Emergence

The title word is so close to the word "emergency" that it scares me. Aftermath of disaster still affects the soul.
In the rainy season we have the emergence of Lady Bugs, the manifestation of kiwi fruit from kiwi flower. June drop is happening with the persimmons, as the tree sheds the burden of excess fruit. Little green heads with court jester caps litter the pavement. I examine the tree with a scolding eye. "Don't drop them all!" I say this every year. Plums have ripened, some are falling, some are becoming brine pickles in earthenware jugs.
We missed the fledgling sparrow debut in the garden this year. I heard the nestlings peeping in the trees, and then I heard nothing. The crows in the tree on the farm out back have made their presence clear. Their own nestlings take precedence.

The spots develop later.

The hiyodori pair had a narrow escape a week ago during evening song hour. After a noisy skirmish in the magnolias, the hiyodori male led the crow a merry chase back to the crow's own nest, whooping in derision. The hiyodori female has emerged as a full-fledged member of the garden. She is not shy like many of the females, and she enjoys her daily bath in the fish urn. They built a nest somewhere near, but the female is too active right now to be brooding. Perhaps they are waiting until the crows leave the area.

Emerging

Drying the wings.

Clusters of kiwi fruit

Oxitate striatipes male. The most common spring spider.