I have at least one male and one female hummingbird visiting now.









Carolina wren



Midweek metal show. Metsatoll and Tyr.







Lots of cardinals about too.



I couldn't decide which one of the male Cardinal I liked best, the silly one, the angry one, or the contented one. So I've posted all three!

Bluejay enjoying a sunny afternoon



Bluebirds at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.



Fall migration is well underway. Lots of visitors to the garden. First hummingbird of the season arrived yesterday! A beautiful male ruby throat.

It rained all day yesterday and most of today, but he did not seem to mind.











Ovenbird



Great-crested flycatcher still visits



Giant swallowtail





Just waiting for the painted buntings now!

Perhaps it is just wishful thinking, but I think I am starting to see signs of autumn around here. The early painted bunting a few weeks ago was a good sign!

A few more recent visitors, a northern flicker and great-crested flycatcher





Some of the cypress trees are beginning to take on a golden hue



Prescribed burns at Jonathan Dickinson state park



Basking skink



A new one for me, the big-claw river prawn, Macrobrachium carcinus.



Not the best photograph, but it was hiding under a rock ledge in a murky stream. At first I thought it was a really big crayfish! I estimated it to be around 15" from claw to tail.

According to Wikipedia, "Macrobrachium carcinus is a species of freshwater shrimp native to the Americas.It is the largest known species of Neotropical freshwater prawn, growing up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and weighing as much as 850 grams (30 oz), although even larger specimens have been reported".