Heavy gray clouds hanging

It must be getting warmer. And mid-morning, the rain begins. There is some kind of brown scum on the creek. It isn't gas or oil because I do see drops of that too. It's sudsy - when a bird takes off from the water it makes bubbles. Disgusting.

And there haven't been many birds either. Some cormorants, a female merganser, and a kingfisher that flew upstream. Gulls and crows overhead. Chickadees and titmice at the feeder. Funny how a titmouse is twice the size of the chickadee but much more timid. I heard jays. A pair of doves were cuddling up in the gum tree. Some kind of woodpecker was silhouetted against the sky.

Miserable rain all afternoon with gusty wind. Gulls are undeterred.