Crisp and cold

Ice in the birdbath and frost on the mulch.  Lots of ducks on the water.  First the hooded mergansers passed through.  Then a ruddy duck began to fish. A pelican flew downstream.   A great blue heron stood post downstream while a crow gave voice from the gum tree.  Pintails arrived and later joined Canada geese.  I glimpsed what might have been an eagle high up. 

Then the red tailed hawk came which may explain why the feeder was deserted. At first a crow chased the hawk all over the sky and finally off North.  A bit later, the hawk came back and circled over the creek. 

At dinner, more pintails and ruddy ducks paddled about.  The feeder remained untouched. The sky stayed clear through sunset which turned it salmon colored.  In the twilight, a small flock of white throated sparrows descended on the mulch under the feeder and one hopped onto the perch.  It was too dark for the camera, though I tried anyway.