Club Mallard

Sun and wind

2012-02-28T10:13:00.002-05:00

An early bird kept an eye on us. Finches were up early too.

The first bumblebees of the year are visiting the Carolina jessamine. There are several, both big and little. The flowers smell heavenly.

Very low tide

2012-02-27T07:29:00.004-05:00

I can't remember seeing so much of the far bank exposed below the bulkhead. Also, there is frost on the grass and mulch and on the dock. The sun is bright in a blue sky. A merganser did not stay long on the narrow strip of water.

Chickadees, titmice, cardinals and juncos came for breakfast. A squirrel tested the new feeder position and found it still wouldn't feed him (or her). I can hear a blue jay, and crows of course.

By mid-afternoon (when I finally got off my conference call) the sky had clouded over. It didn't feel all that much warmer either. And I didn't see any activity on the creek or around the feeder. There was some intermittent sun, but after dark it rained a bit.

Chilly and sunny

2012-02-26T10:21:00.006-05:00

Last night there was a glorious rose-red sunset but I managed to delete all my photos by mistake. The wind has mostly calmed. At first the creek was glassy, then it ruffled for a while. A pelican and an egret flew past.

The new feeder location is popular and even the birdbath is getting more use. Goldfinches were up in the redwood and then checked out the feeder, but all my photos are overexposed. Both the song sparrow and the white throat explored the mulch, along with several juncos. Cardinals, house finches and chickadees used the feeder. The blue jay just came for a drink.

The whole day was sunny and nippy, especially after the heat wave on Friday. The moon and Jupiter are bright in the West at 9pm.

Cooler with sun and wind

2012-02-25T09:27:00.007-05:00

It rained overnight and the temperature dropped from the record high yesterday. There are clouds blowing through but it is mainly sunny. The wind is rocking the feeder. The birds found it without trouble but they seem more confused that it is facing the opposite direction. The wind is so high that the feeder is banging the post.

Cardinals, a lot of finches, juncos, chickadees, sparrows and doves all showed up. Mergansers and pelicans are still with us. At lunch two species of sparrow contended for dropped seeds. A song sparrow is near the birdbath and a white throat is closer to the camera. Despite their similar looks and size, the song sparrow repeatedly chased the white throat away. The song sparrow is a mulch kicker - it scratches up the debris with its feet. The white throat is more of a patio pecker.

Geese are lined up on the bulkhead across the creek while gulls and mergansers are in the water. According to the paper, there is a conjunction of the new moon, Jupiter, and Venus this evening.

Damp and warm and windy

2012-02-24T08:17:00.008-05:00

The concrete is sweating. It's supposed to get above 70 today. But the wind is strong - crows have been playing with it all morning. The sky was overcast but it is thinning and the sun just broke through. Mergansers and gulls are out fishing and a pelican passed through. See how rough the water is?

Honeybees are busy on the rosemary but the wind is hard on them. One gust blew the bees off the flowers.

Something's got into the songbirds. Two female cardinals had an aerial battle while a male watched. A female house finch chased off a male. A sparrow was out early along with squirrels which are also acting feisty. When the wind gusts pause, the feeder is crowded with cardinals and finches and chickadees. A blue jay, robins, and doves are in the yard. I see a junco but not near the feeder.

Around lunch, this front blew in from the Southwest and now overcast has returned. It has cooled some and the wind is really howling. Kathleen put up a new bracket and moved the feeder so the discarded seeds will fall in the mulch, not on the steps and french drain. We shall see. Now the birdbath needs to be relocated.

Warm and sunny

2012-02-23T09:02:00.006-05:00

It is too wet outside to sit, but very warm. Mergansers were out on the creek and I could hear geese. Squirrels were chasing each other, as were crows. Finally a chickadee woke up. Moss is sending up fine green hair as a prelude to making spores.

The whole day has been beautiful. I spent some time on the dock watching gulls fish. They upended just like dabbling ducks. I could not see what they were catching. Mergansers were in the same area. Mallards are starting to court. Jays and chickadees provided background music. Finches were on the feeder and sparrows on the ground.

Late in the afternoon I saw a mockingbird on the fence.

Clear and warming

2012-02-22T07:17:00.002-05:00

From winter yesterday morning to summer this afternoon, or so it is predicted. A sparrow peeped over the step. Then a hawk fled West pursued by a crow.

