It rained all morning and looked like rain all afternoon. When I came out to the kitchen, a mallard hen was standing in a puddle outside. A great blue heron perched on the dock bench. The angsty butterbutt flashed yellow from head and wing pits as a male red bellied woodpecker ate suet.
Yesterday's supply of mealworms topped with bark butter balls was still
in the dish feeder and a white throat was having breakfast. At least five crows descended on the feeders and fought over who could perch. A squirrel followed them on the feeder after they'd carried off all the hot pepper bark butter. Then a blue jay took a turn.
The rain at breakfast was light but by late morning it had grown heavy enough to look like fog. On the lake, pairs of shovelers circled in what I suppose was a mating ritual. Something left most of a fish carcass under the redwood and pair of mallards just had to investigate. They would nibble at it then rush down to the water, apparently to drink. Strange. After lunch a flock of red-winged blackbirds alighted and then fled before I could get to the camera.
I was away for the rest of the day while the temperature continued to rise and thick dark clouds to hang low. After dark I saw a plume moth on the window, now doubt hatched by the warmth. And the Great Backyard Bird Count was over for another year.
No comments:
Post a Comment