First pelican

The creek was mostly unruffled under a hazy blue sky.  By the time I realized I was seeing a pelican over the creek, it had passed behind vegetation and I was too late to get a picture.  Then I thought I saw a duck, but it was a beer can.  Toward dusk, a real duck paddled through the reflected Christmas lights across the creek.  It was a pintail drake.  I wish it had showed up when the light was stronger. 

The cat soaked up sun on the bench and the dog was oblivious.  Birds, however, were very aware of the cat.  Still, we had visits from pine warblers, a greedy blue jay, titmice, the male oriole, a brown headed nuthatch, and a bluebird.  The female downy demanded her suet back from a pine warbler.  He just moved over to the barkbutter balls.