The bees are back despite the wind! Crows are dancing on the wind, doing rolls and even flying backward. Chickadees and finches are visiting the feeder and juncos are still around. Geese and pelicans are our on the creek. Gauzy curtains of cloud are pleating together but blowing away East. A white cabbage butterfly fluttered by.

Ice on the creek

2012-02-21T07:43:00.008-05:00

Frost everywhere and more ice than open water on the creek. A titmouse and a squirrel came to breakfast while a pelican flew over the creek. It is very bright between the sun and the frost.

The sun and a South wind have warmed things quickly and brought clouds. I can hear jays, a wren, a titmouse, robins, doves and of course crows and geese. Something started singing "pretty-bird" and I traced it to the center bird in a flock of five. The bird actually bounced with each trill. The five were silhouetted against the sky and I had to walk around till the light angle changed to see that they were blue jays. Usually jays make a raucous twang, but this was actually melodic!

More mushrooms have popped up despite last night's frost. Something has been leaving shells on the dock. Today I found a mussel, oysters, and a hinged clam. While I was looking at that a hooded merganser male landed behind me then took off when he saw me. A pelican looked very dramatic flying up the creek with the sun highlighting it while the trees behind were in shade. Clouds keep rolling through and then clearing off.

After lunch, a male kingfisher perched in the sweet gum but for some reason the battery in the camera wasn't making contact and none of the pictures came out.

Still gray

2012-02-20T08:14:00.006-05:00

The rain has stopped but it is still windy and wet. A flock of crows and a pelican are all I see. It's beginning to clear from the West. Mergansers are out on the creek. Contrary to popular cliche, I don't think ducks like rain.

The crows have found another hawk to harass. It's not much bigger than they are. I was refilling the feeder when all the drama passed overhead.

The first leucojum (snowbell) is blooming - last year I noted this on March 7th. And the red maple started blooming a week earlier than last year as well. The sky is now blue but it is very windy, just like last year. Chickadees and titmice are fighting the wind on the feeder. Juncos are staying on the ground as is a yellow rumped warbler. A pair of pelicans have swooped past repeatedly.

Dreary day

2012-02-19T08:30:00.006-05:00

There is some wind and some spattering of rain on the North-facing windows. Most of the wildlife seems to be sleeping in.

The rain has gotten heavier though it's no downpour. I haven't seen anything of note beside gulls. I hear geese or crows occasionally.

It lasted all day.

Overcast again

2012-02-18T08:19:00.006-05:00

Clouds started to move back in from the Southwest late yesterday and this morning is gray. I hear crows and geese and doves. The geese flapped upstream, then came back then changed their minds. Then suddenly everyone came to the feeder: house finches and a goldfinch, juncos, cardinals and titmice. The sparrows were out on the patio and then a rabbit joined them. A big black bird with white wings swooped down, passed by and landed on one of the neighbor's pines. That's when I saw it was a pileated woodpecker.

It may be starting to clear now. Mergansers are out on the creek. Coming up on noon the sky is mostly blue and the sun is come-and-go. But later in the afternoon the clouds returned. The sky looked like white corduroy then went to a featureless overcast, thin enough to show the sun. A few pink camellias are still blooming. The rosemary is recovering from the snow and the jessamine has continued to bloom. Another daffodil has blossomed. And down the street a red maple is blooming.

Thick fog

2012-02-17T07:37:00.005-05:00

Geese and crows can be heard and squirrels, juncos and finches are finding breakfast. A pelican patrolled the creek.

The fog is slowly lifting but still very gray and drippy. Not an auspicious start for the backyard bird coun t. But last year there were high winds and that was worse.

Finally, around 11am the cloud cover began to break up with gray fuzz streaming South and higher clouds moving slowly East. Then everyone came out to feed! My one hour count:

Brown Pelican	1
Great Egret	1
Ring-billed Gull	5
Great Black-backed Gull	1
Blue Jay	1
American Crow	4
Carolina Chickadee	3
Tufted Titmouse	2
American Robin	5
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	1

Back to gray

2012-02-16T07:33:00.005-05:00

Nothing seems to have awakened.

Still gray at noon. Gulls and crows and a pelican. A squirrel on the steps keeps popping up to check on us. I think it's on the FBI payroll. I wonder if the feeder is empty?

