Cold and windy

The thermometer said 31° and the birdbath was frozen.  Songbirds were hungry and there was no suet.  Barkbutter balls disappeared quickly.  Pine and myrtle warblers and titmice wanted calories fast.  Blue jays were afraid the barkbutter balls would run out.  Starlings intended to make that happen.  White throats avoided the competition by foraging on the ground.  Two female orioles did compete and burned energy chasing each other.  A mockingbird was not pleased to find the birdbath solid ice.  I wondered if the ant moat was frozen too, but at least it was in the sun. 

Egrets lined up below the dam to catch the rising sun. A great blue heron perched in a pine tree in the sun.  In the afternoon, I saw a female bufflehead on the wind-roughened creek   Then a pied bill grebe paddled downstream.  It paused for a good scratch.  A cormorant surfaced and a pelican landed.  Then a whole flock of hoodies came swimming and diving up the creek.  In the late afternoon, egrets gathered along the sunny side of the lake. 

I poured hot water in the birdbath and it froze again.  That disappointed a bluebird.and a couple of goldfinches.  I also refilled the barkbutter dish.  A brown headed and then a white breasted nuthatch collected some seeds.  K hung a fresh block of suet which immediately attracted a warbler.  Then a red winged blackbird showed up and tried the barkbutter balls and the suet.  One of the orioles got a drink right above the blackbird.  (They are cousins, but I don't think there's much family feeling.)  Warblers and then a downy got some suet. 

Three doves foraged under the seed feeder.  Several starlings returned for suet.  One warbler boldly ate suet right beside a much bigger starling.  I spotted a flicker up in a pine but mistook it for a red belly till I saw the photos.  A downy found the second suet feeder.  A Carolina wren hopped around the trees. A little bird flitting among the saltbushes was a ruby crowned kinglet!