Snow and rain

Light snow fell at breakfast and dusted the ice on the creek.  It turned to rain about 9am, but I saw flaky white rain occasionally after that.  Over the course of the day, the temperature rose to 50° and almost all snow had disappeared by dark.

The birds were not happy about the sparse food as well as the weather.  Song and white throated sparrows prospected in the melting snow.  A cardinal and the Carolina wren pair joined the search.  The great blue heron chased off a trespasser. It was altogether a dull and drippy day.  

Cold

Morning was sunny but there was still plenty of snow and the creek was again iced over except where the current flowed along the bulkhead.  Even the dock was still covered with snow despite being in the sun.  Geese floated along the narrow open lane. 

I did not put more suet out on account of the starlings, so the birds had to be content with barkbutter balls.  That was OK with the orioles.  And of course the blue jays were delighted.  They queued up for a turn at the cup.  The brown thrasher owned the barkbutter balls for a while by sitting on the cup.  But other birds stayed away after they discovered there wasn't any suet. 

The Carolina wren pair foraged in the snow and picked through the sunflower seeds.  Later I saw the feral cat using the redwood as a scratching post but I wasn't quite fast enough with the camera.  

Lingering snow

This morning there was some ice on the creek.  The day was sunny but just a few degrees above freezing.  Snow that was in the shade only melted a little.  I noticed red spots on the snow under the seed feeder, but I don't know if they were blood or something else.  A female oriole and a male pine warbler started off on the suet.  The pair of Carolina wrens followed.  A brown thrasher prospected for what they dropped.  Then starlings began their raids.  

White throated and song sparrows seemed to find plenty of seeds in the snow.  I saw a yellow rumped warbler on the ground a couple of times.  The downy woodpeckers worked on the suet whenever larger birds let them.  A male red bellied woodpecker and a mockingbird had a shouting match.  Put your money on the woodpecker because, after the mockingbird yielded, a starling took its place.  But not for long.  The red belly drove it away too.    

Pelicans continued the creek patrol but I never got a good shot.  The young eagle made a couple of passes but was harassed by crows.  I tried to take pictures of icicles but most didn't come out.  The dripping roof encased one plant in ice.  I tried to make a bird-size snowman but the snow was very dry and wouldn't stick.  A few small clouds turned pink at sunset.  By that time the suet was completely gone and I just put it out on Monday, not even a full week ago.  

Snow day!

It looked like there were three inches on the outdoor furniture, but on the concrete just enough to cover.  A gusty wind made it hard to tell whether snow was still falling or only blowing.  The wind kept the creek open.  North windows were glazed with sleet.  

The vivid color of the orioles enabled me to see them through the blowing snow.  The boss butterbutt joined an oriole on the snow capped suet.  A titmouse and a song sparrow checked the snow for fallen seeds.  A Carolina wren started with suet.  A male oriole wanted the same thing.  A goldfinch joined the house finches at the seeds and I realized it was smaller.  Bluebirds joined the party.  

Then starlings crashed it while crows watched from the trees.  I kept driving the starlings off but they soon came back.  Juncos appeared from wherever they've been hiding for weeks and joined white throats and a female cardinal in the snow.  A downy woodpecker ventured out for suet.  The brown thrasher huddled on a dogwood branch.  Robins also showed up, but that was because they were thirsty.  The mockingbird finally came to defend its food supply.  Pine warblers slipped in whenever they could.  A blue jay wondered whether there was any food for it since the barkbutter cup was full of snow.  I wondered if the suet would last the day. 

By lunch time some snow had melted and some had blown down.  There was blinding sunshine instead of gray overcast but the temperature stayed stubbornly in the 30s.  And plenty of snow remained.  The lake was empty of birds but mallards and a couple of female buffleheads were out on the creek.  

Many birds

Once again there were birds before there was enough light.  Plus I was eating breakfast and trying to follow a legislative committee hearing.  The cat arrived and removed temptation.  Later starlings tried to gobble up all the suet.  

