Phenology 8/1/11

Well, the heat finally broke--overnight lows in the sixties--positively chilly.

Other birds are quieter, but I'm hearing more cardinal songs: duets. So far I've not seen (through the thick leaves) whether this means two cardinal families are trying to divide the territory, or a mockingbird is messing with my male cardinal's mind. I've seen more mockingbirds here than previously (possibly due to warmer weather). They do enjoy messing with other creatures' minds. Once in Maryland I saw a mockingbird fly up to a group of other birds and imitate a cicada (made them look), and in Florida a mockingbird used to give my mother a workout by flying to different windows and imitating her patient's cell phone!

I'm surprised by how few moths have survived the early thaws and late freezes this spring. Usually in late summer the light-seeking moths are a nuisance; not this year.

The usual wildflowers (clover, vetch, daisies, a few late "fleabane daisies," thistles, early asters, Queen Anne's Lace, chicory) are blooming abundantly. At home I have a purple "Rose of Sharon," sort of a northern hibiscus, a cultivated bush introduced by my mother, that's hardly bloomed at all this year, and a white one that's bloomed more than I think it's bloomed in all the previous years of its life.

The orchard has produced some fruit...more than I expected after the last killing freeze this spring...nothing you could call a crop.