There’s a family of doves in our front flower bed. Two fledglings, with two tired parents, spent yesterday and today following patches of sun through the irises. I’ve enjoyed watching them, and so have the cats.
photos
Gray Day
Last night, a solitary question mark butterfly stopped in the yard. It didn’t stay long. The yard might have felt lonely and empty after it left, if not for these two rabbits.
I wondered about the second rabbit’s ear damage. Frostbite? Maybe some kind of infection? While the yard’s rabbits seem healthy in general, I do see a lot of ticks on them, especially on their ears. It’s a bit odd, because I rarely find ticks on myself or the dog.
Speaking of the dog, she’s too old and arthritic for rabbit chasing. Or any other kind of exertion. So I was curious, a few days ago, when she treed something in the wax myrtle.
The squirrel waited, shifting its grip now and then, until Indigo and I went inside. Then I watched from the kitchen window as it scrambled down, grabbed one last mouthful of birdseed, and scurried across the fence into our neighbor’s yard. Where the neighbor’s dog promptly treed it again.
None of these photos were taken today, because today has been rainy and gray. It’s a dreary deluge that pours and eases and then pours again. As I worked on this post, the butterfly’s bright orange and the yard’s exuberant green tempted me to fret over our much-needed rain. So I changed the photos to grayscale…
A New Wave of Butterflies
After a chilly lull, action in the yard picked up again last night. I’m somewhat stunned, though I don’t know why. I should be wiser by now. It’s embarrassing, this lingering tendency to be surprised by nature.
Surprise aside, I’m staggered by the caloric cost of this year’s migration. How much has gone into producing so many butterflies? Surely there’s a limit, considering how much a single caterpillar can eat…
From the Cat Archives
It’s been a lovely, lazy day. Instead of doing anything new or productive, I wandered from window to window, lost in memories and daydreams.
The Butterfly Migration Slows
The red admiral flood has slowed to a trickle. Last night there were only three or four on the fence, and daytime traffic is markedly reduced. While earlier waves seldom stopped in the yard before sunset, today’s travelers seem slow and tired. And hungry.
Yesterday also saw a decrease in the number of question mark butterflies. (See the question mark on its wing? That’s how you tell it from a comma…)
As the migration dwindles, painted lady butterflies increase, though I expect their numbers will never rival this week’s surge of red admirals and question marks.
Finally, in case anyone is tired of butterflies, here’s a Yellow-rumped Warbler enjoying a quick bath…
Rae Spencer 