Around noon the sky began to clear.  Lots of birds came at lunch time.  Pine and yellow rumped warblers renewed their dispute over suet.  Five bluebirds argued about precedence.  But the orioles put on the real show - four females and two males showed up!  The mockingbird tried to police the suet.  Blue jays noticed that I put out barkbutter balls.  All three species of nuthatch visited - brown headed in the early morning, red breasted in the afternoon, and white breasted on and off all day.  Carolina wrens were repeat visitors along with tufted titmice.

Pelicans cruised the creek all day, until I moved to the back room fro a better view. I saw several female buffleheads.  A great blue heron landed on the dock, then moved to a perch in a pine across the creek.  Canada geese took over the lake logs but at least one shoveler drake was paddling around behind them.  A hooded merganser pair passed through headed downstream.  

Wet birds

I was trying to get to bed earlier and I must have skipped over Tuesday.  Maybe it was because I took too many pictures and couldn't cope?  Going by those photos, the day began with a goldfinch.  A yellow rumped warbler and a Carolina wren immediately followed, then a bluebird took the suet away from them.  The wren and the warbler moved to the mulch.  A female oriole replaced the female bluebird.  A male red bellied woodpecker was next.  A red breasted nuthatch was only interested in seeds.  A brown thrasher looked for suet crumbs.  And all that happened in four minutes.  

Soon a female downy woodpecker had a turn at the suet.  A ruby crowned kinglet followed another oriole and flaunted its tiny ruby.    Too bad the light was so poor and the kinglet so jittery.  A song sparrow was easier on the camera.  The mockingbird was wet as well as puffed up.  A pelican flew through the rain and then the cat prowled through the yard.  

Rain fogged the distant trees at lunch.  White throated sparrows poked through the wet mulch.  A pine warbler waited in the dogwood to share the suet with a bluebird.  Downstream, a great blue heron waited on a dock.  The wren brought its partner.  A male oriole displaced the female.  Then a male downy slammed onto the suet and sent the oriole flying.    A crow across the creek pulled something out of the grass, maybe a worm?  Mallards, hooded mergansers, and shovelers congregated around the dead trees on the lake.  Female buffleheads fished in the creek.  More pelicans flew over but must not have seen any fish.  

Rainy

Apparently there was rain overnight but it had stopped before breakfast.  Birds seized their moment but alas there wasn't enough light to photograph the white breasted nuthatch or the others I've now forgotten.  The blue jays queued up for bark butter balls.  The creek was ice-free and quiet except for a female bufflehead.  Up on the lake I could barely see some Northern shoveler drakes.  

I installed a fresh block of suet when I noticed the cage was completely empty.  The feisty yellow rumped warbler kept a close watch on lunch.  Rain returned around 1pm.  White throated sparrows ignored it but I didn't see the song sparrow.  The rain did not seem to bother the mockingbird.  

Cold

The sun was bright in the morning but the creek was mostly iced.  The male red bellied woodpecker worked on the remains of the suet.  I only have three more so it looks like I'll run out.  Bluebirds were next and they got into an aerial argument.  The brown thrasher seemed bolder today till the cat peeked over the steps.  I threatened it with the camera.  Well, it works on birds so why not?  

Once the cat departed, the Carolina wrens showed up.  So did the yellow rumped warblers. There were more pine warblers than yellow rumps until recently, but I only saw one pine warbler today.  White throated sparrows and the song sparrow began foraging.  The ice cracked and leads developed.  

The brown thrasher was back for lunch and this time the mockingbird came too.  They are cousins, but not friends.  I finally opened a new bag of barkbutter balls and refilled the cup.  A wren was quick to notice.  The boss butterbutt monitored the feeders from across the yard.  That was too bad because the ruby crowned kinglet wanted some suet.

The creek ice was gone but the surface was still glassy, just not frosted.  I saw a female bufflehead paddling and diving.  A couple of hooded merganser drakes glided downstream under the bulkhead.  Another drake and two hens were up on the lake paddling toward the dam as a great blue heron watched.  

Another cold, sunny day

A downy woodpecker got to the suet early.  White throated sparrows wasted no time either.  The creek surface was smooth in spots and ruffled in others making me suspect underwater activity.  Buffleheads appeared to agree.  Then hooded mergansers showed up.  

