Bright and cold

No reflections this morning, instead the creek was dancing with sun sparks.  A cormorant fished while gulls flew over.  The sparrows partied at the feeder till a female cardinal broke it up.

Later the male towhee took over the feeder.  But the sparrows persist.  An egret swooped down to the bulkhead.  A pelican cruised up and then downstream.

Clumps of fur or down came drifting on the breeze.  I am guessing that a squirrel's nest disintegrated and this was its inner layer.  There was no sign of violence.

At lunch, it was the female towhee along with the regulars and the sparrows.  In the late afternoon, they both ventured out despite the sun.  A cardinal tried to argue, but the towhee is a little bigger.

Ice at dawn

The creek is skinned over except where the current runs along the opposite bank.  A male towhee and a titmouse joined the regulars, a dove, and the sparrows for breakfast.  The sky is all blue and very bright. 

The ice didn't last long.  I saw hooded mergansers along the bulkhead.  A white throat chased a song sparrow across the patio.  The song sparrow is slightly smaller.  Other white throats contended for the feeder as did cardinals.  One female cardinal hid in the bush when another appeared.  I wonder if they're mother and daughter?

Sparrows and chickadees kept at it all day under a clear sky.  After dark it got very cold. 

Snow didn't stick

Last night I could see stars, or at least planets, but this morning the sky is gray.  Snow is falling in small pellets but dissipating when it touches ground.  A sparrow was kicking through the mulch but left when the snow started.  Something is making rings on the creek. 

A Carolina wren inspected the crevices between the bricks.  The snow continues to fall after more than an hour. It paused around 9:30, then started up again.  All it has accomplished is to dampen the patio.  Meanwhile, a pair of towhees came to feed, as did titmice, and all the regulars, and both sparrow species.  Something woodpeckerish flitted around the trees.  Cormorants are out fishing. 

I spent the afternoon away from windows.  The night is cold but clearing. 

Do birds prefer overcast?

Today's overcast has texture, like a quilt.  The sun slipped through at dawn then disappeared.  Both the creek and the feeder have been active.  Diving ducks, cormorants, pelicans, gulls, and a great blue heron have been fishing.  A white breasted nuthatch joined the regulars and both sparrow species at the feeder.  Two yellow rumped warblers scurried below. 

At lunch, a male towhee joined the sparrows and regulars.  Stuff fell from the sky in little white pellets that melted quickly.  Herons and pelicans kept on hunting fish. The squirrel with the white spot on her hip showed up.  The clouds began to break up in the late afternoon.

Bright again

Mare's tail clouds were tiled across the blue, but they've moved out to sea.  Titmice tried to get a place at the feeder but the white throats were too greedy.  Cardinals and finches managed.  A song sparrow poked through the mulch. 

Lunch was late.  The song sparrow continued to forage in the mulch, occasionally interrupted by squirrels.  White throats and chickadees preferred the feeder.  On the creek, cormorants were alone.  Crows had business everywhere.  The creek surface is mirroring the sunlit trees. A robin perched in the oak, calling attention to the buds beginning to swell.

Twilight brought a pair of wood ducks I would barely see.

Bright sun

Juncos and sparrows poked in the frosted mulch.  The frost dissipated quickly.  The regulars showed up at the feeder, as did a couple of starlings that got nothing.  Blue jays laughed from up in the redwood.  A Carolina wren peered at us from the azalea by the side window.  Crows are collecting nesting twigs.  Cormorants disturb the glassy creek surface.  There are no contrails this morning. 

By noon, the sky lost its crystalline blue to a white glaze of thin cloud, but the sun was still bright. A cabbage butterfly flitted over the roof. A pelican flew reconnaissance over the creek which is no longer mirror-smooth. 

Despite or perhaps because of the warmth, there wasn't all that much to see today.

Nuthatch, goldfinch, warbler, eagle, oh my!

It was sunny and quiet in the early morning, but no birds took advantage.  The creek was glassy until disturbed by a passing goose.  It clouded up while I was in meetings and by the time I got home the only blue sky lay on the North horizon. Gradually that blue widened Southward though the wind continues to come from the West. 

And then suddenly, birds were all over.  A yellow rumped warbler, maybe two, and a pair of goldfinches joined the regulars and sparrows.  Then titmice and a white breasted nuthatch appeared. 

Meanwhile the crows set up a clamor that flushed an eagle.  Blue jays gathered and proclaimed their presence.  Geese on the creek got amorous and a pelican cruised up and down the creek.  It all made lunch quite exciting.

Wren is back

I haven't seen the Carolina wren for a while but this morning it sang and buzzed loudly.  Sparrows, finches and chickadees competed for the feeder.  The concrete is wet and the sky clouded over.  Temperature is supposed to drop back into the winter range.  It's very humid. 

