Sunny day

It rained overnight and I was up before dawn.  I thought sunrise would be pretty as there were clouds hanging in the East, but I missed any color.  However, on my way up Church Street I saw a raccoon that had been hit by a vehicle.  On my way back, a mockingbird perched on a utility pole and sang. 

At home, everything outside was wet.  Titmice were crowding the feeder along with the regulars. A Carolina wren explored the sunny patio. The morning glory vine is gone which may distress some birds. 

In the afternoon there were more spiders in the skimmer.  A wasp found its way into the house but the butterfly net caught it.  A honeybee worked on the rosemary alongside carpenter bees.  I think I glimpsed a hawk leaving - I should have looked around before standing up. 

Overcast

The clouds were broken at first but congealed by lunch.  I glimpsed a brown thrasher in the dogwood by the corner of the house.  The kingfisher was fussing about something - it made a lot of noise on the creek, then flew over the house, TWICE, while we were cooking lunch.

Mallards paddled and geese flew by on the creek.  I roamed around looking at fungi.  Carpenter bees were working on the rosemary but not much else was around.  The sun attempted to glare through the overcast, ineffectively. Fortunately there was little breeze so I didn't freeze after swimming. 

Passing clouds

I saw the sunrise this morning behind the trees.  There was a heavy dew but I could not find yesterday's spiderweb.  The creek reflections were gorgeous.  Two Carolina wrens visited and I glimpsed a brown thrasher under the red cedar.  Egrets worked the creek.

An eagle (or at least a soaring bird with a white fan tail) and an osprey passed overhead around midday.  An orange butterfly flew fast toward the street and a cardinal appeared to be following it.  I heard woodpeckers and kingfishers. A swallowtail egged the rue where earlier I saw a first instar caterpillar. 

I found a 5-legged bird grasshopper and a little snail in the pool, along with spiders.  A Carolina wren did a head downward imitation of a nuthatch on the oak.  A kingfisher flew upstream and son returned with another in hot pursuit.  Both were males.  Two blue jays and then two brown thrashers quarreled on the ground next door.  The squirrel with the white spot shows signs of nursing recently and seems to have a warble. 

Beautiful morning

At breakfast, the creek was a mirror with bright reflections.  No birds visited at breakfast but K hung the hummer feeder in case migrants passed through.  Later in the morning I saw a Carolina wren and a titmouse in the mulch and the regulars on the feeder.  By then, the creek was no longer glassy.

I went up to Pleasure House Point and walked around a bit.  I saw a brown thrasher, a towhee, and a blue jay.  There was a wild persimmon tree somewhat the worse for fall webworms.  A dragonfly presided over a stretch of wet slough. A jumping spider hung out on the fence.

We ate lunch outside.  I saw a skink as I was minding the grill.  An eagle flew over, preceded by its shadow, but I didn't get the camera organized in time.  Wasps were all over and a tiny spider built an orb web in the rose.  I only saw it because it was in the sun but behind it was deep shade.  Lots of butterflies defeated my attempts to photograph them. 

So I went in the pool again and rescued spiders, beetles, and tiny wasps. I'm still trying to tell whether the spiders are fishing spiders or wolf spiders or what - maybe grass spiders. 

Gray turned blue

It rained overnight and drying out proceeded slowly.  A Carolina wren visited early and a dove later, and, of course, finches and chickadees. 

The sky cleared by lunch time and the sun was intense.  A skinklet scurried around the steps.  A male cardinal picked at the beautyberries while a brown thrasher poked through the mulch.

The sun lured me into the 70° water.  I found a few beetles and two spiders.  Afterward, a black swallowtail flitted around the herbs. Carpenter bees enjoyed the rosemary.  I saw a towhee run along the fence. 

Dull gray day

The sky looked like rain all day though there was a flicker of sun around lunch time.  The last hibiscus of the year bloomed today.  A titmouse joined the usual suspects and a blue jay put in an appearance.  Egrets and herons were out on the creek.  I was running around all day. 

Down by the street, there were birdsnest fungi and bracket fungi and far too many azalea moth caterpillars. 

Rain

Sigh.  We are now about 4 inches over average rainfall for this year.  Too bad it can't go off and fall on the left coast.  The regulars were accompanied by doves and wrens.  I heard jays because K had the windows open to let the damp in.

The birds were hungry enough to come out anyway but they were soaked and looked miserable.  And the feeder counterweight kept tripping so the birds were more than usually unwilling to share.  An earthworm crawled across the patio. A brown lacewing sheltered under the door handle.  I stayed inside.