Mid-afternoon the rain began. I sure hope it is nicer tomorrow for the backyard bird count.

Titmice at dawn

2012-02-15T07:31:00.014-05:00

Finches and chickadees shared the feeder with at least one titmouse. Gulls, including one great blackback, flew over the creek as mergansers dived. Squirrels and sparrows hunted seeds on the ground while juncos were everywhere. Crows provided the soundtrack. The dawn light gilded everything under a clear sky. The creek was disturbed by something fishing, but otherwise smooth. There was a lacewing on the screen.

A little later, a dove came looking for nesting fibers and paused by the birdbath. And a robin also wanted a drink. And then, mid-morning, a wren came to the feeder and posed. Geese paddled downstream on a surface now ruffled and olive green rather than reflective.

The sky was still blue at noon. Pelicans and herons flew past. Two wrens visited, one bathed while the other pecked at the patio. One wren perched on the grill tank and an insect flew past. When the wren tried to snatch it out of the air, it slid off the tank and plopped onto the patio.

A cloudless, golden sunset.

Gray morning

2012-02-14T10:18:00.007-05:00

The roofers came back to finish. Before they came, juncos and finches were feeding and I saw a sparrow. On the creek, geese, gulls, and ducks were swimming. Mallards were doing their head-bobbing ritual. It is warmer despite the lack of sun. A real murder of crows raised a ruckus across the creek in the bare tree above where the egrets were sunning earlier in the week. I saw a lump that might have been an owl, or a clump of leaves.

Around noon, patches of blue began to appear, and brief moments of sun. This prompted a junco to bathe even though the birdbath is full of shingle grit. Cardinals, chickadees, and juncos competed for the feeder while several sparrows hopped around. One perched on the rosemary while others scurried under it.

By evening the sky was pretty clear except around the edges, which made as interesting sunset. The snow has nearly finished the blooms on the pink camellia and the rosemary, and the daffodil out front disappeared. The indoor orchid has bloomed from Christmas to Valentines Day, though it is beginning to wilt.

Sunny and cold

2012-02-13T08:09:00.003-05:00

The egrets are already gathering in the sunny yard across the creek. It is a point between creek and lake that ends in the dam. The white egrets don't show well against the winter-dried grass. One person thought yesterday's photo was of a beach.

A cardinal was on the feeder at dawn.

And then the roofers came and it has been rap, pound, knock, slither ever since. All wildlife has departed. I did see a small hawk fly past at lunch.

Snow and sun

2012-02-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

The snow won't last, I'm sure, but at dawn it was beautiful. Not very much snow - the feeder roof shows about how much fell. The wind cleared it off leaves and twigs. The birds are hungry. Cardinals, chickadees, finches, juncos, and a sparrow visited the feeder while a robin tried to get a drink from the birdbath. Cloud puffs are blowing off to the NE.

When we got home, the sky was blue but there was still some snow. A flock of egrets were sunning in the yard above the dam across the creek. A few geese were with them. A pelican flew past. Chickadees, finches, and juncos were still busy at the feeder.

Well, the snow did outlast the sun. A cold wind blew hard all day and much of the snow is now part ice.

Gray turning to snow

2012-02-11T15:19:00.004-05:00

Rain drips. Juncos, finches, cardinals and squirrels getting a last snack before the predicted snow. Gulls and cormorants flying home.

And then, after dark, big wet flakes came blowing past. They caught on the grass and leaves, but the pavement was too warm.

Cold and sunny to start

2012-02-10T10:23:00.005-05:00

There's a thin haze with contrails. The moon, a little past full, was setting when I got up. Juncos are about, as is a squirrel. Doves were cooing up in the oak. They sound almost like an owl: dooo-it-dooo.

By noon the haze had become overcast. Finches and chickadees ate on the feeder. I haven't seen any titmice in quite a while. Crows were all over, hassling any big bird they could find. The eagle sat for a while across the creek and ignored them. A pelican flew up the creak and back. Geese, mallards, mergansers, cormorants, and possibly woodducks were on the water. A squirrel came and posed for peanuts. Then the one with the white spot on the left hip showed up and the first squirrel chased the second away. The rest of the day was gloomy.

Cold and clearing

2012-02-09T07:47:00.006-05:00

Soft, fat clouds, tinted cream or smudge gray, are moving fast on an icy wind. A crow proclaimed from the top of the sweet gum. There are V tracks on the creek, Geese paddled by and a pelican and an egret flew downstream. The osprey circled and hovered.

