Cold

The same wind that cleared the sky of clouds during the morning dropped the temperature in the afternoon.  Since the prediction was for 30s overnight, K brought some plants in.  The peppers were finally in bloom but we will have to see if they were fertilized.  There was a tiny green spider on the dahlia that hid from me, so it probably came in with the plant which was loaded with buds.  I hope they will open inside.

I did not see yesterday's junco but the white throat found a couple of friends.  Chickadees and cardinals came to the feeder but the sparrows stayed on the ground.  A blue jay crossed the yard.  And of course there were crows. 

Yellow jackets buzzed around the azaleas even though there were no flowers.  They acted as though they were gleaning something from the leaves. Sunset seems so much earlier after the end of daylight savings time last weekend. 

Snowbirds

It rained overnight and again during the day.  But in between, there were birds.  A couple of mockingbirds were having issues that involved a lot of chasing and some actual fighting on the roof.  I cannot imagine what that was about.

Then I saw a junco in the mulch!  Soon after a soggy-looking white throated sparrow appeared.  Cardinals joined the chickadees on the seed feeder.  later I saw an egret fly over the dam.  Moths and other insects were still evident.  More leaves blew down.

Weather thoughts

It was warmer and sunnier than expected, but with a gusty wind that peeled off leaves as soon as they turned color.  The cloud cover was thin and pleated or corrugated during the morning. This pattern doesn't seem to be predictive of any particular weather, but NOAA says there will be rain tomorrow.  My ad hoc humidity gauge, a pine cone, closed up tight in the damp air. 

A female downy woodpecker visited the suet, finally.  The seed feeder only saw chickadees so it was a black-and-white bird day.  A squirrel sat on a outdoor chair with an acorn in its mouth.  I could see lots of insects catching the sunlight as they zipped around, but only a yellow jacket that paused on the post was identifiable.

Silent fall

K went for a walk in the early morning and on return commented at the quiet and lack of bird song.  It was a gorgeous blue sky day, much cooler than yesterday though it did get into the low 70s.  I saw chickadees at the feeder, a flock of egrets in the lake West of Independence, and a flock of crows over a field being plowed down South of the air station.  I took Nimmo Parkway for the first time and saw the long bridge over the headwaters of West Neck Creek.

Hot!

It was election day and one consequence may be whether we address the cause of November days in the 80s, or slide into catastrophe.  The sun was hot as we stood in line to vote, and the humidity didn't help, but there was a breeze. 

A flock of sparrows checked out the holly bushes at the shopping strip where I had an errand.  I made a roundabout return and saw where all the egrets roost on Witchduck Lake.

From the backyard I can only see the tip of the lake.  a cormorant and one egret were bookends for a turtle. Rain started after I got home.  I hope it didn't dampen the voter turnout

Nada de fauna silvestre

A dull, wet, gray, but warm day.  Raindrops splashed in the birdbath.  Nothing to see here, move along, move along.

In-between season

According to Mary Reid Barrow's column, the summer birds have left but the winter birds are just beginning to arrive so there are actually fewer birds around at this time of year.  And of course there are seeds and berries for the year around birds so they don't need feeders. 

A mockingbird ate beauty berries while chickadees stayed with the sunflower seed feeder.  A cardinal booted them off the feeder but as soon as he left they were back.  A cormorant sunbathed on the lake and geese made the creek noisy.  I saw a little, pale butterfly (I think) hurry across the yard.  Saltbush fluff caught in spider threads that looked fresh.  But I saw no spiders.  The wind was chilly despite the sun, so I came in.