After the rain

After a stretch of 100-degree days and cloudless skies, the rain finally came.

EL MUCHO GRUMPO — Boss hummingbird is wet and acting like Mr. Grumpypants.

Feathers ruffled, this robin looks like a rooster as he tries to shed water.

Fire ants prepare for mating flight.

Autumn incursion

Little by little, autumn creeps into the viewfinder.

SCARLET – Blackgum leaves turn a brilliant red at the cusp of autumn. Thanks to Dr. Twig 50 for the fix!

Serenity now!

Just one of those evenings where the only things to say are “oooooh” and “aaaaah.”

Crescent moon shines as setting sun paints the sky.

And the sharp-eyed observers in Greenbrier, Arkansas, found a planet hiding in the pixels. Props to @AstroScanObs!

Should we be worried?

The nearest cell tower has been the roost for a small band of vultures for years. In the last weeks, however, some of the vultures have ventured closer to the house for a rest, lighting on trees just past the yard. When you glance out the kitchen window and see the large, moribund-looking birds staring back, part of you wonders if it’s an omen.

A few days later, a lightning bolt crashed near the house, knocking out the power, water, air conditioners and other and  sundry electrics, as temperatures outside soared past 100. Inside, temps in the living room hit 107. Thanks to all the repairmen who have come and gone in the last two weeks, the house is livable again.

Neither of these fellows has come to roost near the house lately. At least none that we’ve seen.

MORBID THE YOUNGER — Young black vulture hangs out on a tree that usually serves as a roost for collared doves and indigo buntings. He’s rather a dashing bird with a sharp look about him. 

PHOTO BOMB — Fast-moving hummingbird gets a look from one of the local black vultures. (Can’t look at this one and not think of Beaky Buzzard from the Warner Bros. cartoons as he’s bringing home a baby bumblebee. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=na7WqSb6sY0 )

Feathered foilists

Finely feathered foilists face off near the feeder.