What died?

A myrtle warbler was an early riser.  Quarreling house finches were right behind.  Then I had to get ready for a presentation.  I glimpsed a great blue heron flying behind me reflected in the computer screen.  At lunch a white throated sparrow ate barkbutter balls.  The work continued on the creek though the tide was very low.  The sky had been blue at breakfast but clouds blanketed it intermittently during the day.  Four vultures circled over the lake in front of twisted clouds.  One was much higher and I thought it might be a black vulture.  

Sunny

There was some nonsense predicted about snow showers, but the day was mostly sunny and mostly in the 40s.  Warblers were quick to notice the dish of barkbutter balls.  A house finch barged in on a warbler even though the finches show no interest in barkbutter.  White throats prospected in the dead vegetation.  So did a junco.  The red bellied woodpecker that was absent yesterday returned.  I guess it was intimidated by the pileateds yesterday.  An orange crowned warbler also seized a barkbutter ball.  And then blue jays came.  

More birds

The prediction was for low clouds, fog, and general gloom but that was gone by 9am.  It was cold but not windy, good bird watching weather.  The new cat ambled across the patio early, but I didn't see any other predators.  Pine warblers were particularly interested in the dish of mealworms.  Bluebirds made the rounds of feeders.  Blue jays would really rather have had barkbutter balls.  The orange crowned warbler went straight to the jelly.  

Fuzzy clouds blew past and out to sea.  A Carolina wren picked through the dish but didn't seem pleased.  Pine warblers tried to get past bluebirds to the mealworms.  A titmouse clung to the brick wall, seeming interested in a cavity in the grout.  I thought I saw a butterbutt but couldn't be sure.  A white throat foraged under the seed feeder.  Juncos were also hard to catch on camera.  The two female orioles showed up for mealworms.  A pair of house finches kissed beaks.  

A flicker landed up in the wild cherry.  Then a male red bellied woodpecker chased a downy away from the suet.  He had a noticeably red belly.  

 

Weather, assorted

Mist or light fog greeted me when I got up.  A pair of house finches were on the seed feeder.  Then there was sunshine at breakfast.  It didn't last, but the temperature climbed into the mid 60s.  Before noon a light rain started and the temperature dropped slowly.  When the rain stopped, wind picked up.  The sky stayed overcast and darkness came early.  Birds didn't appear for any of the weather variations, but neither did I. I didn't see anything yesterday either.  

Finches

A little rain fell overnight and the day was mostly overcast.  The Northeast wind was still blowing.  A bullying house finch refused to share the seeds.  Six other house finches and a brown headed nuthatch had to wait for her to leave.  Meanwhile, a supposed vegetarian goldfinch looked for barkbutter crumbs in the rainwater.  A pair of Carolina wrens appreciated the fresh block of suet.  A young cardinal whose beak was just starting to go orange wandered around the patio.  Lots of leaves and tree bits clogged the pool but I didn't see any critters.   I looked for the hornworm but it had disappeared.  The window opposite the computer was too dirty for the camera, but cleaning it would mean trampling plants.   

 

Lovely day

Today was very pleasant, more like June than June was.  The sky was hazy and plenty of clouds kept the temperature from rising past 90.  The air was not sticky and the breeze felt cooling.  The morning sun caught the orb of the Argiope's web, not just the hackled threads in the center.  A squirrel sunbathed on a oak branch.  A red headed skink crossed the patio. 

On my way to the water I saw a feather-legged scoliid wasp but it was gone when I came back.  Lots of honeybees and many other bees and wasps were busy in the mountain mint.  I thought I saw a silver spotted skipper in addition to the duskywings.  While I was swimming, a tiger swallowtail spent considerable time in the wild cherry, but disappeared before I got to the camera. The tiger swallowtail returned in the afternoon and I got lucky.  A red spotted purple butterfly flitted around the cherry in the afternoon. 

Mid day, a dragonfly perched on a dead twig at the top of the cherry.  A widow skimmer settled onto the short perch near where I was sitting.  A bigger dragonfly that I couldn't identify got into a fight with the widow skimmer, I've no idea why.  They disappeared over the roof but she soon returned.  A prince baskettail was on patrol overhead.  A dark dragonfly took over the dead cherry trig, maybe a slaty skimmer?  It was evicted by a house finch.

