Unsettled weather

We had sunshine and showers and everything in between.   A blue jay worked on the suet.  This did not please the mockingbirds and a kerfuffle ensued.  A Carolina wren investigated all the possible food sources.  The black cat stared into the pool.  I don't know if it was thirsty or hoping for fish.  I'm thankful it hasn't shown much interest in birds.  A convoy of female mallards paddled upstream.  I thought there might be ducklings but they all looked like adults.  

The male pileated had a go at the suet.  I think the crows chased a hawk but I couldn't get a good look at what was going on.  A female bluebird was sad over the empty dish but I wasn't going to put food out just to let it get soggy from rain.  

Booby-trap

The sky was mostly overcast, the East wind blew cold, and I didn't see much.  I thought I saw a house wren but it got away so I was uncertain.  I also glimpsed a bluebird.  Blue jays and mockingbirds made frequent forays for barkbutter and suet crumbs, and later, mealworms.  A blue jay counter rocked on the swinging dish just like a kid on swings.  A crow startled a squirrel.  It may have been laughing as the squirrel ran away. 

The female red bellied woodpecker came around for a seed supper.  The male downy woodpecker wanted suet but K had filled the ant moat and the woodpecker got a bath instead.  He decided to have seeds instead. 

Chilly

I thought I'd have another pool day but in the afternoon the sun vanished and the breeze became an East wind and the temperature went into a decline.  Bluebirds visited but all I got was a blurred tail.  The male pileated was more cooperative.  The two mockingbirds continued to squabble over food.  

I found several more caterpillars on the rue.  A couple were first instars and one was a second.  Sycamore seeds blew everywhere and made drifts on the patio and clogged the pool and photobombed my picture of a caterpillar.  

 

Cold water

It was lunch time when the birds finally got theirs.   Blue jays and mockingbirds were happy.  By afternoon, the sun was hot but the water was only 68.  Still, I got in till a black fly drove me out.  Butterflies continued to tease me.  A wasp worked on the rue.  Skinks went about their business around the steps.   A blue jay sunbathed on an oak limb.  A mockingbird grew bold enough to pretend it didn't see me.  Two downy woodpeckers argued over the suet.  Strange things moved beneath the surface of the creek.  Rings formed with no visible cause.  A line of turbulence moved downstream. 

Blue water!

Another day in the upper 80s with a pleasant breeze, and now the pool is open.  It was slim pickin's for birds in the morning because I hadn't put anything out and the suet was almost gone.  The mockingbirds and bluebirds were not pleased.  The female pileated was determined to get the last morsel of suet.  It was a stretch because the nubbin was lodged on the far side of the suet cage.  

The coral honeysuckle was ready and waiting for a hummingbird.  It looked to me like this year we will get a good crop of blueberries - if the rain gods are well disposed.  I found a black swallowtail caterpillar on the rue.  Tiger swallowtails eluded the camera.  Later I saw a female cardinal in the rue, possibly hunting caterpillars.  

A blue jay and a bluebird finally got some barkbutter balls.  But the female pileated discovered that there was no suet left.  (Tomorrow I will hang the last block.)  She gleaned some fallen crumbs.  And she raised her crest to express her feelings.  Or maybe because a crow showed up?  

Hot

The thermometer showed 88° again but the sky was more hazy.  We ate lunch outside which frustrated birds that wanted their lunch.  I glimpsed several butterflies, a dragonfly, and a persistent carpenter bee.  Skinks hustled across the concrete on important business.  An infant jumping spider rode my finger, but I couldn't get it in focus so I dropped the spider on the concrete. 

The female pileated devoured suet while clinging to the cage.  A blue jay settled for crumbs.  A bluebird stayed in the trees. 

Farewell

I thought I saw some ducklings across the creek but even the photo left me uncertain.  It was low tide with lots of gnarly detritus exposed.  Another butterfly blurred past me.  The  coral honeysuckle bloomed and the first evening primrose.  The temperature rose into the upper 80s.  A blue jay came for barkbutter balls which I put in the lower dish that swings more.  That seems to slow down consumption.  

We said goodbye to the dog today.  He was declining for the last several weeks.  It's hard to feel an animal trusts you when you know what is coming.  Afterward, I sat outside and listened to birdsong.  K went for a walk.  When I came inside, a parade of woodpeckers queued up for suet, first the male pileated, then the male red belly, and last the downy.  They had been complaining from the trees. 