Mid-morning, flickers of sunlight surprised me. A fierce March wind is driving clouds East and birds into the shrubbery.  For weeks the wind has been out of the West, whether the weather has been fair or stormy, warm or frigid.  I was thinking about how for us the West wind is coming from across the continent unlike the Westron Wynde of the English poem.  It certainly didn't bring small rain. 

Mid-afternoon, I could hear the wind and rain roaring.  It left before sunset, the sky cleared somewhat and the wind died down. 

Early birds

I had to get up earlier than usual and was rewarded with many of the birds that stayed away during the count.  Titmice, juncos, a song sparrow, and a woodpecker were out in the yard.  A grackle tripped the feeder counterweight.  Two male cardinals played dominance games in the cherry.  The regulars and the white throats were around too.

Mid-morning the yellow rumped warbler joined the feeder crowd.  A pelican cruised over the creek and a cormorant dived under it.


I was busy all afternoon.  The temperature had people out in only shirtsleeves.  Sunset was colorful thanks to altostratus streaks.  The waning moon was overhead mid-day. 

Peek-a-boo sun

First it was overcast, then blue by mid-morning, then back to overcast with dark nimbus clouds, then clearing again, and finishing with white streaks turning pink against fading blue. 

Sparrows mobbed the feeder this morning.  I saw a hooded merganser male, a cormorant, and pelican.  As the clock struck 6pm, a cardinal appeared for its bedtime snack. 

Wet and gray, turned nice

Drips are hanging but it is not raining.  I think birds prefer this sort of windless, wet day.  A titmouse showed up after staying away all through the bird count.  Sparrows, doves, and the regulars are all hungry.  Squirrels are busy chasing each other.  An egret and a heron flew past.  A couple of geese are on the creek but I don't see ducks.  A crow flew over with a stick in its beak, headed for the pines.

The sky cleared by mid morning and the wind came up.  The temperature came up too.  Buzzards are still circling over the other side of the creek.  Not much else is out and about.

A heron took up station on the bulkhead in the late afternoon and a ruddy duck paddled by.  The sky was glazed with streaky altostratus clouds at sunset.  Unfortunately I was driving at the time.

Cold

It is sunny again and this morning the birds were eager.  A half dozen sparrows and a female towhee competed for the perch and the ground.  The birdbath was frozen.  A great blue heron took position on the bulkhead again - same one as yesterday?  The ruddy ducks were in a huddle in the middle of the creek.  A mallard slipped by along the bulkhead.

I had better luck counting birds at 9am today, though they were mostly on or above the creek.  There were a couple dozen ruddy ducks. They were joined by four canvasbacks and a half dozen hooded mergansers.  I counted four turkey vultures and one black vulture circling overhead.  A crow took after one vulture.  A pelican passed through.  As for the feeder, white throats, a pair of cardinals, a couple chickadees, and two mourning doves were all I saw. 

A robin came for a drink at lunch.  Afterward, a pair of house finches joined chickadees and sparrows.  I saw something hiking itself along the underside of branches and got all excited till I discovered it was a chickadee.   The buzzards continued their patrol but the ducks moved on. 

Brighter

Morning began with sunshine and cloud streaks.  The white throated sparrows were hungry.  A great blue heron waited on the bulkhead.

At 1pm, I put in an hour observing and not one bird came to the feeder!   I saw a buzzard, a small flock of geese, and a few diving ducks (bufflehead, ruddy, & hooded merganser).   The creek was more placid than it has been for weeks but there was a stiff breeze.  The sky was all blue. 

Clouds rolled East toward evening for a pink sunset.  K refilled the feeder and I scattered peanut hearts to no avail.  At dusk a single sparrow ventured out.

Overcast

A couple of great blue herons were up early.  A male house finch and a female cardinal came to the feeder.  A cormorant and a ruddy duck swam on and in the creek.  Around the middle of the morning a light rain began.

At lunch, a towhee visited, along with the regulars and the sparrows.  A pelican cruised the creek.  The rain fell steadily.

Around 4pm the rain turned to snow, very wet and melting on contact.  The wind was very gusty but it did not stop the birds.   They had a "bread and milk" frenzy at the feeder.  The regulars were joined by the female towhee and many white throats.  The towhee kept tripping the feeder counterweight but wasn't clever enough to figure out why. 

Gulls sailed on the gusts while mallards and cormorants labored to fly.  Then they all disappeared around 5pm as the weather calmed. It's clear and dry after dark. 

Sunshine!

