Balmy

There were fewer clouds than I expected and the temperature reached 62 in the back yard.  Bluebirds and orioles were hungry anyway.  Brown headed and white breasted nuthatches got their seeds though the white breasted also ate suet.  One of the pine warblers had no tail.  Myrtle warblers put more effort into chasing others away from food than they gained back from the food, I thought.  Starlings were both greedy and messy eaters.  Blue jays were also greedy but not messy. 

The downy woodpecker pair circled around each other in the trees. A pair of bluebirds worked on a hole in a sweet gum tree.  I thought I saw flickers working on that spot last year. 

Hoodies and buffleheads paddled around the creek.  There is much greater sexual dimorphism between male and female buffleheads than other ducks.

White throated and song sparrows and juncos foraged on the ground.  The song sparrow also sampled the barkbutter balls and sunflower seeds, and explored the birdbath.  In the afternoon, a Carolina wren joined the foragers.  Around that time, the pint-sized lion settled in under the lawn chair and most of the birds left.