Summer!

The female bluebird hoped for something in the hanging dishes, but I was lazy so she ate seeds instead.   A mockingbird had similar hopes and ate suet instead.  Then, to my surprise, a female goldfinch inspected the dishes despite being a vegetarian.  The female pileated was back. 

One of the mockingbirds flashed for me.  A white breasted nuthatch found a perch on a dead dogwood limb.  I also saw a brown headed nuthatch but didn't want to spook it by moving the camera.  A pine warbler landed on the suet.  A white throat studied its reflection, or so it appeared.

 

A butterfly cost me several blurry photos but one served for identification: red admiral.  A startled a skink basking on the retaining wall.  Another peeked out at me from under a violet.  The temperature climbed to at least 83 but a strong breeze made it feel very pleasant.  Cornell's map says Spring bird migration should peak here May 3-8, but I wonder about this spring's topsy-turvy weather. 

 

Migrating warbler

The day was warmer, but gray, which the creek mirrored.  A white breasted nuthatch hopped around the patio, a behavior I had not seen before.  However, I did not get a good photo.  The tan morph white throat was back.  The two mockingbirds hung around all day.  They didn't appear to be getting along.  A blue jay tackled the suet.  So did a bluebird, but then the bluebird changed to the seed feeder.  

A yellow rumped warbler in breeding plumage bathed on the pool cover.  Then a white throat took a turn.  The male red bellied woodpecker had so much red on his face chest, and belly, he looked sunburned.  The goldfinch pair showed up.  A pair of cardinals courted and disputed access to the feeder with another pair.  A brown headed nuthatch also wanted seeds.  The female pileated took a big helping of suet.  

One old turtle warmed up on the log on the lake.  A cormorant fished on the creek and an occasional mallard drake paddled past.  I startled a great blue heron and saw an egret landing.  Something big perched up in the neighbor's pine.  That's a spot osprey like.  

White throats

The day was sunny but windy.  A mockingbird hoped for an early breakfast but I thought it was too chilly to venture out.  The black cat sauntered around the far edge of the pool.  I worried a bit because one of the mockingbirds was down on the ground but the cat just kept going.  Also on the ground were white throated sparrows including the first tan morph I've seen this season.  "Males of both color types prefer females with white stripes, but both kinds of females prefer tan-striped males." according to All About Birds. 

Eventually I poured barkbutter balls into the hanging dishes.  A blue jay must have been watching.  A white breasted nuthatch headed for seeds instead.  So did a brown headed nuthatch.  Up in the wild cherry, a squirrel waved its tail as though it was conducting music.  I hung another block of suet and started cleaning the pool cover.  The mockingbirds argued over the suet.  A squirrel who appeared to be nursing foraged for seeds.  Toward sundown the male red bellied woodpecker has suet for supper.  

Goldfinch

In the early morning the sun lit up the creek, but alas it did not last.  A blue jay was hungry enough to wrestle with the suet.  But then Woody (the pileated) Woodpecker arrived.  Meanwhile a white breasted nuthatch was busy on the seed feeder.  A male goldfinch looked like he carried his own sun spotlight.  The female pileated showed up when the male finished eating.  A mockingbird attacked the suet next.  And a female red bellied woodpecker ate seeds.  

Then a female bluebird came for seeds.  I put mealworms out and a pine warbler popped up.  A brown headed nuthatch also wanted deeds.  White throats were still earth-bound.  I scrubbed the little table that was coated with algae.  The day grew gray and windy and the temperature dropped.  

Damp

The creek was muddy gray and wind-roughened.  Birds were not discouraged by the gray sky, wind, and damp air, or even by the parade of outdoor workers.  A brown headed nuthatch was first.  A mockingbird went for mealworms.  The female red bellied woodpecker stuck to seeds.  A white breasted nuthatch followed.  White throated sparrows hunted fallen suet crumbs.  A pine warbler made some more. 

