Fog

The fog made the fall leaves in our yard seem bright even as it washed out the distances.  A  Carolina wren was hungry but then the tabby cat showed up. I shooed it away and it jumped impressively.  Then the red breasted nuthatches came for seeds.  I don't know how many there were but one had a pale breast and another was dark orange. 

The fog at home had dissipated by mid morning when we went to the Norfolk Botanical Garden.  We hadn't gone very far on the way before we were back in fog. I walked around and looked at a formal garden and a greenhouse of tropical plants, but spent the most time in the Japanese garden.  The only wildlife I saw was a couple of cormorants and some squirrels but the plants were interesting and I enjoyed the foggy landscapes.  

When we got home the birds made up for their lack at the Garden.  A yellow rumped warbler sampled suet and bark butter balls.  Pine warblers wanted both.  Even a downy woodpecker succumbed to the lure of bark butter.  A brown thrasher only wanted bark butter balls but it got kicked off by the red bellied woodpecker.  Then bluebirds wanted their share.  And a mockingbird arrived that was even ruder than the woodpecker.  It didn't eat anything but kept the others away.  The usual sunflower seed eaters were all present joined by a brown headed nuthatch in addition to the red breasted pair.  

The gray overcast began to break apart near sunset.  Hooded mergansers paddled on the creek then all flew away.  The kingfisher perched on the navigation sign downstream.  I went down to the dock to watch the sunset.  At twilight, a white throated sparrow came for a drink at the birdbath.