A Carolina wren was very serious about pecking apart a barkbutter ball.  It seemed displeased and moved to the seed feeder.  A house finch fledgling up in the oak demanded food, keeping both parents busy.  Brown headed nuthatches streamed in to the seed feeder.  Bluebirds were wary of my presence outdoors.  I heard blue jays all day but only caught one in the oak.  Late in the day, a downy supped on suet.  

Goldfinches

A female pileated breakfasted with us.  A mourning dove sauntered across the patio.  Two male goldfinches perched above the feeders but didn't eat or fuss at each other.   A mockingbird chased a crow.  A female downy was frantic on discovering the suet was all gone, but K hung a fresh block and the downy settled right in on it.  Brown headed nuthatches did their ninja act to get by the half dozen house finches hanging around the seed feeder.  A bluebird watched from atop the post. 

The sky was overcast and sometimes the air looked gray and misty.  As a result the temperature was much more moderate, but the humidity was high.  It got quite dark while I was swimming but no rain fell.  I rescued two mama spiders, one with a pearl full of eggs and one with a back covered with babies.  Also a thread-waisted wasp.  The Argiope web in the window looked crumpled.  The squirrel with the warble on its back looked like it was healing. 

Bad feather day

The brown thrasher came back at breakfast.  The creek was peaceful but I had meetings.  At lunch, a scruffy mockingbird wanted barkbutter balls.  An equally rumpled Carolina wren followed.  House finches looked the worse for wear.  Even the bluebirds were molting.  That didn't stop a female from stuffing her beak like a blue jay.  Goldfinches, however, were still on their honeymoon.  

A brown headed nuthatch looked a bit ruffled.  It only had a tiny white spot on the back of its head.  I wonder if that is an indicator of age?  Cornell was no help.  The finches were fighting again and bullying smaller birds.  Some blue jays looked presentable but others had lost feathers.  A hummer tried to feed from the canna. 

It was much warmer in the afternoon, but cloudy and buggy.  I found a bullfrog in the skimmer and had to prod it to leave.  Later I evicted it from the pool and it looked very shocked that it had been caught.  Unfortunately, I found two dead skinks and I think I smelled some of the previous corpses. But I also rescued three live skinks and a field cricket.  Two skinks ran off right away but the third was too tired.  I hope it recovered. 

I found a spent morning glory in a spot not visible from the house.  Black swallowtail caterpillars were still eating and growing on the rue.  A monarch flew past but didn't stop at the leafless butterfly milkweed.  A yellow rose opened.  The hibiscus was still blooming.  

Brown thrasher

If the Weather Service can be trusted, today was the last of the unseasonably cool days.  A mockingbird and several blue jays helped themselves to barkbutter balls.  Then a brown thrasher finished them off.  

The Argiope spiders hadn't moved and the cobweb spider was well away from my chair.  The finches continued to fight.  Hummers too.  A molting Carolina wren looked for something to eat.  It was not impressed by finch belligerence.  When a red bellied woodpecker arrived at the seed feeder the finch left without protest.  A tiger swallowtail attacked its reflection in the window. 

A skink was clinging to the outside of the pool skimmer opening so I helped it up to the pavement.  It was not grateful.  A frog was hiding in the outer part of the skimmer and I didn't see it till I'd finished dumping the basket. I'm glad it didn't get sucked down the pipe.  It swam off and later I found it hobnobbing with another frog.  I evicted one and the other used my climb out stick.  While in the pool, I saw a red spotted purple butterfly on the wild cherry beside the oak. I also found a couple of largish insect exoskeletons floating but I couldn't tell what they were.  Then I found another on the pavement and it was clear that it had been shed by a praying mantis.  

A few wasps were all I saw on the mountain mint but something left a lot of webbing and frass under one of the flower heads..   Birds. especially blue jays, have begun eating acorns.  A great blue heron rested on a post attached to the neighbor's dock.  

