Activities this week:
Last Saturday: 3 turkey vultures circling over Lithuania Park, going west
Sunday: A flock of Canada geese heading north up Keele Street. My best estimate is 50. Moult migration? I thought they waited until later in the month.
Monday, Tuesday: large golden dragonfly, including wings. Looks like a four-spotted skimmer (but I didn't get close enough for identifying details). Does that mean, given location, it is more likely a painted skimmer?
Friday: Dragonfly with black on the wings--common whitetail? (only saw it in flight)
This morning: Quite a few (5=6) noisy chimney swifts
Butterflies this week: probable cabbage white; large yellow (giant tiger swallowtail?)
Often heard but seldom seen: chickadee, goldfinch, blue jay
Hawks: For a while there was a great deal of mating, with associated squeaky squawks (presumably when your mate, while very beautiful, is not too clever, bigger than you and a ferocious predator, a little communication is a life-saver), but that seems to have settled down now and both hawks are rarely seen together. At least one hawk has discovered my bird bath. My presence in the garden is still not appreciated, & I get yelled at. I especially get yelled at in the evening when it's the hawk's turn at the water (according to the hawk, and most species do not argue with the hawk) and I haven't had the decency to go inside.
It might be moulting time; I have 2 feathers as souvenirs.