The wind picked up by mid day.    The masked yellow rumped warbler got its fill of suet.  House finches joined the Carolina wrens and sparrows in the mulch while a titmouse attacked the suet.  The wrens got their share of suet.  A brown thrasher sat on the barkbutter cup as though waiting for it to magically refill.  I never did get around to opening a fresh bag.  

The immature eagle circled over the creek, then landed in an oak on the other side.  Curiously, the crows didn't notice.  A song sparrow showed up in the afternoon.  Something alarmed it into raising its head feathers into a short crest.  I don't think it was the eagle.  

Big day

I was mostly busy, but for once the birds showed up when I looked for them.  At least three white throated sparrows foraged for breakfast.  The one with the sore eyes seemed healed, but unattractive.  Carolina wrens went straight for suet but then checked everything else.  The mockingbird, of course, took over the suet.  

A red breasted nuthatch was thirsty as well as hungry.  Warblers continued their dominance struggles.  Downy woodpeckers finally got a turn at the suet.  The orioles were in no hurry for breakfast.  The female red bellied woodpecker interrupted the orioles.  A warbler sneaked in and got told off.  

It was too warm for pelicans but there was plenty of other waterbird action.  A pied bill grebe was hanging out with two pairs of hooded mergansers.  Turtles were out on their log.  A kingfisher landed on the dock by the dam, then flew off up the lake.  A great blue heron wrestled with a sizeable fish that tried its best to avoid fate.  

For some weird reason, Google won't let me add photos.  

Birds and clouds

At first the light was a problem.  Bluebirds and blue jays were blurred.  Finally a female oriole held still for a moment.  The female red bellied woodpecker was visible on the pine trunk.  A Carolina wren sat at the seed feeder tossing whatever it didn't fancy.  Its partner visited the other food sources.  Meanwhile, a red breasted nuthatch popped onto the feeder perch.  And the wren no sooner turned than a brown headed nuthatch materialized in the same spot, like a magic trick.  

Then the male oriole showed up for suet and I hardly knew where to point the lens next.  A mockingbird puffed itself up but the oriole was not impressed.  White throated sparrows and juncos stayed on the ground.  The sparrows kept trying to get past a squirrel but it apparently had learned that this was "Squirrel Appreciation Day."  A downy woodpecker finally got a turn at the suet.  Pine and yellow rumped warblers snatched what they could.  A great blue heron took up residence on a dock post.  And all this was at breakfast because I never had another moment.  

A gulp of cormorants

Two female orioles fed on the barkbutter balls while I was making my cereal, but I didn't see them again.  Both red bellied woodpeckers visited today, though not at the same time.  Two Carolina wrens showed up together, as always. Downy woodpeckers hopped onto the suet when the larger woodpeckers left.  The feeder birds frequently spooked although I did not see the cat, so I suspect a hawk.  

Toward evening I noticed over fifty cormorants on the lake, some in the water and some drying out.  A great blue heron was supervising.  Gulp is one of the collective nouns for cormorants.  A few small clouds turned pastel and created colorful reflections.  A female hooded merganser drifted downstream and a pair of mallards skimmed the water for whatever nourishment it had.  

Bright sun

Again there was a flurry of birds during breakfast.  They got up later than we did, but the light was still poor.  A couple of blue jays foraged on the ground.  The male red bellied woodpecker shared suet with a warbler.  White throated sparrows scuttled around the patio.  The red breasted nuthatch darted in for seeds.  Then the cat scared them all off.  A squirrel was startled by the cat, but recovered and pointedly stayed just out of pounce range.  The cat gave up and went to sit on the pool cover.  Birds returned and the mockingbird took over the suet.  The female red bellied woodpecker paid a short visit to the suet.  Carolina wrens were cautious.  I saw house finches courting up in the trees.  Bluebirds argued over who was first, then they all left.  A handful of goldfinches showed up and actually ate suet.  Some vegetarians!  

The tide went way out.  A great blue heron landed on a neighboring dock piling.  A few turtles basked on the lake logs.  I saw some birds paddle out of sight but I couldn't identify them before they disappeared.  It was a lovely day but I was consumed with Zoom. 

