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.