Grayer and colder, and snow

There was some sun among the clouds and wind gusts early but heavy overcast by mid morning with a cold wind.  Three squirrels were all over the yard.  One fell from a limb while being chased but appeared OK.  One has a missing patch of fur on the back.

I counted birds from 8-8:30 and 9:45-10:45am:  a pair of house finches, 2 female towhees, a titmouse, 2 Carolina wrens, 3 white-throated sparrows, a pair of nuthatches, a pair of cardinals, a pair of juncos, 6 cormorants periscoping, a pelican, a chickadee, a male mallard, 3 gulls, a dove, 2 great blue herons, a yellow-rumped warbler, a song sparrow, 4 crows, and a male hooded merganser with 2 females.  I liked the punk cardinal with the sunflower stogie.

Rain began after lunch alternating mist with heavier precipitation.  The birds continued to chow down. No new birds, but the towhee and warbler returned. Now at 4:30pm the rain has definitely become snow. It melts on contact.  Juncos, sparrows and chickadees are still feeding. The streaks are snowflakes.

Now it is dark and I hear dripping and wind.  I thought the snow/rain was slacking off.  The question is whether what has fallen will freeze.