Sunday, February 7, 2021

Wet birds

It rained most of the day.  Word got around that there was suet again.  The orioles returned.  Downy and red bellied woodpeckers claimed a share but I think bluebirds got the most, except for the starlings.  The ant moat gave one starling an unwanted bath.  Even a blue jay tried to cling to the suet cage.  Pine and yellow rumped warblers, a mockingbird,  and Carolina wrens joined in.  White throated sparrows and a brown thrasher cleaned up what fell. 

I believe I saw a brown headed nuthatch briefly, trying to get a sunflower seed, but the yellow rumped warbler over-reacted and chased away every smaller bird.  We chased off the starlings repeatedly and once I saw a couple dozen blackbirds up in the trees  It was a mixed flock because at least one was a red-winged blackbird.   A hawk flew across the yard and everything got quiet for a while

The fishing must have been good because there were lots of pelicans and gulls. The great blue heron had to chase a rival several times  It landed up in a tree near where the buzzard was yesterday..  I saw a hooded merganser pair and a bufflehead drake and lots of cormorants.


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