Cold front coming

There was blue sky when I got up but it was gone by the end of breakfast.  A hummer appeared early, along with the regulars and a dove.  The sunflowers continue to attract bees but one has gone to seed. 

The sky cleared to a hazy blue.  A flock of chickadees and titmice fought for feeder time.  Skinks scampered.  A gorgeous, slender, metallic blue bee got in the house.  I rescued it but when I tried to get a photo in the sun, it flew.  No gratitude.  And then the clouds crept in from the West.  It's been breezy too.

The rain started about 3pm and at times was torrential with lightning and wind gusts. It finally let up around 6pm but light rain returned around 8pm. 

Busy birds

The regulars came and a house wren sang from the top of the hummer feeder hanger.  Fast moving dragonflies banged on the window. 

The female hummer made repeated visits. In the afternoon, a yellow crowned night heron stood around on the dock.  A female widow skimmer cruised low over the grass while a male blue dasher used the perch.  Cumulus clouds sailed out of the WSW but no thunderstorm materialized. 

Hummer warz have begun - I saw one chase another off the feeder.  But before that, a hummer plopped down on the feeder and it spun under her like a little merry-go-round.  A titmouse also came to the feeder and I saw both a male goldfinch and a bluejay streak through air above the yard.  A dragonfly zoomed back and forth till it was like I was watching a tennis match.  I never got a good look at it.  I did see a small robber fly on the concrete.  A fox cub visited the patio and was disappointed to find the birdbath dry. 

And hot again

The female goldfinch stopped in briefly.  The titmice arrived but were intimidated by a female house finch.  The tail-less cardinal continues to dominate the other male.  It should be another sunny day. 

At lunch, a hummer finally decided the feeder juice was good.  She also tasted the sunflowers and a pink portulaca blossom.  A wren hid under the morning glory vines.  Skinks ran across the patio.  A large, dark dragonfly battered against the glass. 

Sunny at last

It was so humid there was fog early in the morning and the windows had patches of condensation, but it was not hot.  A bumblebee overnighted in a sunflower and a katydid occupied another.  The brown thrashers were together at the nest, but one flew off when I came past.  The blueberries were fatter this morning.  Something stripped all the leaves off some branches, but I didn't see any caterpillars.

A lot of titmice got excited with both the feeder and the cherry tree till they didn't know which to settle on.  Two fledgling Carolina wrens came and sang, but moved off before I got the camera in position.  The regulars visited the feeder as well and a female towhee looked around in the mulch.  A dragonfly perched briefly on the lavender.

A skink came out at lunch and more dragonflies were active.  A black swallowtail put in a brief appearance.  An egret flew past.

The clouds were moving out of the SE in the morning but shifted to East by lunch.  Some looked thunderous.  In the late afternoon, a fox appeared under the oak.  I wonder why they seem to like that spot?   A green heron took off after I missed seeing it until then.  The brown thrashers were busy. A dove flew past.  The full moon was impressive. 

Hungry birds

A half dozen chickadees and several titmice all wanted at the feeder.  Cardinals and finches soon joined in.  A hummer ignored the freshly cleaned and filled feeder for the storm-battered lavender.  A Carolina wren explored the house crevices.  One brown thrasher sat on the nest while the other brought food.  And I could hear flapping as I picked blueberries. An idiot of a squirrel first climbed up to the feeder where the busy birds were too much for it, then tried to climb the sunflower stalk. 

At lunch time, I saw a fox cub with an itch.  A house wren hopped around the mulch.  Skinks hurried across the patio.  Then the female goldfinch returned to the feeder.  Later I noticed a brown thrasher dropping fecal balls near the pool's skimmer basket.  The brown thrasher also visited the wild cherries which are ripe and enticing many birds.  A female slaty skimmer used the dragonfly perch and a black swallowtail flitted through.  The mint blossoms attracted small scoliid wasps and a metallic green sweat bee. 

The rain held off all day though the sun looked watery through the cloud cover. But toward evening, the sky cleared to just tinted wisps of cloud.  And the fireflies appeared.  So did foxes - one ran across the yard, turned and went back, and then two raced back together.  Somewhat later, I saw one adult return. 

Dripping and pouring

The sky was gray and everything was wet.  I don't know when the rain stopped but the humidity was so high that no water had evaporated.  The regulars visited the feeder along with punk squirrels with wet fur.  Bees came to the sunflowers.  Here, a honeybee flew in to join two fat carpenter bees.  Why is this sunflower dark when the other is yellow in the center? 

K saw a fox on the lower patio but it didn't wait for me.  At lunch, a small skink rushed along the steps.  A brown thrasher sneaked into the camellia with food.  And then the heavens opened and stayed open.  Inches of water fell.  I hope the rain fattens the blueberries because otherwise it is wasting daylight savings.  Tomorrow is predicted to be the same. 

Toward evening the rain grew light and the hungry birds returned. We were lucky - out at the Oceanfront, there was considerable wind damage.

Early overcast, late thunderstorm

The sky was overcast, but it is breaking up.  We forgot to unblock the feeder and frustrated finches sat on the perch complaining.  Later, after the Sunflower Cafe was open for business, the female goldfinch returned. No one bothered her, so I guess her reputation has spread.

A fox appeared about 5pm and chased a squirrel briefly, then gave it up and dashed off.  A few minutes later, the predicted thunderstorm arrived with more rain than poor Arthur, also considerable wind gusts, lightning and thunder.  Trash cans went sailing in the flood. The temperature dropped over 20 degrees from the 90s down to 72°. 

Light rain and hungry birds in the evening.