Wintry

I saw no ice but the temperature was below freezing when I got up and I never saw it get higher than 35°.  There was a lot more cloud cover than predicted.  The cold made the songbirds very hungry so I took too many photos.  A pine warbler and a Carolina wren argued over the barkbutter crumbs.  Then a bluebird took over but the warbler didn't give up.  A chipping sparrow looked at the barkbutter balls and a second chipping sparrow appeared to dispute possession.  A pine warbler evicted them.  

Meanwhile, a downy was contending with warblers on the suet.  A white breasted nuthatch preferred seeds.  Blue jays grabbed the last of the barkbutter bits.  A titmouse had a little of everything.  The female red bellied woodpecker chose seeds over suet.  A mockingbird also scrounged barkbutter crumbs.  Three pine warblers all wanted suet so the downy ate seeds.  Of course there were white throated sparrows, chickadees, house finches, and cardinals.  

I didn't see activity on the creek, unlike the busy feeders.  At lunch, the poor downy was still afflicted with warblers. The female oriole finally showed up.  Three bluebirds tried barkbutter crumbs and weighed down the seed perch.  A brown headed nuthatch got some seeds and a drink.  Then at least two myrtle warblers arrived.  I wondered if they were new migrants as there hadn't been any for weeks.  The wind blew feathers awry.  A mockingbird came to the window.  

I stopped then because I was afraid I'd taken more pictures than I could deal with.