Windy and cold

Overnight the wind shifted from SW to NW  and got even stronger.  Instead of pushing water out of the creek, it began pushing water in, and filling it with debris.  It also rained overnight.  A male downy woodpecker was the first to venture out, lured by the suet.  A great blue heron fished by the dam outfall.  A squirrel hung from its toes to eat suet.

Then a small flock of brown headed cowbirds landed on the feeder hangers.  They didn't seem to be able to get at the food and quickly flew off.  A couple tried to invade the birdhouse but were too big.  After that I saw chickadees flying in and out of the birdhouse.  Chickadees and titmice came for sunflower seeds.  The clouds began to break apart around 10am but the wind kept roaring.  Apparently the folk name for a spring cold snap is "dogwood winter."

The sun breaks were intermittent for the rest of the morning, but the wind never stopped.  A couple of egrets huddled on the downed tree on the lake bank.  At lunch starlings were frustrated by the suet.  A cardinal, titmice, and chickadees visited.  A squirrel was foraging on the ground when something caused it to panic.  It became sunnier as the afternoon progressed. 

When I got back from the dentist, starlings were at the suet again.  In scaring them off, I startled a robin.  Later a couple of titmice came to feed.