August

August is my favorite and least favorite month. Its awesome because its my birthday month; it also sucks because it means summer is almost over.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird


This summer has been quite different in terms of wildlife than i remember last year. This year I have only seen 2 Hummingbirds, where last year on almost any given day i could see 5. Last summer I could sit out near the Menarda in the afternoon and 3 hummingbirds would be feeding on and off for a few hours. This year its maybe once a day that I catch a glimpse of a hummingbird in the yard.

Last summer we had a pair of turkeys nesting in the neighbors yard and i think 8 babies hatched. This year there is a lone female with one baby that forages in the area. I again have been unable to take a decent photo of them.

Something I know I shouldnt be at all sad not to find in the yard are Cabbage Moth caterpillars. I found maybe 4 at the begining of July; since then i havent found anymore.

A Broadwinged hawk has been enjoying the yard the past few days.

The only thing ive seen it catch was a toad.

I spent one evening outside with the lights on hoping to grab a picture of one of the flying squirrels but I found this moth instead.
I think it is a White-lined Sphinx Moth

Its pretty big, at least 2 inches long

Not sure what kind of moth or skipper or butterfly these are

Some sort of Three-lined Potato Beetle

Squirrel lounging in the shade on a hot day

Here is a better photo of a Spotted Touch-me-not (native)

This i am pretty sure is Evening Primrose (native)

This is velvet leaf, its an invasive non-native from India

Rose (Kashmire)

One last animal i havent seen any signs of are the deer. I havent found any deer scat in the yard or on the hill all summer.