

In the afternoon, it was a Cooper's hawk perched up in the leafless cherry.  Possibly it was just soaking up sunshine, but the birds didn't trust it.  Meanwhile, pelicans and gulls flew patrols over the creek.  I saw cormorants and maybe ducks fishing. So I guess I was the third birdwatcher.

The cat came back

The creek was in a reflective mood again and it was a lovely day for a holiday.  Bluebirds squabbled and flitted around the wild cherry.  Vegetation was in the way of my line of sight most of the time.  And some of the time I just missed and sometimes the camera changed toe focus to something in the sun.  

And then the cat moved in.  I yelled at it but a few minutes later it was back.  Finally the dog noticed and took off like he'd been rejuvenated.  The cat did not return but, alas, neither did the birds.  Eventually a downy woodpecker was tempted by the suet.

Reflecting on the end of Summer

Not as sunny and not quite as warm, the day was uneventful.  I got the last leaf reflections. 

After I showed K the sweet gum sapling, I took pictures of the ground-hugging rosette plants I wanted to identify.   A pokeberry was growing below the high tide line. 

A Carolina wren scolded from the saltbush.  The dog discovered that brackish water didn't taste right.  

The duel of the docks

The dog insisted he had to go ooooooout and the next thing I knew he was barking like mad at the neighbor's yard.  And I, who had been about to shower, gathered up my hastily assumed robe and went to see who was being murdered.  I think he was offended by the neighbor's flag that cast running shadows as it flapped in the cold breeze. 

Later, a wren explored the vegetation around the patio, staying half hidden, but I'm pretty sure it was a house wren headed South.  The catbird was back for more beautyberries.  Blue jays hunted acorns.  

In the afternoon, I saw a great blue heron on the neighbor's dock displaying pride of ownership again.  Then I saw the other heron near the shore.  That one walked slowly toward me as though paying no attention to the other.  Then it flew up to a post, then down to our dock.  I suspect they were name-calling the whole time.  

Goldenrod bloomed on the earth dam that separates the lake from the creek.  Turtles were basking on their log.  The sun felt delightfully hot but any shadow was cold.  

Rafting skink

The morning creek was in a reflective mood. The dog seemed to appreciate the cooler air - he wanted to stay outside longer.  Something caught his attention and he dashed over to the oak.  Since it was daytime, I figure it was a squirrel that rejuvenated him.  

I finally got a chance at the pool mid afternoon.  (Afternoons rush past this time of year.)  The first thing I saw was a skink navigating on a yellow leaf.  A cricket, riding a different leaf, may have lured the skink into the water.  By the time I nerved myself for immersion in the chilly water, the skink had disembarked onto the top of the ladder.  But when I got close it dived.  I caught it and put it on the escape stick to dry out.  It stayed put so eventually I encouraged it to climb and it scampered off.  

While dripping off, I emptied the recycled-plastic birdhouse and only snapped off one tab, which I think is fixable.  I was sitting in a small patch of sun by the mountain mint and I saw an insect I didn't recognize.  It appeared to have transparent wings, a bright green thorax, and a skinny up-curled abdomen.  It looked a little smaller than an eastern amberwing and my first thought was a damselfly, but I could not really guess what order of insect it was before it flew away.  And the camera needed a fresh battery, so I don't have an image to search.  Later, during an early supper, a great egret fished along the bulkhead.  

Green head fly!

The hummers were hungry and there were several disputes over the feeder.  Despite the heat, the dog insisted on several trips outside,Menacing clouds blew through and there were a couple of showers.  (The prediction was way off the mark!)   I missed getting a picture of the brown headed nuthatch. 

Skippers returned to the mountain mint and a black swallowtail flitted around the rue.  Mockingbirds were hungry enough to consider feeder food.  Bluebirds looked disheveled from molting.  I only glimpsed a goldfinch but a pine warbler.was willing to be photographed.  Other birds wanted cherries.  I suspected the blue jays of going after the blueberries.  A whole family of titmice were at the sunflower seeds whenever cardinals let them. 

Speaking of sunflowers, one had the beginnings of a bud.  A skink ran across the steps.  Brown May beetles and green Junebug beetles went for a swim.  Two little frogs were in the skimmer.Despite their escape into the pool, they weren't hard to catch.  I wish I could convince them to stay out because the pol chemicals kill them. 

The evil fly tried to bite me as soon as I was out of the water.  I had to go dripping into the house to get away.  Bluebirds and pine warblers continued their feeder visits.  A male towhee foraged under the feeder.  A white breasted nuthatch preferred to stay up on the feeder. 

Insects

Three crows inspected the patio but they didn't give us a report.  Lots of daylilies bloomed in a variety of shapes and colors.  An adult skink chased another across the patio too fast for me. 

A female slaty skimmer fought for possession of a bamboo stake perch.  I didn't get a good look at the other dragonfly.  An assassin bug clung to the window screen.  I disturbed a common whitetail which then flitted around and tested light colored spots on the ground.  This behavior might make sense for the male, which actually has a white tail that blends in, but the brown female was very visible.  

While swimming, I saw a damselfly resting on a floating leaf.  I rescued a firefly.  A leafcutter bee feasted on the butterfly milkweed.  I saw a black bee and a wasp doing the same.  The cage K made seems to be protecting the strawberries while they ripen.  The bluebird pair was back for more barkbutter, but found mostly crumbs and dust.  A female goldfinch only wanted a drink.  A two banded leafhopper settled in on a mountain mint leaf. 

Speaking of settled in, the dog rolled in the violets again.  A male hummer visited the new feeder but flew away before I got him in focus.  Toward evening, I tried to photograph fireflies.  The moon overhead was nearly full, so I photographed it too.  

Intense sunshine

The sky was that purple-blue it gets when the air is very clear.  I tried to stay in the shade because the newspaper said the UV would burn in under ten minutes.  Despite the still gusty breeze, I only rescued one beetle, one of the Scarites genus.  At lunch time, a squirrel was taking its ease in the shade on the arm of one of the outdoor chairs.   It ignored me, but not the dog.  

The almost first quarter moon chased after the sun through the afternoon.  The man in the moon was visible - usually I see the rabbit.  I was taking pictures of flowers and plants when the male hummer sneaked past me.  I got a glimpse but no photo. 

A male bluebird perched in different trees, giving me a variety of settings.  He was too wary to come to a feeder though.  Meanwhile the dog rolled in the violets and mashed them down.  

Gray solstice

This solstice was seriously lacking in Sol.  An all day overcast was not what I wanted on the shortest day of the year.  I continued to miss pelicans, and ducks too.  Squirrels put on a soap opera over a female who wasn't quite ready.  They courted with slow-speed chases and climbs.  A third squirrel just wanted to eat in peace. 

Meanwhile a downy hammered on the suet.  Then a red bellied woodpecker played peekaboo behind the post and I missed four shots.  Thank goodness they were digital!  

I caught the dog, Andy, in his Anubis pose, waiting for the car to pull in the driveway.  It appears that he thinks if he waits hard enough the car will come home.