Last day of #GBBC

The creek was full of reflected light while still in shade.  The Carolina jessamine began blooming and the hanging pot of yellow flowers was still going strong.  K's rescue amaryllis put out four huge red flowers, indoors.  I had to take my car for inspection, so my bird count was in the late morning.  

I went outside because the temperature got up into the 60s and also for a better view of the creek.  My reward was a good view of an immature eagle.  It landed in the fork of a pine across the creek and was still sitting there when I went inside.  I got some pictures of the cocoon up in the hickory and was inspected by a queen yellow jacket looking for a nest site. 

Mallards, cormorants, and an egret were all the water birds I saw, unless I count the three crows on the neighbors' dock.  They had something I couldn't quite make out, maybe a clam or a fish.  What was fascinating was that one crow was clearly holding the object with a foot and inviting the others to inspect. 

I also recorded white throated sparrows, myrtle warblers, and a downy and a red bellied woodpecker.  During lunch, a female oriole arrived for grape jelly, which was very gratifying.  

Then the pileated woodpeckers came, first him, then her.  He wouldn't let her have a turn and took a big bite to make his point.  But he choked on it, and when he finally dislodged the chunk of suet, he dropped it.  She retrieved it from the crevice where it landed and had an appetizer while he continued to stuff himself.  It wasn't long before he flew off and she took over the suet.  And after her, a downy moved in.

A brown headed nuthatch tried to dislodge house finches and eventually got some seeds. Foraging white throated sparrows were joined by a song sparrow and a junco.  A pine warbler and a goldfinch drank from the pool cover even though I had cleaned and filed the birdbath.   

I went outside again because I thought I saw a hoodie but it was the rear end of a goose.  Then I did see a hoodie pair and what looked like a dead flounder.  Later on, a pine warbler and a myrtle warbler disputed possession of the barkbutter.  The butterbutt won but then the feral cat wandered through and we all gave up.