Sunday, January 29, 2017

Bright morning, gloomy afternoon

It was not quite so cold as yesterday morning.  There was a little ice in the birdbath and none on the creek. K insisted something had finished the jelly that was left out overnight and I could see the dish had moved.  A Carolina wren was at work on the suet when I tottered out to the kitchen.  It was joined by warblers.  White throats foraged in the mulch.  Later, a titmouse joined the suet crowd.  The flock of ruddy ducks was back.

On our way to church we watched a half dozen crows harass a hawk all around the sky.  I only had my phone for a camera and it wouldn't capture flying birds.  When we got home, a nuthatch was eating suet.  Both kinds of woodpecker showed up: downy and red belly.  Juncos and doves mingled with the sparrows that now included song sparrows.  Blue jays lurked up in the trees.  Finally the oriole came for its lunch. 

As we ate, a carpet of white unrolled from the West across the sky.  And then thicker, darker clouds flowed underneath.  A female hoodie rose up and showed off her belly.  Several buffleheads fished while a great blue heron stood on a piling.  Egrets stalked under the dam.

Around 4:30pm the cloud cover moved away and we had sun again.  Ruddy ducks reappeared, and the buffleheads left. 


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