Monday, February 8, 2021

Cold blue sky

I really overdid the picture-taking today, which is surprising since I didn't start till lunch.  Ring bill gulls were busy on the creek which caught the notice of pelicans, or maybe the other way around.   The great blue heron patrolled its territory.  Two female buffleheads fished in the early afternoon.  Hoodies arrived later. 

I put barkbutter balls out for bird lunch and a brown thrasher came right away.  Then a swarm of blue jays gobbled up all they could.  They were outdone in greed by the starlings on the suet.  Yellow rumped warblers managed to get some of each.  Downy woodpeckers focused on suet but the red bellied male went for barkbutter.  The mockingbird spent too much time trying to choose.  Bluebirds seemed to prefer barkbutter.  The orioles definitely wanted suet. 

A handfull of white throated sparrows scoured the steps for crumbs.  Carolina wrens joined the hunt.  I found a stick loaded with jelly fungus softened by yesterday's rain.  Though it was cold and breezy, turtles basked in the sunshine.  A pair of wood ducks joined them.  The drake was bathing while the female dried out and preened between turtles. 


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