Rain, finally

Every surface was wet when I got up but little water had accumulated. A Carolina wren was disappointed that the barkbutter balls were still covered up.  A red belly and a downy visited the suet.  Chickadees and cardinals ate seeds while white throats picked up what fell.  The gray sky promised more rain.  

H O T

A crow poked around under the suet.  Its beak was open like it was panting.  Then a chipping sparrow landed on the seed feeder roof but it didn't have anything to eat.  A bluebird claimed the top of the post again before getting seeds.  A red belly landed on the post but didn't stay.   Blue jays got their barkbutter balls.  The female pileated learned a new trick and clung to the suet cage instead of the post.  White throats were tempted by the barkbutter balls. 

While I was weeding around the birdbath, a damselfly glided past me.  Of course I didn't have the camera, but I probably couldn't have got it if I did.  A black swallowtail danced around the plants before discovering the rue.  I thought I glimpsed a yellow swallowtail too, and I definitely saw cabbage whites.  Lots of big bees bumbled around and fed on the money plant.  A big mulch roach scuttled under the grill. 

The thermometer showed 91 after lunch but the SW wind was really strong so it didn't feel that hot.  The wind blew the tide down to full moon low even though we just passed the first quarter.  The heat rushed the bulbs and the daffodils were nearly all gone.  Hickory buds popped open.  The blue sky grew hazy, then cloudy, as the day went on.   I cooked hummer juice and put a feeder out.  That meant rearranging the hanging dishes but I was reluctant to give up on the jelly just yet.  Toward evening the temperature had dropped almost 30 degrees.. 

Woodpecker trio

Blue jays were happy I finally got around to refilling the barkbutter dish. In fact, they mus have posted a sentinel to keep watch.  The white throats were beginning to look ragged, molting for the breeding season, I suppose.  The male pine flowers have been spewing pollen all week but I finally saw some female flowers emerging.   They're the ones sometimes called candles.  The oak flowers had turned brown and were dropping. 

The pileated flew up to the post while I was outside and though I didn't move the bird spooked, so no photo.  After I came back in, a red belly arrived, then a downy.   The downy went for seeds since the bigger red belly wanted suet.  He looked different from the red belly male that I saw before.  This one hasn't much red on his belly.  The day was hot as predicted, up in the 80s again, but there was sunshine because the overcast was very thin.

A small dark butterfly eluded me as it fed and flitted.  Then I was fooled into thinking I saw a new bug when it was a violet bobbing in the breeze.  Somewhat later, a cabbage white did a good imitation of a falling dogwood petal.  A skink with a very red head sauntered along the step wall.  

Quarter moon

A crow was flitting around  wit a twig in its beak.  I guess it was saying, c'mon, lets make a nest.  White throats just kept foraging for fallen seeds.   We saw the first skinks of the year.   The female pileated woodpecker was back.  So were a male red belly and a female downy.  The temperature again reached into the 80s.  The moon was very bright and I couldn't get any details to show up, but the terminator line was absolutely straight, marking it as a first quarter.  . 

 

Humid

A bluebird kept watch from atop the post.  White throats foraged and a titmouse visited.  Under an overcast sky the temperature rose into the low 80s.  The forecast for the next three days is about the same. 

A bright crescent moon penetrated the clouds, but was very fuzzy.

Petal snow

The female pileated woodpecker showed up to have some suet.  A white breasted nuthatch went to the seed feeder.  Blue jays hit the barkbutter balls.  A pair of bluebirds also wanted seeds.  

White petals blew like snowflakes.  I'm not sure where they came from.  The day was mostly sunny but I was tied up with the computer.  

Cooler

The temperature dropped over night and rain fell at some point.  More clouds than sun kept the day a seasonable temperature.  Although I put out barkbutter balls the birds did not show a lot of enthusiasm.  I missed getting a picture of a brown headed nuthatch.  Blue jays, a myrtle warbler, and a bluebird ate some barkbutter balls.  White throats stayed busy.  The pines were covered with male flowers, gilding everything with pollen.  The oak flower strings began to brown and rosy miniature leaves poked out above.

Hot wind

So much for old folk weather sayings -- March went out roaring.  It was another hot day but so windy It didn't feel any warmer outside than in.  The showers failed to materialize so it was a mostly dry month.  Hickory buds swelled.  Azaleas began to bloom.  A black swallowtail joined the cabbage whites, bees and wasps.  A Carolina wren chattered.  I heard other birds I didn't recognize.  The mid day blue sky got covered by clouds in the afternoon.  I saw one turtle on the bank of the lake but with the log gone there's nowhere for them to gather.  

