Eastern Wood Pewee

I have been so busy adding insects and spiders to my Yardbugs 2024 List that I have neglected my YardBirds list somewhat.  So when this little Tyrant Flycatcher showed up in the yard today, I had to grab some shots.  They are starting to migrate now and will soon be gone to South America where they spend their winters.  Like most flycatchers, they hunt from perches, sallying out to grab insects on the wing.  And in the fall, they seem very irritable, frequently chasing other yard birds around the garden and into the woods.  I watched this one chase a titmouse into the woods and then a little later a downy woodpecker.  I have no idea why, since neither other bird hunts insects on the wing so really aren't competing for food.  Anyway, while not my finest shot, it may be my last chance this year, so it's going on my list.

Had a good FT chat with parents this morning.  Dad's fractured toe is healing very slowly while mom is on the countdown to having her trigger thumb surgically fixed at the end of the month.  

Peg and Kura went to the track again today to watch Hubs race.  The type of racing my Hubs does is called "club racing" and it is not set up as a spectator event.  Which is part of what makes it fun - non-drivers can only get in by being registered as crew for a driver/team.  And that gives them access to the paddock area, garages and pits (not hot pits, of course) so Kura and Peg got to have the experience of being right in the thick of things.  I haven't been to race in quite a few years (very hard for me with only having hearing in one ear) but their excitement reminded me how much fun it can be.  The racing community is, generally, a really nice bunch of people.  If someone bangs up their car and needs a part, it is not unusual for someone else in the paddock to jump in to help with a spare part and an extra set of hands.  I will add a shot to Extra of Hubs car (#5) on the grid before heading out to qualify for the first race of the day.

Otherwise, I spent some time pottering around in the garden with Jax and then working on the images from my cat photo shoot this week.  I got the final images selected and edited and sent a link to the director of the adoption organization.  I told her I would like to come back to re-photograph some of the kittens - there were a couple of sets of tabbies who were so rambunctious that I was unable to get usable images.  

The sky has gotten very dark and forbidding and I can hear thunder rumbling in the distance.  We have severe thunderstorm warnings from now until around 10 tonight so this will be an excellent test of our new roof.   And just in case we lose power, I am powering up my laptop and phone.

And instead of dark chocolate today, I bought a couple of macaroons that are drizzled with chocolate.  

xo
Debbi