It is a beautiful Valentines Day, albeit windy.  It's also the start of the Great Backyard Bird Count, so I counted for a half hour after breakfast.  Results: a pair of finches, four hooded mergansers, a flock of about fifty unidentified songbirds, two Canada geese, two chickadees, a pair of cardinals, a cormorant, a great blue heron, three ruddy ducks and a robin.

Later the white throated sparrows showed up.  A couple of egrets flew downstream.  Lots more ruddy ducks paddled and dove in the sunshine.  But really, I saw far fewer birds then earlier in the week.  It seems like this happens every GBBC - wind discourages the birds. 

The sunny day ended fairly warm with a full moon.  How romantic!

Cold mist

Last night the temperature rose and the snow turned to rain.  It appears we're in for an all day rain.  It is gray and misty, but individual drops are making rings in the birdbath.  We lost power for about three hours during the night.

The birds got a late start.  For a while, all I saw was ruddy ducks and cormorants on the creek and gulls and crows in the air.  By mid morning, the feeder got lively.  White throats were everywhere.  A female towhee took over the feeder while two female cardinals watched.  Later chickadees and titmice came for brunch.  I'm noticing that finches have become scarce this winter. 

Very cold

We are starting with sunshine and a cold blue sky, though nastiness is predicted for the afternoon.  A female towhee was first on the feeder but took off when she saw me.  Both kinds of sparrows are hungry and a warbler, so puffed out that it was hard to recognize, scurried around.  A female cardinal hung back and watched.

There is ice on half the creek. Hooded mergansers are racing around where the current keeps the water open. 

Clouds have moved in. The female cardinal is now up in the dogwood keeping watch over her feeder.  A large dark bird soared in circles over the creek.  I sought help identifying it from photos and it was either a juvenile eagle of a black vulture. 

Snow began in the late afternoon, big clumps of flakes that are sticking to the roads, not just trees.  It looks very pretty falling.  Supposedly it will turn to rain and disappear by tomorrow.

And it has turned to rain.  Amazing!  

Still cloudy

This time it was a female towhee that disputed the feeder with a female cardinal.  As I edged toward the camera they both left.  Sparrows took over. 

I saw a big lump in the top of a tall tree on Lynnhaven Parkway.  Hundreds of birds were screaming from another tree.  All I had was the phone and in those photos it is way too tiny to even be sure it's a bird, alas.  I was thinking it might be a great horned owl. 

At home, a buzzard circled and a robin paused in the top of the redwood.  The ruddy ducks keep fishing and a few egrets and herons tried their luck. 

Cold

The sky is still cloudy white.  Herons continue to line the creek while egrets hang out under the dam.  Ruddy ducks are still fishing.  Chickadees are on the feeder and white throated sparrows forage below. 

Snow flurries began at lunch - not enough to stick, just big multi-flake balls that disappeared on contact.  But it brought out the "bread and milk" urgency in the birds.  Titmice appeared, as did a wren, a song sparrow, and the regulars.  A cardinal drove off all other feeder birds, including a persistent white throat.  A red bellied woodpecker hiked up the oak, then tried a dogwood, and finally a pine.  Blue jays flew across the yard and one found something of interest at the flagstone steps. 

Around 4pm, the snow had ceased with no effect.  A male towhee appeared and disputed the feeder perch with a cardinal.  The ruddy ducks, cormorants, and herons kept fishing. 

White sky

The moon was bright last night, fattening past first quarter, but this morning there is cloud cover.  Ruddy ducks are still fishing and mallards and geese are paddling around.  Titmice started on the feeder, then white throats, a junco, and a finch arrived.

There was some sunshine around noon but the sky stayed white.  Great blue herons were having turf battles along the creek and a few egrets passed by on the way to the lake.  A cormorant surfaced between a couple of ruddy ducks, to their consternation.  The Carolina wren came for lunch, along with the sparrows, squirrels, cardinals, and chickadees.

Finally, mid-afternoon I saw the first pelican since the snowstorm and creek freeze.  Then some pale ducks with dark heads started diving among the much smaller ruddy ducks.  I believe they were canvasbacks.  Gulls and buzzards watched from the sky while two herons continue to chase each other.

Sunset was tinged pink. 

Chilly and gray

I didn't have time to look till late morning.  Ruddy ducks are still all over the creek, mixing with buffleheads and hooded mergansers.  An egret stopped in but had no luck. 

A female towhee joined squirrels in foraging while white throated sparrows jockeyed for a place on the feeder with the usual suspects. The towhee felt the need to fluff out her feathers. 

After lunch, a great blue heron landed on the edge of the patio with a sizable fish, but startled when I moved toward the camera. It flew off with another heron in pursuit. 

The sky cleared in the middle of the afternoon. 