Another hot day

Not quite as warm as yesterday -- the sky was overcast, the wind blew hard, and the thermometer only reached 80°.  A bluebird escaped my camera.  White throats continued their foraging.  A very molty myrtle warbler ate suet.  A Carolina wren studied the suet.  A female red bellied woodpecker visited the barkbutter balls.  A blue jay followed.  I snapped an LBJ and it turned out to be a ruby crowned kinglet! 

The volunteer domestic cherry bloomed.  Leaves emerged above the oak catkins.  The maple  flowers had gone to seed.  Several cabbage whites pollinated the money plant flowers and I thought I saw a swallowtail on the jonquils.  Bees and wasps bustled around.  

Pileated woodpecker

A brown headed nuthatch started the day.  A myrtle warbler came for suet.  The dove was back foraging with the white throats.  A pair of bluebirds made repeated forays for seeds.  They also sought water from the pool cover so I suspect the ant moat was dry.  The money plants started to bloom.  The temperature climbed into the 80s and was still in the mid 70s at 8pm. 

Clearly the pileateds did not like us leaving the plastic on the suet because they have not visited since we did that to discourage the starlings.  Today the male gave us another chance.  He seemed brighter red than we remembered.  Perhaps he was trying to get the female to forgive him for being rude all Winter? 

Very warm

A Carolina wren visited early and often.  A titmouse sampled the suet.  A myrtle warbler foraged with the white throats.  It was molting and looked disheveled.  The song sparrow visited again.  A dove hung around for much of the day. 

It would have been hot except for the wind.  More of the orange and white jonquils opened during the day.  Pollen left bathtub rings on the pool cover.  The dogwoods on the North edge of the patio started to open. 

Nuthatch

The creek perfectly reflected the sunlit bank.  Today's early bird was a brown headed nuthatch.  It hunted in the mulch, behavior I had not seen before.  Also in the mulch, a song sparrow joined the white throats during breakfast.  A Carolina wren methodically tried each feeder.  A mockingbird visited the jelly dish.  Blue jays concentrated on the barkbutter balls.  A male oriole took a turn with the jelly. 

 At lunch time a female red belly looked for suet but the cage was empty.  She settled for seeds.  The "fried egg" jonquils burst into bloom in the afternoon.  The outer ring of their petals is white and the central tube is yolk-orange.  Journey North shared their migration maps. Someone saw a hummer today around Knotts Island so I need to figure out where to hang a feeder.  

Windnesday

Bluebirds visited the seed feeder.  White throats poked through the mulch but were happy to add barkbutter balls to their diet.  Blue jays, a red belly, and a mockingbird also ate barkbutter balls.  The suet was almost gone.  I saw birds eating jelly but they got away without a picture.  Starlings swarmed the barkbutter dish.  A female oriole drank from the ant moat. 

The temperature touched 60° but the wind was harsh and strong.  Pelicans preferred the sheltered creek to the open bay.  An egret landed gracefully on the dock.  Titmice joined the seed eaters.  The downy woodpecker pair argued on a dogwood branch.  A myrtle warbler was disappointed by the tiny remnant of suet. 

Pretty day

I ran around town and missed a lot.  A brown headed nuthatch greeted the dawn, followed by a myrtle warbler.  Soon a Carolina wren visited the suet.  Bluebirds ate seeds and a mockingbird ate barkbutter balls.  Three female brown headed cowbirds inspected the feeders.  I hope they don't deposit eggs in any nest around here.  The male oriole was back, lured by the jelly and suet.  A Carolina wren looked for suet crumbs. 

Song sparrow

Bluebirds came early to get seeds.  A male oriole was at the jelly early.  Blue jays and a mockingbird preferred barkbutter balls.  A myrtle warbler had jelly on its mind.  A song sparrow bustled industriously around the patio with the white throats.  They did not get along well.  A female red belly got some barkbutter balls and some suet.  

Violets were blooming and I even found a few flowers on the rosemary.  I pulled up excess mountain mint.  The beard lichen on the bench back has spread.  I wish we had a better place for it to grow.  A cabbage white flitted around the yard till it was forced down by the wind.  The wind got so fierce that it drove me indoors despite the temperature being in the upper 70s.  Clouds moved in ad dark came early.

Grebe & phoebe

The early morning sun shone brightly on the placid creek.  Blue jays came for a breakfast of barkbutter balls.  A titmouse had the same idea.  The male red bellied woodpecker preferred suet.  I spotted what I think was a phoebe wading on the pool cover.  White throats were out on the pool cover too.  

A bluebird landed awkwardly on the bench back but he recovered his poise and visited the seed feeder.  A goldfinch also wanted seeds.  A crow was determined to get barkbutter balls and succeeded.  

