Observations on a Gray Day

It's another gray day with a threat of rain.  Even when it's not raining, the air is so moist you feel drenched just stepping outside.  Not a good day for gardening tasks.  That list will have to wait for better weather.

Here's one view of the gray day. As I sit outside I see the yellowing leaves of the tulip poplar.  With all the moisture some of these are skipping the yellow stage and going right to brown.   The dogwood is showing a pinkish hue.

 

Though I didn't capture them in this photo, the robins are busy in the garden paths finding grubs and worms.  I also saw them on the roof of Dan's shop eating stink bugs.  There are plenty of those for them to eat.

This female hummingbird is still around which surprised me.  I thought they'd left on their migration south.

 

She visited several times after going to other flowers in the garden.  I didn't think I needed to refill the feeder and was thinking of putting it away. 

 The titmice and chickadees are doing some leaf rattling in the beech tree.  I finally figure out they are going after the beech nuts.  This is the first year that this tree has had beech nuts.  I guess it finally reached the proper age.  I expected the squirrels to eat all the nuts but they haven't paid any attention to them.

Other wildlife observed on this gray afternoon: the rabbit scooting out from under the deck near where I sit and high tailing it to the pond, a flock of starlings fly onto the roof,  two squirrels have a game of chase, and a lone chipmunk runs across the rocks on an errand of some sort.  All of them busy, busy, busy.  But me?  It's a gray day.  I'm holding out for some sun before I tackle those fall garden chores.