The eagle has landed

All through breakfast, an eagle sat in the oak across the creek.  Finally it swooped up and down the creek and disappeared behind bushes.  I think it caught a fish because the next time I saw it, it was on the ground where it stayed for some time. 

Meanwhile hooded mergansers were out on the creek.  Suddenly, one male began chasing another and attempting to mate.  The females just watched. 

I kept dashing out in the cold to take photos which may explain why no birds came to the feeder.  The birdbath is ice.  The fishing must be good - pelicans, great blue herons, and cormorants have joined in.  Geese keep flying by though they don't fish.

Feeder birds have appeared: house finches, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and impatient juncos.  On the ground, more juncos are joined by white-throated sparrows and squirrels.  The sky is gradually going white with what I think are cirrus ice clouds, but the sun continues to shine. 

At noon, a mixed flock of ducks and cormorants went diving and driving fish downstream like a wave rolling over on itself.  It is always amazing to watch the choreography as they fish.  The ducks included red-breasted mergansers.  A little later geese paddled upstream in pairs, proclaiming some message for all the world.  I found a female bufflehead lurking in the corner of a photo.

 During a late lunch, the song sparrows, cardinals and Carolina wrens put in an appearance.  The female towhee cane out despite the sun and blue jays hung around.  One of the squirrels has its tail coiled up like a corgi. The sky is back to blue with distinct clouds.  A hawk flew upstream.  Dare I hope to see this much during the bird count this weekend? 

This was Lunar New Year and thus a new moon.