Dog days of summer

Unusual angle on a dragonfly. (Lynn's photo)



The dog days of summer - but you probably already know...

In Roman times, the hot, languid days of summer were believed to be caused by the dawn rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. An appropriate sacrifice (a brown dog) was made to appease the angry Sirius in attempt to ease the heat wave.

From just a little bit of reading, I've found that we should see Sirius clearly in our winter sky, when it's overhead, and located not far from Orion's belt. I guess in the summer it's up during the day (logical, since it rises with the sun).



Okay, this Dog Days bit was prompted by Lynn's cellphone video of the chirring of a Dog Day Cicada. The cicada itself, she says, is just above the cluster of red leaves!

Link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81bfLTKHB2A





Calvatia cyathiformis - Purple-spored Puffball, growing over near the blackberries. (Lynn's id)



Okay, I'll try to get a bird list squeezed in here, between photos.

Another two-week period, but with fall migration approaching, it may be time to get back to weekly listing and blogging.



Birders for the weeks of August 8-12 and 15-19, 2011:

Lynn, Sue, Tom



Birds for the two-week period:

Wild Turkey

Canada Goose

Killdeer

Herring Gull

5. Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Red-tailed Hawk

Rock Pigeon

10. Mourning Dove

Northern Flicker

Blue Jay

Common Raven

American Robin

15. Northern Mockingbird

Gray Catbird

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Black-capped Chickadee

20. House Wren

Barn Swallow

Yellow Warbler

American Redstart - possible/likely

Northern Cardinal

25. Song Sparrow

American Goldfinch

House Finch

Common Grackle

House Sparrow





one of our paths is choked with poison ivy!





and our blackberries are ripening in the warmth of August