The Daily Bucket is a place to catch your casual observations of the natural world and turn them into a valuable resource. Whether it's the first flowers of spring or that odd bug in your basement, don't be afraid to toss your thoughts into the bucket. Check HERE for a more complete description.
So, let's get going.
Castro Valley, CA.
Thursday, July 21, there was a great ruckus first at my newly revived fountain and then at my thistle feeder. Many (4 or 5) small goldfinch fledges doing the windglp and all that, who only shut up when a male Lesser Goldfinch arrived. Since I had suspected them as Lessers from what field marks I could see, I decided to call them. They could be a second brood for all I know, but they are the first LEGO (Lesser Goldfinch) fledges I've seen this year, at least in my yard.
In my orange tree, a female House Finch (HoFi) was studiously and pointedly avoiding a HoFi fledge that was trailing her around. It was obviously old enough for her to be driving it to feed itself, but it was the first HoFi fledge in the yard for me this year.
It continues to be hot here, at long last, and my spiders continue to grow and spread out. Also, on Tuesday, the 19th I saw a new insect - it appeared to be a wasp, pretty much full sized, which was black from head through waist and then a bright yellow, maybe shading a touch toward orange. It was hanging out near some bushes, seemingly briefly checking them out for prey.
So, please post your observations and location in the comments. I will be out until about 1:00 pm, when I might have more information, but will definitely be attending to comments.