Hummingbird

A house finch was bold enough to stay on the seed feeder while a squirrel tried to rob it.  A hummer finally visited its feeder. After dark I went out to admire the gibbous moon.  I got one  sharp image which is one more than previous efforts. 

Crows

The female downy was back for more seeds.  A male cardinal didn't want to share.  He was more tolerant of a male goldfinch, but not a male house finch.  The downy tried to sneak in underneath the feeder.  It didn't work.  When the house finch finally took over, he bullied the downy too.  Eventually the female goldfinch arrived.  The house finch ignored her but she wasn't as kind to her would-be mate.  

I have concluded that the second web was an abandoned effort, not the work of a second spider.  Maybe it caught so much debris the spider didn't feel it was worth mending.  The wind made the orchard spider bounce in its fresh web.  Then a gust ruined it.  Poor spider.  I don't know if it tried to mend the web or waited for the wind to drop.  

Aside from the wind, it was a lovely day.  A bluebird landed among the red flowers.  Then a murder of crows came to raid the barkbutter balls.  Because of their size, this was not easy.  Those balls must be really tasty because I'm sure they spent more energy than they got back in nourishment.  One rapped on the window as if it understood where they came from.  I wondered what would happen if I went out with a refill. 

Fireflies flashed and cicadas buzzed at twilight.  Something flew very fast over the house.  Cloud wisps and faint bars turned pink.  

 

Damp

The day began gloomy and gray with a foggy mist.  Everything outside dripped.  Even a pine warbler looked gray.  The pileated woodpeckers came and went while my hands were occupied.  The female red bellied woodpecker tried to get her beak inside the seed feeder - it must have been close to empty.  The suet was nearly gone too, disappointing a bluebird.  The orioles weren't happy either.  The barkbutter dish was full of water and the jelly dish was covered, so their fans were looking elsewhere.  A mockingbird explored the mountain mint thicket.  

After it became clear that the rain was over, I took the lid of the jelly and put out some fresh barkbutter balls.  The orioles and blue jays were right there.  So was the orange crowned warbler.  The house finches started courting or, at least, he did.  She seemed a bit taken aback.  A white breasted nuthatch got seeds from the feeder.  A goldfinch prospected for mountain mint seeds. 

Some glimmers of sunlight emerged.  Pelicans made many passes over the creek.  Three turtles hauled out on their log.  

Low angle light

At breakfast, tree trunks cast slanting shadows across the azaleas.  A juvenile male house finch (I think) perched near and adult male - father and son?  A juvenile bluebird surveyed the empty dish that should have held mealworms.  A white breasted nuthatch was determined to get to the sunflower seeds despite finches.cardinals, chickadees, and titmice.  A Carolina wren looked for seeds that might have fallen. Eventually the wren joined the nuthatch in the queue at the feeder.  

I startled a little skink that vanished into a pavement divider.  The only dragonfly I saw was a blue dasher.  A duskywing probed the daisies and I barely glimpsed a tiger swallowtail.  A great golden digger fussed around the mountain mint.  I saw a hummer chase another, but they were too fast.  Blue jays and a mockingbird were slower in their food raids.  The setting sun lit tree trunks and made forest magic.  

Beautiful day

The sky was clear and there was a nice breeze with not too much humidity.  I think there were a dozen flowers on the hibiscus.  The beautyberry was blooming too, not that you could tell. A fledgling finch sat of the roof begging to be fed.  It was itchy with new feathers.  

I glimpsed an orange butterfly but it showed no interest in the milkweed.  A dark butterfly ignored the rue.  But the skippers were happy with the mountain mint.  A spider scampered across the patio to tell me I was in the way.  I thought it was a woodlouse hunter but it was too pale. The orchard orb weaver was still in the same web. 

I found a brown click beetle in the house and took it back outside.  It clicked for me several times.  As I sat outdoors in the twilight, a male hummer made several visits to the feeder.

Signs of Spring

I thought I had figured out winter weather - a North wind brought cold, clear skies and a South wind warmed the air but clouded the sun.  My algorithm isn't working any more.  Today was warm and sunny.  The creek was calm.  

Orioles were impatient for feeder refills. Red winged blackbirds and starlings joined the orioles on the ground, looking for what I spilled.  So did juncos.  The sun moved far enough from the solstice that the hanging dishes got some sun.  Warblers ate their fill anyway. 

