USA 2012 : Day 9 - Monday 4th June 2012
A rainy day. A day in which the plains demonstrated that they can really show the rest of the world what heavy, constant and torrential rain is all about. In the distance there was thunder but quite different from the kind I am used to hearing. This was Brian Blessed thunder. It shouted out that it was there and seemed to be really enjoying doing so.
Every so often we would spot one or other of the Kestrels on their favourite perch and at least once, one of them was feeding on another small and fluffy bundle.
The rain kept us contained for most of the day but as the day grew closer to the evening the sky cleared and the temperature rose. The three of us went into town; an easy walk of five minutes and tried out one place on the square but the nosie there was excessive so we went to Breakers and had food there.
On the way back the swifts/swallows/whatevers were out in force, mostly in pairs or threes, flying very closely together. A female sparrow on a telegraph wire started flapping her wings and cheeping so the male sparrow decided to ensure that that there would be a second clutch this year. Twice to be sure.
I stood out on the porch after the cat food was pu out and shortly there after the racoon put in an appearnce at the bottom of the garden, skimmed along the side and disappeared about her business. Before she disappeared into th border with the net house she again stood up on her rear legs and looked onto the porch to see if the food was there.
Bats were circling, at least two, possible three, making low swoops about 2 or 3 metres over the lawn while fireflied lower down flashed yellow.
Rather than keep the femal racoon from her food for too long, as she obviously is nursing, I came back inside. Ten minutes later we were able to look right down on her from the kitchen window while she finshed off the cat food remains.