Wood Thrush Singing

I almost got eaten alive by mosquitoes while on the Loop Trail this morning listening to the lovely sounds of the wood thrush.

I finally found him sitting on a tree limb, with his back to me.  Then I tried making a recording of his song.  I hope to share it with you.

Early morning

I was in the meadow this morning when the dew was still heavy on the leaves of the grasses.

There were honey bees nectaring on the grasses, but this was the only photo that turned out.  So I decided to return later with another camera.

When I returned there were no honey bees only these blue dasher dragonflies perched on the top tips of the grasses.  Do the honey bees vanish when the sun warms up the dragonflies?

Blue vervain is blooming in the wetland.

Many garden coreopsis are blooming there also.

A second river birch has been planted.  I hope it gets plenty of water during this hot weather.

A prairie rose seen on Perimeter Road.

And the very tiniest bunny on Shady Ramble.

Construction Update

Well there is really nothing to report, just some photos to look at.

This is how the Beaumont House looks now.

The front of the house.

The construction beyond "E".  This was the new drainage baisin yesterday.

This is what it looked like today.

Blue dasher dragonfly.

Frog on a log.

Twelve-spot female dragonfly.

New bee box, but it is just here temporarily.

Before the Rain

Very early this morning, I spied this baby bunny on my patio.

A twelve-potted female dragonfly in the meadow.

An orange sulphur on the Canada thistle.

The wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa, is starting to bloom.

A dark skipper, little glassywing, seen near the milkweed.

The little wood satyr flies only in May and June.

At the wren house next door there was plenty of activity.

Those babies are hungry.

This morsel looks like a dragonfly.

It won't be long and they will be gone from the house.

Busy Day

After a visit to the AFSC sale at Gwynedd Friends Meeting we went to see the meadows at the Morris Arboretum.

It was delightful to see the male belted kingfisher.

And the female belted kingfisher at the pond.

These delightful tree swallow babies seem to be saying is there anyone home down there in that hole.

A couple birding in the meadow, pointed out for us this yellow warbler high in a tree.

After the meadow walking, a quiet time in the rose garden was most welcome.

And a chance to watch a pollinator at work.

At 4 the bee man came to check the hives in our meadow.  They all seem to be doing well, except for the Russian Queen, which was over-priced and has under-performed.

If the weather holds the honey may be harvested by the fourth of July.

First day of Summer

The pickerel weed is blooming in the water.

The bluebird is taking a sunbath on a branch in the tree.

A lady and a bumble on the milkweed in the meadow.

We have a new river birch in the wetland.

I got a glance of something bigger and orange, but the only butterfly I really saw was this European skipper.

Here is the grackle feeding two babies.  No wonder that I have the replace the suet cake every day.

Where are the Butterflies?

The common milkweed, Asclepias syrica, is blooming in our meadow.

The swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, is blooming in the wetland.

The butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, is blooming in the meadow.  But where are the butterflies!  If you see a Monarch let me know.

I did see an eastern tailed-blue, and plenty of cabbage whites, but no others.

What is this strange thing in the puddle.

A robin taking a bath!

Apartment reconstruction moves ahead.

A downy on the suet, and a hairy on the peanuts.

Someone pointed me in the direction of this magnolia, but it was already opened wide, and difficult to get in the dappled shade.