I woke up from a decent night's sleep in a climate controlled abode and glanced at the thermometer. The outside thermometer read 65 degrees. I was delighted for a cool morning walk with the critters.
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While not being an often coveted work schedule, evening shift has afforded me the opportunity to walk the gang in slightly cooler temperatures.

However, my delight quickly turned to dread as I glanced onto the side porch.

There it was. Condensation on the sliding glass doors. Despite the cool temperature, the dreaded humidity had moved in.

Nonetheless, the critters and I set out anyway.

Fifteen minutes into the usually hour-long walk, I quickly regretted my outfit of choice which was a sweatshirt and jeans.

The middle of the woods was not a place where I could change my ensemble.

It always starts out like this on humid days.

There is a cool breeze and I am motivated.

However halfway through the walk, the sweat starts running.

​ I feel like a sweaty gym towel instead of a human being.

Nonetheless, the misty morning afforded  the opportunity for some awesome pictures of the morning sun's rays as they filtered through the trees.

The shafts of light seemed to appear everywhere. When the sun would appear the scene was lit with a misty green.

However, as I stopped to take the photos, my glasses fogged over.

​There is nothing like being all sweaty and not being able to see.
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I sat for a moment to try to cool down.

Of course Sherman, who is heavily panting by this point, decided that it is never too hot and sticky for love. He sauntered over and gives me his fuzzy butt which is shedding. He wanted me to scratch off the excess fur.

The experience was like being tar and feathered, except it was with sweat and fur.
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After a seemly long and sticky walk, we finally made it into the comfort of the air conditioning.

However that comfort was short lived, as I realized I soon would have to work in an unairconditioned shop that included the added heat of running machinery.

After a long and sweaty work evening, I expected to walk out into the darkness and into what

I apologize to readers for the continued harping on this subject.

I'm hoping that my complaining will reach Mother Nature's ears and she will let up on the horrid humidity.

​However, I feel she is not listening or has turned of the comments section.

A few weeks ago, I spotted a different looking bird perched like a statue in the branches of the crabapple tree. It sat there patiently while I took several photos and didn't budge.

After I was sure I had some decent shots, I thanked the cooperative photo subject and left. It remained in the tree as if nothing new had happened.

I at first thought it was some sort of flycatcher, but searches on the internet pointed toward the black-billed cuckoo. However, most of the photos on the websites had the bird sporting a red eye-ring and the one I photographed had a yellow eye ring.

​I turned to a birding Facebook page where one user said that it was indeed a black-billed cuckoo and that the yellow eyering was indicative of this year's hatchlings.

"Uncommon and elusive, the Black-billed Cuckoo skulks around densely wooded eastern forests and thickets," said a post on The Cornell Lab's www.allaboutbirds.org.
Venango County is in the cuckoo's summer breeding range.

"On the breeding grounds, this ardent caterpillar-eater makes quick work of tent caterpillars and webworms," the post continued.

I was thrilled when I read this and the statement could have explained why the cuckoo was in the crabapple tree.
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Unfortunately, things aren't looking good for the black-billed cuckoo as a species.

"Black-billed cuckoos are uncommon and their populations declined by 68 percent since 1970, according to Partners in Flight.

The species is on the Yellow Watch List and has a Continental Concern Score of 13 out of 20.

The estimated global breeding population is 890,000. In 2016, Partners in Flight estimated that if current rates of decline continue, Black-billed Cuckoos will lose another half of their remaining population by 2055," according to www.allaboutbirds.org.
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That kinda makes this sighting even more special for me. However, I would love it if I continued to spot them.

At the neighbor's pond I was able to capture a couple of photos of an Eastern phoebe.

I would love to catch the bird in action as it swoops over the pond to catch bugs.

​However, it is enough of a challenge just to get a shot of it sitting still.

This common summer resident arrives mid-March and generally