First humingbird

It was a female, and hungry - it fed three times while I read the paper.  What a nice round tummy!  A male cardinal was active in the bushes, possibly catching bugs for the family.  A dove walked around. Other than those, birds were scarce.  I think the winter migrants have gone.  The sun was bright and I think there was less wind than yesterday.  The birdhouse no longer showed only its back.  I put out the improvised mealworm feeder but it tossed a lot in the breeze.

An osprey launched itself out of the pine.  I saw an orange butterfly, a tiger swallowtail, and innumerable dogwood petals pretending to be cabbage butterflies.  The cold wind came in gusts that defeated the sun's warmth.  Ducks dabbled around the storm drain below the water tower - it was too far to be sure but I think they were wood ducks. 

Clouds behind the pines colored at sunset but the sky was mostly clear.  The hummer made a last visit after sunset.  When it was mostly dark I went out to look at the moon which will be first quarter tomorrow.  Venus was dropping into the pines and Jupiter was nearly overhead, with the moon between them.