Busy birds

The temperature went back up so, of course, it rained.  But the clouds thinned around 8:30 and there was intermittent sunlight.  Both song and white throated sparrows foraged under the feeder while all the regulars competed for space on the perch.  A male cardinal pushed a female off.  Later titmice joined in.  A noisy flock of crows left the pines and flew overhead.

Meanwhile out on the creek pelicans and cormorants fished.  Egrets preened on the dock.

At lunch, chickadees tried to get past a female finch who played king of the feeder.  A titmouse flitted between bushes.  A pelican preened on a dock piling.  Sunshine gave way to threatening clouds that roared out of the Southwest.  It was warmer outside than in, but very damp.  At least two black swallowtail caterpillars were still alive but the portulaca was half freezer-burned.