No, not another boring skyscape. The little black dots that look like grains of dirt on the lens are dozens of martins gathering for the return south. But they can't leave yet because there are STILL fledglings in the nest.

or fearful symmetry

just making sure we leave the area, and quickly

on the forest floor

this pretty little flower is trailing St John's wort, one of 13 different species of this perennial (hypericum) which range in size from the very small as here to the Rose of Sharon. On close up you can see the little black glands along the edge of the petal which contain various oily compounds including the compounds responsible for its antidepressant properties.

chaffinch return

There has been a complete absence of chaffinches in the garden this summer but suddenly they have reappeared. Where have they been? There has been a lot of concern recently (see link) about the plight of chaffinches, who are vulnerable to a protozoan infection caused by trichomonas, and we thought that maybe the local population had been infected, but it appears not, at least not completely. I suspect they find easy pickings away from garden feeders.

very very late

I think there are four very late martins in this nest under the apex of one of the eaves of our house, two of whom can be seen just poking their heads over the edge of the nest.

goldenrod

It is not Autumn yet but the countryside is beginning to show signs of the end of summer. Puffballs are appearing, and goldenrod is flowering in fields of scabious. And our martins have still not fledged ...they are cutting it very fine if they are going to build up enough fat reserves to fly to Africa.