Whole lot of chasing

The sky is overcast and rain is predicted.  Lots of pairs are racing round in the diffuse light.  Two great blue herons, two song sparrows, two gray squirrels, and in each case I cannot tell if it is flirtation or rivalry.  Also up early are white throats, cardinals, a chickadee, cormorants, and pelicans.  March has not come in like a lion so far - it's warmer with only a light wind.

Actually, it is still too cold for me.  A pair of hooded mergansers are diving repeatedly at the end of our dock.  Lots of cormorants are hanging around but only one ruddy duck has passed by.  Some mallards were over by the bulkhead.

A pelican in breeding plumage caught something off the dock.   Then a cormorant tussled with a silvery fish to get it headed the right way down the gullet.  Two male cardinals had a staring contest at various points around the yard. 

The afternoon was much the same, gray skies and good fishing.