Food fights

Do animals get cranky after too much winter? First the sparrow chased the cardinal out from under the bush where it was hunting over a snow-free patch of ground. Then a squirrel sat on top of the feeder, riding it like a glider swing, and chased off any bird that tried to perch below. But the real star was a male red-bellied woodpecker who was just a feather too heavy for the feeder. He found that by perching on the side his weight did not close the feeder. In between all this drama we had chickadees, titmice, cardinals, and finches. A jay tried but did not succeed in getting a seed.

A heron flew downstream, but it will be a while before the sun melts the creek ice open for fishing. By late afternoon the ice was gone and a mixed flock of hooded mergansers and buffleheads was busy fishing around the dock. A wood duck pair came paddling downstream.