Buzzards

The National Weather Service said, "WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST SATURDAY....Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph."  Songbirds were packing on the calories in anticipation of the coming storm. The brown thrasher stuffed itself full of barkbutter.  Then warblers got what was left.  I put out a fresh tub and the mockingbird dug in.  Bluebirds queued up for suet and barkbutter.

Some snow still lingered from a week ago.  Sparrows poked around in it for seeds.  A friend out West jokingly asked about our snow pack and I said it was modest but persistent.  The creek was a churning mess of ice and water.  Gulls were more interested in fishing than they usually are.  Pelicans passed repeatedly over the water.   An egret again stalked along the dam. 

Four vultures descended upon our trees and dock and hung around for at least an hour.  There were both turkey and black vultures.  I speculated that the cold reminded them of the winter when the fish froze and they feasted for weeks.  But maybe they'd spied a carcass in the water and were waiting for it to wash ashore.

Warblers and a Carolina wren worked on the remains of the suet outside my window.  Meanwhile, a white breasted nuthatch explored tree trunks.   The female red bellied woodpecker paused there on her way to the feeder.