131
Time: Noon
Conditions: Sunny and 85 degrees
Observed from: my home office and the screen porch plus one quick dash outside before the skeeters could get me
- 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch (we usually don’t see these until November–I hope this isn’t some bad sign about the coming winter)
- 1 female Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- 2 squirrels
- 2 chipmunks
- 1 Hairy Woodpecker
- 5 House Finches
- 5 Goldfinches
- 1 Black-capped Chickadee
- 2 House Sparrows
- 1 female Cardinal
- honeybees drinking from the birdbath
- numerous bumblebees
- stupid Japanese Beetles on my marigold and roses (aren’t they done wreaking havoc for the season yet?!)
- 2 Monarch butterflies
- 1 Peck’s Skipper butterfly
- 1 big, fat grasshopper that would really freak out my sister (let’s just say she’s not a fan)
I also heard, but did not see:
- a flock of cedar waxwings
- a hungry red-tailed hawk
- a rose-breasted grosbeak
- a city bus that was driving way too fast, but that’s not really a critter.