Juncos and cardinals on the feeder, juncos and white throats on the ground, along with squirrels. One white throat is working on a gumball while the other digs in the mulch under the rosemary. The cardinal pair visit one at a time, first male then female.

The clouds have all blown away. Lots of pelicans are out on patrol. Some chickadees finally showed up. They seem more intimidated by the little juncos than by the bigger finches and cardinals. The first daffodil is blooming and the Carolina jessamine, undeterred by the cold, has buds all over.

Overcast

2012-02-08T09:03:00.006-05:00

Finches were on the feeder with doves and juncos on the ground. Mergansers fished the creek and geese flew past. I saw a full orange moon setting behind the trees but now the sky looks like a quilted mattress. I took this photo yesterday, but they are back today.

At lunch a crowd of finches, juncos, chickadees and a male cardinal all jockeyed for a seat at the feeder. Suddenly, down swooped a sharp-shinned hawk. I don't think it caught anything, but the birds have not come back to the feeder. I got a couple of fuzzy photos of the hawk perched on the beauty berry, but the barred tail and small size are unmistakable.

The juncos were first to forget their fright. And then the rain started. It kept up until dark.

Sunny morning

2012-02-07T08:34:00.003-05:00

Perky merganser pairs are out on the creek which is not at all smooth this morning. Juncos are hopping on the patio and finches on the feeder. The wind is cold but the sun has attracted four pelicans to the boathouse roof. The first osprey of the year circled and hovered.

I heard crows making a ruckus and sure enough they soon appeared chasing a hawk. I'm learning what various bird noises mean so I can be ready with the camera. The chickadees are now on the feeder.

Mid-afternoon, the robins are out. A wren was delighted with my burnt cookie crumbs and posed beautifully while I took about 40 pictures, NONE of which came out. !#$% camera.

Cold

2012-02-06T08:55:00.005-05:00

Long crystals in the birdbath, frost on the feeder. Juncos were out early. Geese flew by and a crow stopped in the oak. A pelican passed by at lunch.

A translucent, nearly full moon showed behind bands of cloud in the East toward evening and now light is leaking through breaks in the cloud cover.

Gray cold rain

2012-02-05T09:22:00.002-05:00

Everything drips and the day is dark. Pelicans and egrets flew above the creek. Mergansers and mallards paddled by. Juncos and a white throated sparrow foraged on the patio.

By lunch, the rain stopped and the pavement dried but the sky stayed gray. A crow chased off a hawk and then chickadees appeared. A large flock of cormorants circled briefly.

Frost overnight

2012-02-04T07:11:00.005-05:00

It is clear at dawn and the creek is a perfect mirror. The dock has frost where it is in shade. Cormorants are commuting to breakfast.

In the East, there were long streaks of cloud while overhead there was a fractal froth that reminded me of suds left to dry. Now at mid-day heavier clouds are coming down from the North. It has warmed up considerably.

And by late afternoon, the overcast has become a quiet rain. It got heavier after dark.

Clear sky

2012-02-03T07:11:00.008-05:00

Juncos are up early and busy at the feeder. I'm being careful to note seasonal birds because otherwise it's impossible to know the last time I see them.

A cold wind is blowing. A heron is lurking in the reeds below the dam. A pelican cruised the creek and one great blackback gull evicted another from its favorite piling. Chickadees are on the feeder now.

At lunch, something desirable in the water attracted two pelicans and a blackback gull. After considerable circling the gull was left in possession. The commotion attracted what I think is an immature eagle.

In the afternoon. finches, chickadees, juncos, and a female cardinal all visit the feeder. The wind is very cold though the sun is warm.

Shadowless morning

2012-02-02T08:16:00.016-05:00

We are outside the range of groundhogs and it is illegal to move a Marmota monax here, but if there were a hypothetical woodchuck visiting, it would see nothing but overcast this morning. Originally in Europe other hibernating animals were presumed to emerge on Candlemas or Imbolc. "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again." I'm not aware of any hibernating animals here. It was warm and raining last Groundhog Day.