A pied bill grebe was back and paddling fast.  I saw one at the beginning of winter and not again till today.  Supposedly they live here year around but maybe this one was migrating?  Mallards and gees were also out on the creek and an egret flew over the dam.  

Carolina wren

A male oriole had jelly for breakfast.  Bluebirds ate seeds.  The jelly also attracted a myrtle warbler.  A Carolina wren peered in the window, then turned around and ignored us to work on an itch.  White throats were predictable. 

A cabbage white defied the wind.  The wild cherry began to leaf out, joining the oak and dogwood.  There were buds on the redbud trees.  Under the bright sun, the temperature rose to 71° and stuck there, but the wind chilled.  I saw egrets and herons on the creek and the osprey up in the pines.  We potted the pimento peppers.  

 

Windy

Rain fell overnight and so did the temperature.  In the morning, the wind had a sharp edge.  The sky was overcast at first but soon cleared.  An odd-looking bluebird saw on the feeder perch.  A brown headed nuthatch wanted that space.  Egrets and herons disputed territory.  Pelicans just wanted fish.  Swelling buds softened the lines of oak twigs.  The male oriole returned to the jelly so I suppose it wasn't too diluted.  I forgot to dump the rain water before pouring in barkbutter balls, but the birds coped.  A mockingbird arrived with the blue jays.  The cardinals shared a barkbutter ball.  Even a myrtle warbler got some.  A starling scattered suet crumbs.  A Carolina wren foraged with the white throats.  The temperature climbed into the low 60s but there was a lot of wind chill. 

Vernal equinox

I notice the NWS said, "There are only two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes."  That "nearly" could explain why today's sunrise was 7:09am and sunset 7:17pm, 12 hours and 8 minutes.  The sky was hazy and streaky but the creek shone.  A male oriole spread orange gorgeousness as he ate suet.  A male bluebird flaunted both blue and orange.  A brown headed nuthatch took its seed to the roof to hatch.  Blue jays found the barkbutter balls.  One jay argued with a bigger bird, maybe the osprey?  

A heron groomed its feathers on a dock piling.  Signs of Spring included dogwood and oak flower buds opening.  Even blueberry flower buds got bigger.  Daffodils recovered from the storm.  The Carolina jessamine smelled lovely to me and the bumblebees. 

Towhee!

All the birds came out to enjoy the bright sunshine.  A male oriole and a male mockingbird snacked on jelly.  It made the oriole thirsty.  Titmice, blue jays, a white breasted nuthatch, and a starling ate barkbutter crumbs.  White throats hunted through the mulch under the seed feeder.  A Carolina wren, a myrtle warbler, and a downy ate suet.  A dove wandered around. A male towhee foraged around the edge of the patio.  I saw a bird that might have been an osprey land in the pines across the creek.  

Sunshine

Lovely sunshine brightened the creek at breakfast.  A Carolina wren found the new block of suet that K hung yesterday.  White throats did the mulch can-can.   Pelicans fished all day.  I refilled the dishes since the rain was past.  Blue jays were happy.  One starling came but wisely didn't bring its friends.  Bluebirds remained more interested in seeds.  The male oriole guarded the jelly.  A myrtle warbler made the feeder rounds and hovered for suet.  Crows noticed the fresh barkbutter balls and one went through some acrobatics to get at them.  Oak buds were swelling.  And invasive callery pears were blooming.  Great blue herons and great egrets patrolled the creek.  

Chilly

Yesterday's rain continued through the morning. It flattened the taller daffodils.   As usual, there was more trash in the creek.  A Carolina wren was too hungry to care about the cold rain.  By late morning we were beginning to dry out though the sky remained gray with just a few flickers of sunlight.  The temperature was much lower and the wind was cold.  

Blue jays came hopefully but found only seeds.  The wren argued with cardinals over the seed feeder.  White throats reappeared.  Bluebirds also ate seeds.  The Carolina jessamine was finally blooming and making up for lost time..  Buds on the blueberry twigs were ready to open.  A mockingbird arrived in the late afternoon.  A myrtle warbler was starting to molt.  A white breasted nuthatch took some seeds to hatch.  

Thunderstorm

The gray sky belied the high temperature, above 70°. A Carolina wren investigated the empty barkbutter dish and moved on to the suet.  It also foraged on the ground with the white throats. The cardinals smooched.  Bluebirds visited the seeds.  So did a brown headed nuthatch.  A mockingbird also had to be sure the barkbutter dish was really empty.  I saw the osprey again, or was it the young eagle?   There were pelicans for sure.  The cloud cover turned to rain which became heavy.  Then thunder and lightning followed as darkness came early.  

