Cloudy

The snow is reduced to patches but the birdbath is frozen.  The creek is not and cormorant periscopes are everywhere.  An egret flew upstream.  The regulars join the sparrows at the feeder.  Squirrels are foraging beneath.

We had come-and-go sunshine at mid morning but it didn't last. The wind is fierce.  K refilled the feeder and that brought the birds out: titmice, the female towhee, and a Carolina wren.  Robins are prospecting in the grass.  A downy woodpecker hiked up the dogwood beyond the pool.

Mergansers, both hooded and red breasted, are in a line, driving fish up and down the creek. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any photos of them fishing.  The wind stayed strong all day.  But earlier, I did get hooded mergansers hanging about the floating dock, with the Northeast wind kicking up waves.