Everything is dripping though the rain is stopped for now. The usual suspects are on the feeder, primarily finches and chickadees, but I thought I glimpsed a wren. I can hear jays. Robins are on the roof getting a drink from the gutter. A blackbird flock comes and goes. Now robins are all over the yard and birdbath. Lots of chirping between the blackbirds and robins. A pelican checked out the creek and I saw an unidentifiable woodpecker hopping up a tree. Across the creek crows were harassing a larger bird, probably the hawk.

Nasty at noon - wind and rain, and one finch hunkered down on the feeder perch. But after that blew through, patches of sky appeared and glimpses of sunlight. The juncos came out to feed. The sun has been playing peek-a-boo since, same as last year. And by mid-afternoon it has gone all blue! And it stayed that way right through sunset.

After dark, I saw a wolfish face at the window. There's a husky in the neighborhood who gets loose every so often and somehow gets into our back yard. It's friendly, but I don't want it chasing the wildlife.

Busy morning

2012-02-01T09:11:00.009-05:00

A very strange cloud was faintly visible above the pines across the creek before it moved off East. It was an arc of radiating streaks, sort of like a crown, but too wispy for a good photo. A crow kept popping up out of the pines, hovering with a great deal of flapping, then plunging back into the trees. I bet that meant there was a hawk, and I was right. Crows finally chased it off West. It is supposed to get very warm today.

Later heavier clouds moved in from the West. An eagle did a fly-by. A pileated woodpecker worked his way up the neighbor's pine tree. Mergansers were diving in the creek which was quite rough surfaced. A cardinal, a blue jay, two robins, and a flock of blackbirds came to the yard. A white-throated sparrow drank from the birdbath and house finches took possession of the feeder. That sounds like Edward Lear.

After lunch, it is shirt-sleeve warm and the sky has cleared. Bees are mobbing the rosemary. It stayed mostly clear with thin streaks of cloud all the way to sunset. Several herons flew across the dam in the early evening before the cormorant commute. The kingfisher flew silently downstream. The sunset makes the pines at the head of the creek appear to be on fire.

Jessamine in January

2012-01-31T09:28:00.005-05:00

I know it has been a mild winter but this is 3 months early! The Carolina jessamine is in a planter against a wall with a Southern exposure, but still...

I left before dawn for a meeting. When I got back, blackbirds and robins were all over the sweet gum in the front yard. In the back, a chickadee was singing in the oak. Gulls, mergansers, egrets and a pelican were monitoring the creek. The pelican was on the boathouse roof and a great black-backed gull was honking from a piling. The egrets were picking their way along the low tide edge. A lot of mud was exposed - half way out to the end of the dock. The camera battery must be low because all the photos were over-exposed and out of focus.

Today was certainly warm enough to be Spring.

More sunshine

2012-01-30T07:59:00.011-05:00

And a glassy creek. House finches and blue jays sang in the treetops. Gulls and crows sat on the dock while a turkey vulture patrolled overhead. Chickadees flew about the yard.

At lunch, chickadees and juncos visited the feeder while squirrels were everywhere, including one that nibbled on the nandina berries right outside the kitchen window. A pelican checked out the creek.

At dusk a few smudges of cloud in the Northeast turned pink as background for the daily cormorant commute. Some head toward each compass point passing others headed opposite. Why don't they live near where they fish?

The planet that has been trailing the moon is now ahead of it as the moon waxes toward first quarter. Both are visible in the West during evening now and a different planet shows up in the early morning.

Cooler with sun

2012-01-29T08:05:00.007-05:00

But it was freezing at this time last year. Cloud puffs blew off to the East. They tinted very nicely at dawn. A couple of herons flew downstream. Then a thirsty sparrow showed up for a drink.

It is clear blue now. A female cardinal and a chickadee have visited the feeder. Then a mockingbird landed in the top of the redwood.

The creek was a mirror at dawn. Then it got quite ruffled and looked to be flowing in. Now at mid morning is is glassy again.

A robin and some doves stopped in for a drink. Then juncos showed up. The sky stayed clear all day and a crescent moon trailed the sun by about 90 degrees.

Bright and warm - big and small

2012-01-28T12:42:00.008-05:00

The early morning creek was a perfect mirror when the geese cruised by. Now it is wavy but still glassy. One of the eagles circled over it at noon.

Meanwhile the feeder was visited by titmice, chickadees, finches and juncos. And honeybees are still coming to the rosemary on every warm day. More bulbs are up, not just the snowbells which started growing a month ago.