Osprey?

Morning was still misty and I missed a Carolina wren and a brown headed nuthatch.  A red belly landed on the post but then spooked and flew off to the trees.  I think it was a female.  A mockingbird perched in the camellia.  White throats hunted in the mulch.  One perched on a rose cane.  A pale female bluebird watched from the feeder hanger.  An egret stood atop a dock post.  A blue jay foraged among the daffodils.  When I took fresh jelly out, I was surprised to see two small handkerchief spiderwebs revealed by the moist air. 

By lunch, the mist had dissipated.  The sun was hot though the breeze was not and the highest temperature I saw was 67°.  The Carolina wren ate suet.  A buzzard swooped low across the yard.  I also saw what I'm sure was an osprey but vegetation foiled me.  I had better luck with pelicans.  A cabbage white flitted across the yard.  I found the spiderwebs again and saw loose silk threads blowing from the rose canes.  Crows got very excited about something down by the dock but I could not see what.  A male bluebird paid a supper visit to the seed feeder.  

Meteorology fail

We were promised day-long bright sunshine and instead got cold mist and a gray sky.  Not only was it overcast, the temperature was well below the prediction.  The cloud cover also guaranteed that there would be no viewing of the lunar eclipse last night (actually early this morning).  A Carolina wren came for suet, then a downy.  The male oriole sat on the dish feeder like he was incubating the jelly.  Then a myrtle warbler landed nearby but couldn't get past the oriole.  

A bluebird ate seeds.  White throats hunted what fell from the feeder.  A white breasted nuthatch squeezed between a finch and a wren to get seeds.  The nuthatch flew to the ground and the birdbath which was a behavior I had not seen before.  Toward evening, a pelican glided low over the flat water as mist gathered.  It would have made a great photo but the camera was at the other end of the house.

Fog

I like morning fog but this didn't burn off.  Instead it congealed into gray overcast.  A heron was almost invisible perched on a piling.  A cormorant blended into the gray water. Another tried to dry out on the piling where the heron had been.  A hoodie pair were easier to see, at least he was.  Later the piling held a ring-billed gull. 

A bluebird came for seeds and a red belly for barkbutter balls.  A blue jay didn't find much left in the dish and tried some seeds instead.  A white throat perched on a hickory twig.  A mockingbird watched from the roof before flying to the barkbutter dish.  A Carolina wren chose suet. 

Surprisingly sunny

Despite the "mostly cloudy" prediction, this was a sunny day.  A Carolina wren beat the sun to the feeders.  White throated sparrows liked the barkbutter balls enough to abandon terra firma.  Bluebirds and the male oriole showed off their colors in the sunlight.  

The maple tree started to bloom.  White throats and bluebirds flitted through the oak branches but the camera had a hard time with focus.  A brown headed nuthatch came to the seed feeder while I was sitting close.  A white throat contemplated a bath in the pool puddle. 

Courting season

Dawn was slow and clouds reflected pale orange light.  An egret monitored the creek from a dock post.  But I couldn't see anything -- the high tide had a dull, wrinkled surface.  Eventually a cormorant paddled past.  I saw a white breasted nuthatch but it was too fast for me. 

Two Carolina wrens checked each feeder between them.  Again a female bluebird wanted seeds.  A male house finch joined her.  White throats continued their mulch kicking.  A blue jay had to confirm that the barkbutter dish was really empty.  A mockingbird also inspected the empty dish.  Another mockingbird showed up and the two flew at each other.  I don't know if it was rivalry or true love.  A myrtle warbler watched from the bench back.

By lunchtime there was sunshine in a bright blue sky.  Geese were earning their reputation for foolishness, chasing each other.  I refilled the barkbutter dish so we would have entertainment at lunch.  Sure enough, blue jays wasted no time.  The bluebirds still preferred seeds.  So did a brown headed nuthatch.  

Gray

In the early morning, sunlight made the creek glow.  A mockingbird visited the seed feeder.  A Carolina wren worked on the suet.  White throats clawed up the mulch.  The yellow cat put them all to flight.  But soon the male oriole came for jelly.  Then the mockingbird wanted jelly too.  A myrtle warbler coveted suet. 

The temperature climbed above 60° but there was a lot of cloud cover.  By low tide the creek was a muddy gray.  The male red belly showed up after I refilled the barkbutter dish.  A female bluebird picked out seeds.  Daffodils were bright despite the gray light. 

Brown thrasher

Daylight Saving Time meant I got up with the sun and saw the creek mirroring the light on the bank and trees.   The water was as smooth as if polished, and undisturbed.  Somewhat later I saw a great blue heron up in the pines.  Bluebirds arrived seeking seeds.  A Carolina wren made off with something and hid under the furniture to eat it.  A handful of white throats hunted edibles.

