Sunday, January 10, 2021

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. 




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