One of the mockingbirds bathed.  A swarm of starlings mobbed the dish feeder.  All three kinds of woodpecker visited.  When a squirrel started to climb the post, the female pileated spread her wings out and the squirrel promptly retreated.  The white breasted nuthatch was frustrated by house finches that overstayed on the seed feeder.  A blue jay managed to work on the suet.  A white throated sparrow cleaned up beneath.  I also saw bluebirds. There were moments of sunlight during the day. 

Goldfinches

The lovely morning was mirrored in the creek.  A very small black panther prowled around the azaleas.  A white throated sparrow foraged by the birdbath while another bathed on the pool cover.  A mockingbird got a drink from the birdbath.  Then a female goldfinch visited the seed feeder.  The female red bellied woodpecker followed.  The female pileated came for suet, not seeds.  

The day warmed to just past 70°.  I saw small butterflies, or maybe moths, flying.  A brown headed nuthatch tried to get to the seeds.  Both mockingbirds returned for lunch.  Bluebirds came for mealworms.  Then the male goldfinch put in an appearance.  He was dressed for summer. 

Squirrel fight

A white breasted nuthatch was the early bird, followed immediately by the female red bellied woodpecker, then a brown headed nuthatch.  They all wanted seeds.  The female downy stuffed each seed into a crack in the post to keep it still while she hammered.  I put out some barkbutter balls and attracted a blue jay.  By mid morning we had sunshine but it was still cold.  

Mockingbirds came after the blue jays had carried off most of the barkbutter balls. Both a mockingbird and a blue jay were thirsty.  Bluebirds returned to the seed feeder.  The male downy, with his red crest on end, checked out the seeds.  

The yellow flag irises bloomed and I saw buds on the yellow fleur-de-lis irises.  K hung another block of suet and the male downy was right on it, with his hair still on end.  He had competition from mockingbirds.  The two mockingbirds argued over the suet.  The feral cat showed up and I chased it off - too many birds were on the ground hunting suet crumbs.  Turtles were enjoying the sunshine.  

Two squirrels got into a serious fight.  They were rolling around the patio like a furry ball.  I snapped a picture but i should have made a movie.  The male red bellied woodpecker heard about the suet and came right away.  He was very red, not just on the tummy but his face looked sunburned.  The female downy was annoyed that the bigger bird was occupying the suet.  A white throated sparrow hunted seeds.  

Miserable weather

The prediction for today was way off.  The creek was a muddy gray and rough  Instead of partly cloudy, we got chilly, rainy, windy weather.  It was still dry when I got up, so I hustled to put out some barkbutter balls in hopes that birds would entertain us during breakfast.  But by the time I sat down the rain had begun.  The birds did entertain, nevertheless. Mockingbirds were happy with damp barkbutter balls.  So were blue jays.  As he ate seeds, I noticed the male bluebird still had a bent feather.  

A pileated woodpecker checked to see if there was suet.  There wasn't.  The downy and red belly females ate seeds instead.  A white throated sparrow continued to forage on the ground.  This year there have been mostly the high-contrast morph and few if any of the tan morph, I think.  I wonder if that means anything? 

The bluebird and downy woodpecker had a confrontation over the seed perch.  Then a titmouse preempted the downy.  A white breasted nuthatch was content with seeds and a brown headed nuthatch managed to get a turn at the seeds too.  

Clearing

Breakfast time was cool and damp, even misty.  The creek was at peace but clouds made the reflections dull.  The female red belly was hungry for seeds even though she weighed down the feeder perch.  Mockingbirds wanted the dish feeders refilled, and not with rainwater.  Brown headed and white breasted nuthatches were content with seeds.  The female pileated woodpecker searched everywhere for suet but there was none to be found.  (Tomorrow I will ask K to hang another block.)  The female downy was OK with seeds but the male wanted his suet. 

On the creek, it was the time of bachelor mallards.  The females, I assume, were incubating eggs.  An egret soared downstream against the gray sky.  The magenta azaleas were done but the pink ones were at their peak.  After lunch I put out some mealworms.  The mockingbirds argued about them.  

Bluebirds bathed in the pool cover puddle.  A white throat joined in the fun.  The camera focus fought with me.  A molting myrtle warbler was interested but I didn't see it actually get wet.  Then a blue jay joined the action.  It was very picky about finding the best spot in the puddle.  The sky slowly cleared and by late afternoon everything was bathed in golden light.  The moon was up but screened by the leafed-out oaks until well after dark. 