The rain filled the birdbath but a bluebird chose to drink from the pool cover instead.  A female house finch took a bath.  The maple buds looked ready to pop.  Apparently the wind brought down and smashed a birdhouse.  A little flock of hooded mergansers paddled around our stretch of creek.  A few pelicans flew past.  And the turtles crowded their log.  

Gray

The day began mild like yesterday, but a cold North wind put a stop to that.  The patio birds were hungry but I saw very few waterfowl.  A flicker probed the grass and a red bellied woodpecker tested a tree trunk.  

A sick house finch had me worried that it might be contaminating the feeder and birdbath.  It was a little too lively to catch.  A goldfinch, brown headed nuthatches, bluebirds, two orioles, and lots of warblers came to feast  Juncos, whitethroats and song sparrows foraged below.  

More humid

I wondered if a clumsy house finch was blind but the photo revealed a broken leg.   A chickadee clung to the post like a nuthatch.  The ripe wild cherries got attention from birds but foliage frustrated me.   There was nothing of note floating in the pool or trapped in the skimmer, just the usual beetles and spiders.  A persistent mosquito bugged me by flying at my face repeatedly as I tried to smack or splash it into the water.  My face was the only part of me not submerged. 

A duskywing skipper joined the throng of bees and wasps at the mountain mint.  Skinks were out and about today, and I missed every one.  I also missed photographing the goldfinch pair, a brown headed nuthatch, a mockingbird, a blurbird, and a blue jay. 

 

 

New hummer feeder

The gladiolus began blooming.  A female cardinal tested the wild cherries.  A female hummer found the new feeder with no trouble despite the minimal amount of red.  

A foolish house finch kept trying to fly through the windows.  He just fluttered at them but it kept coming back fro another try.  He may have been a young bird.  A female goldfinch got a drink from the ant moat. 

Bluebirds were content with barkbutter balls.  A good thing because that's all they will get till Fall.  Of course, the blue jays had to have some. 

A black swallowtail hovered around the rue but didn't lay eggs.  

Wet

Rain fell during most of the daylight hours, beginning after breakfast.  But before that, I got a lot of pictures, starting with the female pileated woodpecker.  A white breasted nuthatch was driven off by that pest of a myrtle warbler.  Starlings and blackbirds came and went quickly.  Bluebirds, thankfully, weren't so flighty. 

White throated sparrows and juncos stayed on the ground.  Carolina wrens seemed to be everywhere.  A brown headed nuthatch slipped in for a seed.  When I put out the very last tub of barkbutter, a brown thrasher was first in line.  A pine warbler got a bit of suet.  House finches had a tender moment.  A mockingbird struggled to reach the suet.  Goldfinches watched from the dogwood.  

The camellia was still blooming, proof it has been a mild winter.  I got a glimpse of a female towhee.  A downy and a red belled woodpecker, both female, each had a turn at the suet.  

Last of the warm spell

Shirtsleeves today, snow flurries tomorrow night.  The female pileated woodpecker came for breakfast.  Turtles were basking by mid morning when the sun touched their favorite log.  Myrtle warblers popped up all over.  So did the much larger pelicans.  

At lunch, a white breasted nuthatch came for suet.  Sparrows kicked mulch to see if lunch was underneath.  Afterward we all went outside.  The house finches began courting this week.  Bluebirds were still squabbling.  I spotted a flicker on a sweet gum with his head in the base of a sawed off limb.  Could he be excavating a nest?  I believe I've seen a flicker on that tree before.  And a little later I found a female about twenty feet away. 

A blue jay wanted to know if there was any fresh barkbutter.  Bluebirds were content to clean up the last of the old.  Pine warblers finally managed to dodge the bully myrtle warbler and get some barkbutter.  Then a brown thrasher went to work and soon dumped the whole thing on the ground.  It wasn't intentional because it took the bird a while to figure out where the food had gone.  

Pelicans fished all day.  A great blue heron landed on a dock piling.  A great egret explored a fallen pine branch.  Clouds began to arrive at sunset.