White sky

The bright blue breakfast sky turned white when I wasn't watching.  And the wind was gusty, though not as fierce as in the last few days.  Starlings found the suet, alas. They always show up in gangs that don't get along except when bullying some other bird.  Eventually the woodpeckers got their suet back, much diminished.  White throats foraged for fallen bits of suet. The starlings were messy eaters. 

Cardinals courted.  The female pine warbler was fierce in defense of her time with the suet. The molting myrtle warbler tried to intimidate the female downy. 

I caught a glimpse of an osprey flying overhead.  The chipping sparrow was back!  So were orioles, both a female and two males. The female seemed to be molting.   Bluebirds returned to the bark butter balls.  Juncos were still around.   A Carolina wren perched in a dogwood before foraging for fallen suet.  A blue jay stuffed itself with bark butter balls.  I think they may have been for its mate. 

The brown thrasher again had a standoff with a downy and the female downy won.  The female pine warbler joined the victory feast.  The male downy watched the whole thing and then wanted a share of the spoils.  And the last I saw, the female pine warbler was  in possession.