Eagle

The morning mostly got away from me.  A male red bellied woodpecker arrived before lunch.  The boss butterbutt was back.  White throated sparrows continued their hunt for fallen food.  Then the birds scattered and I saw why.  I believe it was a young eagle.  The crows thought it was a menace and it thought they were pests.  Eventually they annoyed it into leaving.  I saw crows gather again later so it may not have gone far.  But they may have been after a different raptor. 

A mockingbird copied the warbler and refused to let other birds have suet.  But it was outmatched by the blue jays.  A red breasted nuthatch made a couple of trips for seeds.  When I went back inside, the female oriole came out.  But the mockingbird wasn't having that.  It sat on the suet till a squirrel climbed the post.  Then, I think, a hawk swooped through aiming for the house finch on the seed feeder.  The squirrel seemed startled but not fearful so it was probably a Coopers hawk, or possibly a sharp shinned hawk.  Unless it was something else - all I saw was a pale underside.

A female bufflehead fished our stretch of the creek.  A pelican took its time gulping down whatever was in its pouch.  It lifted its beak to the sky, then flapped its wings, whether to aid digestion or to celebrate its meal, I don't know. 

Putting the war in warbler

The morning flurry of birds didn't last long.  I concentrated on the brown thrasher and the others disappeared.  The birdbath was frozen again, but in the winter it's always in the shade.  I didn't see any ice or frost anywhere else.  Eventually the white throated sparrows drifted back, then the warblers.  Carolina wrens and the mockingbird came for lunch.  

In the late afternoon, I discovered the cat had settled in its preferred spot even though it was now in the shade.  I told it to begone.  After that, a couple of butterbutts (yellow rumped warblers) competed for the suet.  One mounted guard on the suet but the other kept trying to sneak past and then the chase took them around and around the backyard.  They had to have used more energy than the suet could replace.  One worked up a thirst.  The black masked warbler was not the winner.  A white throat stayed under the furniture out of the way.  A downy woodpecker was too big for the warbler to displace but I think the downy got tired of the commotion because it didn't stay long.  

Wet

Overnight rain filled the birdbath and ant moat.  A female oriole was busy with the suet as soon as there was enough light to take a picture.  An hour later there was a flurry of birds, including a red-winged blackbird.  Then they all disappeared and soon I had to leave as well.  But as I was going I spotted a female pileated woodpecker on a pine trunk.  She was chipping away the base of a dead branch stub.  

At lunch, Carolina wrens competed with yellow rumped warblers for suet.  White throated sparrows looked for fallen treats.  Later, female downy woodpecker ventured out to the suet so a pine warbler joined in.  I thought I saw a hawk flash past. 

Pelicans flew over the creek.  Hooded mergansers fished from the surface.  There were only a few sasanqua buds left and only a few flowers.  Thick, dark clouds rushed Eastward and sporadically drizzled.  The sun occasionally found a rent in the clouds and lit up the trees against a stormy background.  

More warm sunshine

The mulch was frosted again and the trees in the distance appeared faintly misty.  Blue jay greed was greatly in evidence.  Of course, it wasn't so obvious how much suet the orioles and mockingbird were packing away.  The Carolina wren pair sampled everything.  I also saw red breasted nuthatches and yellow rumped warblers.

The bright sun brought turtles up from the mud.  But pelicans fished in the creek to avoid the wind.  There were also buffleheads and hoodies on the creek.  Five crows were up to something in the pines.  A squirrel sulked on top of the feeder it couldn't get into.  The temperature rose into the mid 50s and then clouds moved in by 4pm.  

Warm and sunny

I spent too much time away from the birds.  At breakfast, hooded mergansers attended to their feathers while floating on the creek.  The mockingbird worked on the new suet.  So did pine warblers and orioles which led to a commotion.  White throated sparrows stayed grounded.  The pair of Carolina wrens investigated everything.  

At lunch, the brown thrasher found no bark butter balls and went down the steps to hunt for suet crumbs.  Later I refilled the cup but I didn't see any birds discover that.

