Summer!

Footbridge reflected in Oyster River, photo S. Hochgraf

So, yes - summer has arrived with a bang! Hot weather, afternoon thunderstorms - and even a tornado. Yesterday afternoon a fast-moving storm blew through the northeast, causing severe damage in Bridgeport, fifteen miles from West Campus. The rain came down in such a torrent that looking out from our building you couldn't see the other side of the parking lot 30 meters away.


Bee balm (Monarda) and Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum) in the Butterfly Garden established by Bayer employees many years ago

Bee balm with bumblebee, both photos S. Hochgraf

Birds tend to be pretty quiet in the heat of the day, with a few notable exceptions - the Song Sparrows and House Wrens never stop singing. Our Yellow Warblers have been so quiet that instead of seeing them pop up everywhere, we now have to go looking for them. Raptors float lazily overhead, using warm thermal currents and the turkeys head for the shade.


Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. These boys were checking out their reflections in the glass when I disturbed them for a photo.

Birds for the week:

Wild Turkey
Red-tailed Hawk
Osprey
Great Egret
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
Eastern Kingbird
Willow Flycatcher
European Starling


Still no hummingbirds, but I moved the feeder to another location

Cedar Waxwing
Barn Swallow
Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
American Crow
Blue Jay
Northern Mockingbird
Gray Catbird
Carolina Wren
House Wren

American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat - feeding nestlings!
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Northern Cardinal
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow

Thirty-two species for the week.


Blackberries ripening along a sunny edge - I'll have to remember to revisit these in a few weeks!