Windy

The wind pushed the high tide over the dock.  Gusts shook all the colored leaves down.  The sky stayed overcast.   A squirrel was fascinated by something just below the pool coping, but wary of falling in.

The seed eaters were out in force: more than a half dozen cardinals plus finches and chickadees.  Doves poked around on the ground.  The migrants flitted through the shrubbery.  I got a glimpse of yellow on the beauty berry which I believe was a yellow breasted chat.  Cardinals came for the berries and so did a catbird.  A vireo was everywhere but I never saw it eat.  Blue jays stuck to acorns.  A red bellied woodpecker landed on a dogwood trunk briefly at lunch.  I saw a bumblebee and a few tiny moths but no other flying insects.  The lawnmower took out the spinyback orbweaver but the argiopes seemed OK. 

While I was outside cleaning debris out of the pool, a kingfisher flew overhead screeching.  It patrolled up and down the creek with it's rattling screech as though the wind was great fun.  It drowned out the blue jays.  Meanwhile the feeder birds kept stuffing themselves.  I heard other birds but didn't see them.  Yesterday's caterpillar found a new leaf to roll up in.  When I got out and came in, somewhat pink from the cold, a couple of Carolina wrens showed up for mealworms.  Then a light rain began and streaked the glass so I got no photos of all this.