Cold, seed balls

The creek is ice-free and a lone gull floated on its mirror-image.  I glimpsed some birds, but none settled in for a visit.  I need to thaw the birdbath.

I've been running around all day with no time to observe.  At lunch, great black-backed gulls were plunging into the creek after fish.  A few geese and buffleheads went by.  Nothing else to be seen.  I finally added hot water to the birdbath, but it may not have been enough to melt the ice. 

I think the cold got to my brain - I did not check the feeder when I filled the birdbath.  So, of course it has been empty all day.  K refilled it this evening.  Egrets have been working in sunny spots along the banks. 

So, for interest, here is a comparison of sycamore seed balls and sweet gum seed balls. Sycamore (top) are soft and pull apart into fluff.  Sweet gum (bottom) are spiky caltrops with holes for the seeds which the birds like. So, trees that grow their own ornaments.