Clearing sky

It was gray at dawn but a West wind blew the clouds out to sea.  Not much rain fell overnight to judge by the birdbath.  First wrens, then doves arrived before there was enough light.  Juncos came for breakfast.  The warblers were up earlier than usual.  Two male cardinals glared while a female watched.  A turkey vulture teetered on the wind.  Song and white throated sparrows searched the ground for food.

Titmice arrived mid morning.  And of course there were finches, chickadees, and downy woodpeckers.  A blue jay and a red bellied woodpecker flitted around the edge of the yard.  Two pelicans cruised over the creek. 

In the afternoon there were waves of clouds, but each time I thought the sun was gone, the sky would clear again.  The creek, which was quite rough in the morning, gradually calmed.  I saw a bufflehead and possibly a ruddy duck.  The two warbler species shared the suet.

Squirrels were interested in more than food. Two followed one, I assume the one was a female.  She? led them on a slow chase over obstacles.  The sky was clear at sunset when clouds would have made it more interesting.  But the first quarter moon overhead was sharp-edged.