Thursday Tidbits for July 21

Humidity Looks Like This
After taking the dogs for their morning walk, I grabbed the camera and went back out by myself to take some pictures of the humidity. You know it's humid when you can actually see the moisture in the air.

The sun is trying to shine through (upper left), but the air is so full of moisture that it appears we're living in a cloud.

Late yesterday afternoon we had a thunderstorm. Again. This weather pattern has been going on for weeks now. Hot and humid in the daytime and thunderstorms late in the day.

The power usually goes out for some people in the area. We've had our turn. Yesterday was something a little different, though. There was a flash of lightening, the phone rang very strangely to accompany the thunder, and that was the end of our phone service for the rest of the day.

Storm Damage
Since we live in a very wooded area, it's best to be inside when the storms blow in.

Branches blow down, power lines go down, and lightening hits where ever it pleases.

This large willow branch fell right across the creek. It's almost big enough to use for a bridge.

The soft willow wood is not good for much except a nice outdoor bonfire. Fortunately we live in an area where it's OK to burn, except on rare occasions when there hasn't been enough rain and the township puts out a fire ban. At the moment we have the opposite conditions. Everything is too wet to burn.

House Built of Sticks
About three weeks ago when I went to clean out the nest box used by the tree swallows, I found it full of sticks. A wren nest.

Male wrens put sticks in multiple nesting sites and let the female choose the one she likes best. I've had the sticks before, but never had a nest box be the chosen place.

Usually I make a note on what date I found the sticks. Then, after a few weeks of no activity, I empty the box out.

This time, however, there was activity. Wrens sitting on the box and wrens going in and out of the box.

This misty morning, I was able to catch a picture of one of the parents sitting on the roof with hatching food in its mouth.

How pleased I am to provide a nest box for the chattery little wrens. Sure wish I could look inside.

It's not possible to open the front flap to monitor the nest without destroying the structure of the nest, so I'm just watching from afar.