Not just frost this time, the birdbath was full of ice. But the wind finally stopped howling. I failed to photograph pelicans and a great blue heron pursuing an intruder. Vegetation blocked a shot of the egret sheltering below the dam. The female oriole was an early riser and so was the mockingbird. Bluebirds and blue jays soon followed, then pine warblers.
The goldfinch flock drank from the pool puddle since the birdbath was frozen. Juncos and white throats poked through the mulch looking for whole sunflowers amid all the hulls.
At lunchtime, white breasted nuthatches came for sunflower seeds. I'm sure I saw at least two of them. Later a brown headed nuthatch popped up.
On the other side of the steps, a brown thrasher tossed mulch around, presumably hunting bugs or worms or maybe runaway barkbutter balls. Both females, the oriole and downy shared the suet. That made the mockingbird envious. At least, its yellow eyes got redder, which I think reflects strong feelings. Eventually it took possession and the oriole watched instead.
I also saw a goldfinch on the suet cage with the oriole, but I think it was confused. The male red bellied woodpecker wanted suet but spooked and fled back to the dogwood.
The flirting squirrels were back. They got distracted by fallen seeds. A female bufflehead fished around the barnacle-encrusted pilings across the creek. I saw some other ducks headed upstream that may have been hoodies. Mallards were paddling around with their heads under water.
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