Red spotted purple

The early light on the creek glowed emerald.  At lunch time, a red spotted purple butterfly flirted with the wild cherry.  It was altogether a lovely day that started chilly and got quite warm.  

 

Still sunny

The creek takes Autumn as a time of reflection.   The love rose has put out one blossom after another in a steady succession.  The hibiscus did not quite make it to October, maybe next year. 

 A Carolina wren stuffed itself with suet.  Mallard hens camped out on the lake.  Then an egret took flight. 

Warm again

Placid reflections floated on the creek.  The dog rolled in the violets, certainly a better choice than some scents!  I caught the waning crescent moon.  

A skipper found some unblemished mountain mint, then a morning glory.  A few bees still fed on the mountain mint.  A cricket tried to walk on water. 

Brown headed nuthatches joined the chickadees for sunflower seeds.  A downy woodpecker worked on the old suet.  Then a pine warbler had a few bites.  A blue jay teased me from the top of the oak.  It appeared to be practicing ventriloquism.  

Cool

Early morning was cloudy.   One more hibiscus blossom opened.  Meanwhile camellia buds were beginning to fatten.  Carpenter and bumblebees stuck with the mountain mint. A beetle swam back and forth, seeming unable to make up its mid on how to escape the water.

A skink clambered up the wall.  Another slipped over the step.  Then two encountered each other and dashed away in opposite directions. 

I thought I saw a spider at work but it was only chaff caught in a web.   Then I did find a bold jumper hanging out on the chrome railing. 

A mockingbird enjoyed some beautyberries.  A woodpecker landed in the oak and hid.  I could hear it and I think it was a red-bellied.  The last thing I saw was a Carolina wren hopping around the table.  

Goldfinch

Mallards bobbed on the water like bathtub toys.  A poor squirrel had warbles.  It also had a pecan off our tree and was looking for somewhere to hide it.  I caught the thief red mouthed. 

There was a fresh hibiscus blossom.   The male goldfinch was beginning to molt for winter.  He came for a drink and a look around.  A downy woodpecker worked on the suet but birds were mostly scarce.  

Outside

Morning glories caught the early sun.  The creek was a dusty mirror.  A milkweed pod opened but the fluff snagged on the spiderweb remnants.  The beautyberries turned brilliant fuchsia.  

The temperature was lovely so I sneaked out to get some fresh air - first time in nine days.  The variety of bees and wasps was much reduced.  The Argiope egg case looked like a ball of amber. 

The purslane was still a riot of orange.  And the rose kept chugging out blossoms.  I spotted a skink.  

Summer green, Fall temperatures

Morning glowed!  It was followed by a lovely, sunshiny day in the low 70s.  But I didn't get to enjoy much.