Gray

A little sunshine leaked through the clouds in the afternoon but it was not an inviting day.  I saw white breasted and brown headed nuthatches, all three kinds of woodpecker, a mockingbird, a white throat and the regulars.  

I got an amusing email, Dr. Language Person's Guide to Bird Name Pronunciations. 

Seeds or suet?

The creek was shiny and full of color though the sunlight wasn't strong.  I hustled breakfast out for the birds and blue jays were quick to notice.   Starlings helped finish off the suet.  White throated sparrows hunted elusive crumbs.  A mockingbird wasn't pleased to find the barkbutter dish was empty.  

I had an afternoon meeting and when I came home a white breasted nuthatch was busy with the seed feeder but it got away before I had the camera ready.  Then it came back when I was on the phone and left as I hung up.  So no photo.  The red bellied woodpecker was not so ungrateful.  Crows hung around hoping for more barkbutter balls.  A tiger swallowtail flew across my field of view.  The female downy and a male house finch argued over the seed feeder.  A cardinal won.  Finally the female pileated arrived after the suet was all gone.  

Bath day

The temperature climbed over 80 under a white sky.  Tiger and black swallowtails and an orange butterfly I'm guessing was a red admiral flitted around the back yard.  Blue jays and blue birds dined on barkbutter balls.  The mockingbird pair made a fuss when I refilled the dishes.  The female pileated worked on the remains of the suet.  A white throated sparrow, a yellow rumped warbler, and a bluebird bathed on the pool cover.  A brown headed nuthatch came for seeds.  The dog chased off the tux cat.  

Squirrel's bad day

The wind was much cooler and waves muddied the creek surface.  A mockingbird wanted a refill on the barkbutter balls.  So did a blue jay.  A few turtles enjoyed the sunshine. The pileated woodpeckers got their share of the suet though the pesky starlings ate more. A tiger swallowtail flew across the yard.  A female bluebird worked on the dregs of the barkbutter balls.  The sycamore and the pecan leafed out and I saw flowers on the wild cherry.  . 

I noticed a courtship pursuit where the female squirrel stays just a couple of feet ahead of the male as he chases in slow motion.  A crow noticed too and began to harass the male squirrel, swooping down on him like a hawk but not actually touching the squirrel.  That broke up the courtship chase real fast.  The female abandoned her erstwhile pursuer.  Another crow watched so maybe the bully wanted to impress the other one?  Finally the crows had had enough fun and left.  The squirrels eventually reunited but then the dog demanded to go out and make them leave his territory.  I was glad to see him take an interest.  He chased the squirrels and treed them, but then one jumped down and dashed across the pool cover and the water from last night's storm.  The dog followed - the first time I've seen him set foot on the pool cover.  In the end, the squirrels took their courtship elsewhere and the dog was satisfied.  

Record high!

Somehow yesterday got away from me.   Low tide at breakfast was glass smooth.  Later, the wind ruffled the surface.  The female red belly enjoyed fresh seeds.  Both pileateds visited the suet.  A white throat looked for crumbs of suet.  A mockingbird wondered why the dish feeders were empty.  Cardinals were billing and chirping.  Sunset painted tangerine clouds on a lavender sky.  I looked for the moon but couldn't find it.

The creek was not in a reflective mood at Monday breakfast.   I filled the dishes with barkbutter balls and soon there were blue jays.  The female downy seemed to have acquired a taste for seeds.  A white breasted nuthatch was next, then the red belly.  Cabbage whites flitted around the plants.  Even the sycamore and the beautyberry were leafing out.  I planted parsley and zinnia seeds in anticipation of evening rain.  Blue eyed grass and coral lilies started to bloom.  The thermometer registered 90° which beat the previous record by 2°!   Thank goodness I got "no melt" suet.  When we ate supper outside, the temperature had dropped to 85° and there was a nice breeze.  But an hour of so later, the predicted storm was on its way and the temperature went down to 62° overnight.  

Woodpeckers

Still breezy, but otherwise it was a lovely day.   The female red belly feasted on seeds.  The female pileated ate suet.  So did the downy.  A pair of doves roamed the patio.  So did a mockingbird.  I never got around to refilling the dishes.  A new-hatched skink scuttled into the money plants by the birdbath. 

