More warm and wet

A flock of over a dozen robins just stopped in. And juncos have reappeared after at least a week with no sighting. A male red-bellied woodpecker stopped briefly on the fence. Then a yellow-shafted flicker started snatching food from the dangling vine that interested the mockingbird the other day. So the mockingbird showed up to claim its share.

Meanwhile, the flock of robins grew to more like fifty. It was quite easy to see the difference between males and females - I guess that's breeding plumage. A much larger flock of red-winged blackbirds arrived, including some grackles. The epaulets on the blackbirds were quite distinct. When the flock flew off, the effect was almost like a summer heat-shimmer in the air.

As though relieved that the ruckus was finally over, the house finch and chickadees came to the feeder that had been idle while all the other birds worked over the ground. And a pelican sailed upstream.

While my back was turned, the wet cleared off and now at noon it is sunny.