I restocked the jelly and barkbutter dishes before lunch.  Blue jays soon noticed.  So did myrtle warblers.  A female red belly hiked up and down tree trunks.  The myrtle warbler reluctantly gave way for a white breasted nuthatch that found the barkbutter balls.  A mockingbird was more interested in seeds.  Then the brown thrasher appeared among the white throats in the mulch.  That made two of the three local Mimidae and March is too early for catbirds.

Clouds came and went but seemed thicker toward evening.  Egrets and cormorants flew home. 

Kingfisher and eagle

Thin bars of cloud striped the blue sky.   A Carolina wren joined us for breakfast.  A mockingbird followed.  An egret perched on a post downstream while another waded.  Gulls patrolled the creek and cormorants dived.  Three pelicans sunbathed on the roof of the boathouse across the creek. 

Two mockingbirds came for lunch.  So did a pair of bluebirds.  The Carolina wren was back too, eating some of everything.  While morning was sunny, over lunch the sky clouded up.  Two egrets looked tor the best place to fish.  Bluebirds and the occasional white throat ate barkbutter crumbs.  The mockingbirds sampled the different offerings. Three daffodil varieties bloomed.  A light shower occurred around 2pm, then gradually the sky cleared again.

I was looking for pelicans in the late afternoon when I spotted a kingfisher. Cormorants, pelicans, a great blue heron, and a female hoodie passed, then I saw something swoop.  Crows came after it and finally I saw it between the goose fences.  I was afraid it was trapped but it flew out with no trouble.  Meanwhile, the kingfisher had teleported downstream.  

Slow day

The mockingbird took possession of the seed feeder.  At least nine egrets flew past and one rested on the dock for a while.  Its plumes were showy but it didn't have the green lores of a bird ready to mate.  An oriole took note of the jelly but was spooked by something.  A squirrel appeared to have been clawed but seemed healthy enough.  A Carolina wren sifted through the last of a bag of barkbutter balls.  I don't know where all the other birds were. 

Gray day

Today was cooler, still windy, and mostly overcast, but full of birds.  A female bluebird came for seeds.  A myrtle warbler preferred suet.  The cardinals were courting -- he ferried seeds all of 15 inches up to her.  I guessed it was the thought that counted.  A mockingbird settled for seeds.  A red bellied woodpecker watched from the trees.  White throats foraged in the mulch under the feeder.  The male oriole settled for suet and the female did the same.  A male bluebird took over the seeds from the female.  The female oriole considered the seeds and sampled them.  Even a blue jay was hungry enough for seeds.  I refilled the dishes and a myrtle warbler inspected first the jelly, then the barkbutter balls.  Gulls, pelicans, and cormorants pursued fish. 

The sky was brighter at lunch.  I saw another pelican.  A Carolina wren found what remained of the barkbutter crumbs.  Then a bluebird poked at the crumbs and complained.  A female brown headed cowbird paused on the seed feeder hanger.  Hooded mergansers fished and socialized.  The male red belly finally came to eat suet.  When he left a wren moved in, then a downy.  By evening there were rents in the clouds and some sunset color as the cormorants flew home.   

Stormy

Morning was gusty.  Three egrets fished along our stretch of the creek.  A brown headed nuthatch joined the regular seed eaters. So did a female red bellied woodpecker.  Stocking up before the storm?  Then the rain began before lunch.  The temperature was in the 60s but the weather spoiled any enjoyment of the warmth.  I heard thunder grumbling but saw no lightning flashes.  Late in the afternoon a very large flock of cormorants blew through and circled around to head back the way they'd come.  The storm left about a half inch of rain. 

Much warmer

The day began with sunshine but haze slowly became overcast while the temperature climbed into the upper 60s.  A mourning dove poked through the mulch along with the white throats.  The two mockingbirds did not seem to be getting along but maybe that's how they court.  One sampled the jelly but didn't seem to approve.  Blue jays and starlings took over the barkbutter balls.  I saw a bluebird and a Carolina wren but they gave up.  A myrtle warbler got a share. 

Mainly there were pelicans floating on the creek.  I didn't see any fish successfully but I did see this one take off. 

Still cold

Overnight dropped below freezing and the pepper plants were outside.  Again the mockingbird was an early, and very puffed up, visitor.  A myrtle warbler ate jelly.  A row of ruddy ducks floated past.  Many cormorants fished and I saw a pelican go by.  The gulls were back too.  An egret prowled the shore.  I saw shoveler drakes again on the lake.