Birds are back

They found we'd refilled the feeder.  On the ground, doves, sparrows, juncos, and the female towhee shuffled the mulch.  One dove has a long white feather sticking out behind - is it molting?  Nuthatches, titmice, chickadees, and cardinals tussled for a place at the feeder.  The Carolina wren sang from the post top. 

The sky had that March look - big soft-edged clouds, both white and dark, with bits of blue between.  A storm is predicted with possible snow.  In the morning the wind out of the West made waves on the creek.  By noon, overcast was complete.  Later a rainy mist blurred the furthest trees.  The rain has not been heavy but the wind makes up for it.  Trees are whipping back and forth while last fall's leaves are springing back into the air.  I think the wind shifted around because the creek has risen over its banks. 

The birds have been stuffing themselves, almost like people panicking before a storm. A yellow rumped warbler stopped in after lunch which was the quietest time.  It has yellow on the top of its head, which I think is breeding plumage.   House finches came too.  Three female cardinals are not getting along any better than the two males.  The females are glowing with rose highlights on their brown feathers, like untarnished copper.  The wind rocked the feeder so much a cardinal gave up and left. 

On the creek I saw female mergansers and later a male bufflehead.  Pelicans fished, but mostly flew low to the water. A great blue heron perched on a piling till the wind got too strong.  You can see the rough water behind it.