Another frosty morning

A song sparrow scurried around the mulch.  The creek had a matte finish thanks to a skin of ice.  A female oriole was eager for suet though there was little left.  Both red breasted and white breasted nuthatches wanted sunflower seeds.  The aggressive yellow rumped warbler and pine warblers soon joined the crowd.  

I spotted a lone red-winged blackbird in the redwood just before it flew away.  The Carolina wrens explored the sunflower seeds, the mulch, and of course the suet.  White throated sparrows slept in but eventually appeared.    A bright sun raised the temperature to 58° by afternoon.  I finally installed a fresh block of suet in the, by then empty, suet cage. 

Clearing

Morning was wet and dreary but the sky cleared before lunch.  White throated sparrows hoped for more fallen seeds.  Yellow rumped warblers did not like having to reach for what was left of the suet.  Neither did the mockingbird.  Downy woodpeckers just kept eating suet.  A brown thrasher hunted for suet crumbs on the steps.  The pair of Carolina wrens got away without a single picture.

A great blue heron fished beside the dam and a few hooded mergansers fished along the bulkhead.   I spied a shoveler drake up on the lake. One hardy turtle was out catching some rays despite the temperature.  A speedy little female bufflehead paddled past the dabbling mallards.  They were using their feet to stir the water, which is something the shovelers do.  

Icy

There was frost on the ground and ice in the creek.  The birdbath was a solid lump.  There was some sunshine at first but the day quickly became overcast.  The ice was soon gone and pelicans fished on the creek. Blue jays quickly emptied the bark butter balls.  A yellow rumped warbler stared accusingly at us.  I did refill the cup later. 

An early song sparrow looked for breakfast in the frost.  The white throats came later.  K refilled the seed feeder and kindly left some seeds on the patio for squirrels.  That seemed to lure them to the feeder to attempt to get more.  The feeder won. 

Two female orioles focused on suet.  So did the mockingbird and a a female red bellied woodpecker.  And the kinglet returned for more.  Pine and yellow rumped warblers tried to drive the larger birds off the suet cage.  The male downy just hopped onboard with an oriole.  Bluebirds were late to the party but they got a share of the suet. 

Territories

In the early morning, the creek was still in shadow but reflected the sunlight on the trees.  By lunch time, bright sunshine had not warmed the air very much.  The mockingbird was still being possessive about the suet.  Maybe that's why a lot of birds preferred to hunt for crumbs on the steps.  Unfortunately, that kept them out of sight.  A pine warbler and a Carolina wren were able to coexist on the dwindling suet.  Yellow rumped warblers also acted territorial.  The tiny but determined ruby crowned kinglet came back.  The male red bellied woodpecker got lunch and, of course, there were downy woodpeckers.  Female orioles were mostly peaceable for once. 

The brown thrasher almost defeated me till I caught it thrashing the dead leaves over by the hose bib.  White throats busily foraged in the mulch.  Three mourning doves joined the hunt.  A red breasted nuthatch made off with sunflower seeds.  Crows swooped through and scared the songbirds.  I think they may have been after a hawk.

On the creek, a lone female bufflehead fished while the Canada geese paddled around slurping up whatever it is they eat in the water.  The great blue heron that owns this stretch of creek was on our dock piling again.  Across the creek, three pelicans basked and preened on a boathouse roof.  A pair of hooded mergansers popped up by the bulkhead. 

Bright and chilly

I saw a big bird coming at me up the creek and thought it was a pelican until it landed on the dock and turned into a great blue heron.  There were pelicans, but my timing was off or vegetation was in the way or the camera didn't cooperate.  A female bufflehead kept diving in roughly the same spot on the creek.  Quite a sizable flock of hooded mergansers paddled upstream.  A high-flying bald eagle passed overhead to fast for me.

The bandit-masked butterbutt was still trying to be the boss of all warblers but some of the pine warblers had other opinions.  I wonder if the reason it still has summer markings might be an excess of testosterone?  Downy and red bellied woodpeckers and orioles ignored the warblers.  Carolina wrens tried to stay out of trouble and still get a good meal.  A ruby crowned kinglet gave up after being chased off the suet several times.  A goldfinch watched other birds on the suet as thought it had regrets about being a vegetarian.  A bluebird pair preened in the cherry while soaking up sun and watching the feeders. 