Still blowing

The wind roared all night and the rain refilled feeders, birdbath, and ant moats.   Early morning was gray as the pair of mockingbirds.  But the sky began to clear as the wind shifted more to the West.  Small waves corrugated the creek.  Crows came looking for a handout.  

A tattered black swallowtail egged the rue.  I saw a small sulphur as well.  Blue jays were happy I'd put out barkbutter balls.  A pair of mallards enjoyed the pool cover puddle.  The pileated woodpeckers returned in the late afternoon.  Turtles basked on their log.  A female bluebird had barkbutter balls for supper.  

High winds

The sky stayed overcast all day even as the wind got stronger.  Since it was blowing from the south, the temperature reached above 70.  At breakfast, the creek was quite with muted reflections freckled by wind-blown tree detritus.  Blue jays queued up for barkbutter balls.  The crows expressed interest too.  Then along came the black cat.  

A myrtle warbler that was almost finished molting prospected for suet crumbs.  Soon a white throat did the same.  A pine warbler preferred barkbutter balls.  And the red bellied woodpecker preferred seeds.  She has a very flexible neck.  

A starling exhibited a new behavior.  Two of them were working on a remnant of suet when one flew to the ground and picked up a beakfull of twigs or pine needles.  It then flew back to the suet and dropped the twigs.  I don't know if that was a nesting impulse or a threat of some sort.  

Two brown headed nuthatches shared the seed feeder.  A pine warbler had some suet.  A white breasted nuthatch had some seeds.  I went out front to plant some seeds.  When I came back a downy woodpecker bumped a cardinal off the seed feeder perch.  The cardinal returned when the downy left, only to be chased away by another male cardinal.  The mockingbird pair visited. 

The spartina that was planted last year came back up.  I saw large birds flying but vegetation kept me from being sure if they were pelicans.  The water looked well churned by the wind with a raft of tree fragments stretched along its length.  

South wind

A very warm day despite clouds and wind - the thermometer hit 80.  The creek was rumpled and gray.  Big birds I think were pelicans flew over the water.  The mockingbirds were hungry again and visited feeders all through the day.  They lurked in the Carolina jessamine and in the cedar out front.  I could see a nest in the cedar, but not whether it was last year's or this.  The crossvine had a bud ready to open.  Wood hyacinths were beginning to bloom.  There were moments of sunlight and also times that looked like immanent rain, but no rain fell and the sunshine was brief.  

A pine warbler visited the suet.  The female red belly defeated me again.  A white throated sparrow scrounged seeds from the mulch.  A brown headed nuthatch tried to sneak past a house finch.  Then a bluebird ate seeds.  (I put out barkbutter balls at breakfast and mealworms at lunch but they got eaten when I wasn't watching.)  A white breasted nuthatch showed up at suppertime. 

Chipping sparrow

The creek was rough but cormorants were fishing in the early morning.  Mockingbirds wanted their breakfast.  A pine warbler was very cautious.  A brown headed nuthatch came and went quickly.  Then a bluebird considered the seeds.  The chipping sparrow investigated the dish feeders.  A dragonfly used one of the bamboo perches but flew away as soon as I noticed.  Bees and wasps investigated me.  Clouds covered the sky but the day was very warm - I saw 77° on the thermometer.  

Eclipse

The female red bellied woodpecker was up early again to eat seeds.  Is a vegan woodpecker even possible? A white throated sparrow was early as well.  Apparently the weather was perfect for winged termite swarms.  They looked pretty flying in the sunlight, not so much on the ground.  The mockingbirds snacked on them and two dragonflies came to feast. 

The Solomon's seal popped up. The figs leafed out.  The rose made a bud.  A molting myrtle warbler stopped fro brunch.  A tiger swallowtail left eggs all over the wild cherry.  White breasted and brown headed nuthatches devoured seeds.

I made a pinhole camera to capture the eclipse.  We were outside the area of totality again but the level of light dropped noticeably.  All the colors seemed dull despite being in the sunshine.  NASA gave the timetable of the eclipse by zipcode with this handy graphic. 

I saw a skink on the lower patio but wasn't fast enough with the camera.  A pair of bluebirds perched in the maple.  A chipping sparrow ignored the eclipse and ate seeds.