Kingfisher

The sky was full of clouds at breakfast but the air was still. The creek reflected muted colors, but soon blue patches opened between the clouds.  

By lunch, the temperature had touched 70.  The volunteer domestic cherry glowed copper.  The oak had bronzed leaves.  I saw yellow jackets and bald-faced hornets on the camellia flowers but just then the camera battery died. 

Yesterday's cutting of the dam vegetation did open another view of the lake.  A couple of crows investigated the shorn bank.  The water level seemed high on the lake but several turtles found space to bask.  A buzzard circled over the house. 

A male kingfisher perched on the downstream dock post.  I saw it make one attempt to catch a fish but we both missed, him with the beak, me with the camera.  He lifted his tail a lot.  I'm not sure what that indicates, except defecation.   Other than him, mallards and cormorants were the only waterbirds.  Chickadees, titmice, and downy woodpeckers were the only feeder birds.