Two mockingbirds continued their turf war over my yard.  A brown thrasher needed a drink.  White throated sparrows dodged squirrels as both hunted fallen seeds.  Red breasted nuthatches darted past the guardian house finches to get seeds.  Chickadees and titmice did the same.  

The hyacinth K brought home has bloomed already.  The three peppers were ripening.  

Cold and wet

Periods of rain punctuated the day which stayed cold.  As a result, I didn't put out any more bark butter balls, but some birds pecked at the mush that was left.  The warblers explored all options for food and fought with each other.  Carolina wrens tried to avoid the fuss. The light was terrible and the windows were spotted with rain, so a third of my pictures were washouts.  Thank goodness for digital cameras.

A female oriole joined a male downy woodpecker on the suet.  It was the male red bellied woodpecker's turn at the suet.  Bluebirds managed to get their share.  Despite those big, soulful eyes, bluebirds fought over access to suet, just like the warblers and mockingbirds. A brown thrasher joined smaller birds looking for fallen suet crumbs.  One starling returned and made plenty of crumbs.  They are messy eaters.  A white breasted nuthatch tried the suet.  The ruby crowned kinglet came back for more suet. 

Titmice and the white breasted nuthatch joined the chickadees, house finches, and cardinals for sunflower seeds.  Several white throated sparrows looked for fallen seeds.  Two female cardinals went at each other too.  A goldfinch popped in to see if there were any good seeds left.   A song sparrow pushed a brown headed nuthatch off the seed feeder, then went beak to beak with a house finch before retiring to the mulch. 

Starling invasion

Cold made the birds crave suet.  Yellow rumped and pine warblers, bluebirds, and four female orioles argued precedence, but deferred to a female red bellied woodpecker.  The downy woodpeckers had to wait.  Then three or four starlings attacked the suet and each other.  They were the first to find their way back here this winter. 

White throated sparrows stayed below.  A red breasted nuthatch darted in for a sunflower seed.  Carolina wrens hunted suet crumbs on the steps.  So did a brown thrasher so I guessed there were no barkbutter balls.  When I refilled the cup, the blue jays arrived.  A starling tried the balls but preferred suet.  A mockingbird was willing to eat both.  So was the dark orange oriole.  The creek was quiet except for a female bufflehead and reflections. 

Gray

A gray overcast  reduced the light and blurred many pictures.  The male red bellied woodpecker took a turn at the suet.  I wonder if they are incubating eggs already?  A pine warbler refused to budge for the much bigger bird, but a female oriole decided it was time to move over to the barkbutter balls.  She came back for suet when the woodpecker was full, but then the aggressive mockingbird flew in like a missile and scattered all the other birds.  Then it got in a fight with another mockingbird.  Blue jays stuck to barkbutter balls, as did a brown thrasher.  Several white throats foraged.  The butterbutt was visible.  The cat was back.  

A great blue heron faced the wind perched on a dead snag over the lake but I didn't see any other lake denizens.  Cormorants and pelicans fished on the creek but I saw no ducks.  I spent too much time on computers again. 

Quiet

There was some sunshine but a lot more cloud, it seemed to me.  Early in the day, the creek was flat and reflections were sharp.  An egret landed below the dam.  A hooded merganser drake floated alone. 

I restocked the barkbutter balls twice thanks to the greed of blue jays.  Brown thrashers kept showing up when it was empty.  Carolina wrens and that bandit-masked, yellow-rumped warbler joined me for breakfast.  One wren poked through the sunflower seeds, but whether for broken bits or for bugs, I don't know.  I'm fairly sure its beak isn't able to open an intact seed hull.  White throats were busy in the mulch as usual.  They certainly can crack seeds.  

The male Baltimore oriole joined the females for suet.  A male cardinal posed in the dogwood.  The cat spent some more time birdwatching which soon meant there were no birds to watch.