A mackerel sky

The day was mostly sunny with altocumulus cloud cover.  I saw the two species of sparrow, juncos, and the usual three.  On the creek, ruddy ducks were joined by the occasional bufflehead and merganser.  An eagle flapped upstream.

Clearing sky didn't last

Breakfast at the feeder attracted cardinals, chickadees, and both species of sparrow.  Something in the water attracted egrets and herons as well as buffleheads and ruddy ducks.  A great blue heron landed on the bulkhead after buzzing a great egret.  At least three herons kept trading locations.  The sun began to find gaps in the clouds by mid-morning. 

The sun disappeared after lunch and the sky became white again.  Weather predictions this week have been way off. Hooded mergansers showed up mid-afternoon.  So did a female junco. 

Misty

Canada geese paddled upstream and there were some ruddy ducks out on the creek.  The feeder was quiet.  An hour later, the wren was chirping on the gas hose.  Mallards crash-landed on the creek. 

Lunch brought birds and rain.  A female towhee and titmice joined the two sparrow species and the three regulars.  The titmouse and a cardinal tipped the feeder shut and sat there puzzled.  A squirrel dug something thawed & soggy, but apparently edible, out of the birdbath. Ruddy ducks and geese continued to paddle around. 

At dusk tonight I saw the flock of crows that swirls around the 64/264 interchange come to roost in trees just south of Leigh Hospital.  Later the first quarter moon appeared. 

Gray day

K refilled the feeder and the wren came right away.  Then juncos and sparrows appeared, then chickadees.  A huge flock of tiny diving ducks passed downstream flanked by a few buffleheads. I am convinced they are ruddy ducks. 

The rest of the day was lost to errands.  Rain began in the evening. 

Morning wren

When I came out to the kitchen, the Carolina wren perched on the chair arm and sang to me.  A squirrel was the only other patio visitor.  Geese flew past and a pelican finally checked out the ice-free creek.  The sky is gray but the sun is sneaking underneath the cloud cover to light up the pines.  Everything is damp.

Chickadees and titmice came later.  Then around 9am the rain began. It slacked off eventually and mid-morning brought lots of little diving ducks.  Cardinals and both kinds of sparrow joined the chickadees and titmice. 

A female towhee came for lunch, along with finches.  Out on the creek, a flock of ruddy ducks paddled and dived.  There was a flurry of splashing at one point, but I couldn't see why.  Cormorants were fishing too.  The rain comes and goes but never quite stops.  The squirrel with the white spot on her hip showed up.

Groundhog day

Despite a prediction of rain and a sky more white than blue, the sun is casting shadows.  Does it matter that no groundhogs live here, or any other animals that hibernate in burrows? A little googling informs me that this is the half-way point between the solstice and the equinox, celebrated as Candlemas, Imbolc, and St. Bridget's Day. 

Squirrels were hoovering up fallen seeds as they emerged from the snow.  Then the birds arrived: the ubiquitous trio, plus the wren, song and white throated sparrows, and a female towhee.  There is still ice on our side of the creek but Canada geese stuck to the water along with some ducks, probably mergansers.  Crows were busy.

The sparrows and others were back for lunch.  The birdbath emerged grom the snow.  A squirrel teetered on the wren's favorite perch on the gas hose like it wasn't sure why it had gotten up there.  Geese and mergansers paddled in the open water.  The ice now covers less than half the creek and no longer looks milky.

In the late afternoon, I glimpsed a junco.  Sparrows, and the wren joined the regulars.  On the creek, gulls fished beside hooded mergansers, buffleheads, and small brown divers - ruddy ducks?  The ice is nearly gone. 

Early squirrel

It found the peanuts.  A junco and a couple of white throats were also up.  The melting proceeded apace as the temperature rose twenty degrees during the morning.  I saw a field that was subliming directly into vapor. 

When I returned in the late morning, a haw flew swiftly upstream.  A flock of geese occupied the bulkhead.  Then another flock landed on the ice and made their way over to the open water along the bulkhead.  A couple fell through the thin ice and had some difficulty extracting themselves from their icy potholes. The two flocks did not get along, then the dog got out and chased them all joyously.  That revealed that hooded mergansers were also in the open water.

Then the Carolina wren appeared.  A flock of robins followed.  They were joined by grackles and blackbirds.  Finches, cardinals, chickadees, sparrows, and titmice flocked to the feeder.  A blue jay landed on the railing.  Later a dove did the same.  I also glimpsed a hairy woodpecker on the dogwood across the pool

By mid-afternoon, clouds covered the sky, proving once again that winter is only sunny when it is cold.   After dark rain began and the snow is turning into fog.