Pigeons trying to keep their balance on a wire in the wind.

Saw a couple of kestrel families out there yesterday, two adults and three young ones each, I think, but this is about the best I could do getting a picture. They’re very wary.

Summer roadside glimpsed with the camera zoom.

The white heron called the great egret, seen here hunting in a pond. We only see them during a month or so in late summer. From the time I was little it was always exciting to see one of these all white birds in familiar ponds or meadows. 

Every year this tree starts to wrap things up early. It’s like those Tumblr accounts that start posting pumpkins and spoopy stuff about now. You know who you are.

The sunflowers along the side of the house are finally starting to bloom!

An egret on the pond.

It’s deep summer.

Butterflies: a tiger swallowtail and a monarch. I’m usually out too early in the morning for butterflies but this muggy weather gets them up early.

Small woodland orchis, also known as club spur orchid, Platanthera clavellata. Pleased to find these blooming in the woods this morning!

Soft early light.

This non-native tiger lily looked great blooming against a shagbark hickory this morning. They escaped from gardens long ago but never became invasive here, just show up in spots to brighten the roadsides.

A molting indigo bunting. I think it’s a young male with his first set of blue feathers coming in. People often think indigo buntings are unusual but they are extremely common here. They’re just hard to see unless you know their song.

First of my zinnias from seed!

Morning mist.