Later a pelican passed through. In the late afternoon, a flock of gulls feasted on something in the water under a dock across the creek. I couldn't see what they were darting their heads under to catch. A great blackback sat on the roof of the boathouse and harangued them. Most of the gulls were small with a few ring-bills. The warmth didn't last though the blue sky did.

Wet and warm

2012-01-27T10:39:00.002-05:00

The pavement looked like it was sweating at dawn, but now it's just rain. Nothing much going on.

And then, at lunch, the sun came out. The clouds moved off Northeast and a rainbow appeared. Juncos, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, sparrows all came out of hiding. Mergansers appeared on the creek.

Warm with clouds coming

2012-01-26T14:53:00.001-05:00

The day started bright, but clouds moved in around lunch. Kathleen refilled the feeder. Juncos and house finches were delighted. The closer bird in the photo is a female and the male is stretching tall.

Squirrels and bulbs are anticipating Spring. Gulls were about, including the great black-back that seems to have staked out this territory. Bees visited the rosemary. The air is warm but the damp makes it feel cooler.

Honking and cawing

2012-01-25T07:49:00.005-05:00

Geese came through before it was fully light. Then an eagle landed in one of the neighbor's trees. Crows drove it across the creek. The dawn was pink and the sky clear. The eagle has now returned at least twice to the same perch.

After Dallas, it feels very chilly here, though it is actually the norm for this season. A pelican flew up the creek at lunch. I haven't seen any birds on the feeder. Later a great black-backed gull was swimming and feeding on something just offshore. Interestingly, I saw one exactly a year ago doing the same.

After sunset, a planet trailed a moon sliver into the West.

Home again

2012-01-24T22:30:00.001-05:00

And all the wildlife I saw in the course of a week was some pigeons.

Overnight rain

2012-01-18T09:49:00.005-05:00

And today the temperature is supposed to drop back into the winter range. A damp wind is pushing the clouds but it is not as strong as yesterday. Juncos were out at dawn feeding and geese were honking. A few pelicans checked out the creek along with gulls and crows.

By noon, the sky has gone blue. A pair of cardinals keep chasing the juncos off the feeder. A pair of finches squabbled between themselves instead. A buzzard swooped very low over the house - since I'm facing North toward the creek, birds I cannot see cast ominous shadows that I can see. Last year it was misty on this date. I'll be back next week.

Much, much warmer

2012-01-17T09:23:00.007-05:00

From ice yesterday to shorts today! A tangerine sunrise and fleecy clouds blowing East. It is breezy enough to blow a big flock of crows off course. A pelican nevertheless flew upstream into the wind. Juncos, doves, and the robin pecked on the patio and visited the bird bath. Chickadees and finches visited the feeder.

There was a mid-January warm spell last year which brought out a mockingbird and goldfinches as well as the usual suspects.

The wind is very strong. Clouds are flying across the sky and crows and gulls are playing on the gusts. A buzzard struggled West. The robin came back for a drink but nothing is attempting the feeder. It is swinging too much.

Rain was predicted but the sky was clear at sunset.

Ice on the creek

2012-01-16T07:59:00.007-05:00

A flock of geese landed, and skidded. Their weight is enough to create a little round waterhole for them to sit in. But they can also walk on the ice. I wondered if they would be able to take off again, but they did. I poured more hot water into the birdbath. I have refilled the feeder but no one has noticed yet.

The creek has refrozen where the goose puddles were. I notice the creek was frozen a year ago, on the 15th actually.

By mid afternoon, the creek had melted, though there were still ice chunks in the birdbath water. The robin was back along with a yellow rumped warbler. A male cardinal, a junco, and chickadees discovered the feeder.

Sun and wind

2012-01-15T08:41:00.003-05:00

A fleet of geese passed upstream. Pelicans, egrets, and herons have been fishing. Doves and squirrels investigate the patio.

A junco alerted me that the water in the birdbath was frozen even though it's not down to freezing on the thermometer. So I added warm water which pleased a female cardinal and a chickadee. Blue jays and a brown thrasher scouted around on the steps. The feeder needs refilling.

Out on the creek several hooded merganser pairs have passed by along with cormorants and possibly a red-breasted merganser.

Robin

2012-01-14T08:27:00.005-05:00

The robin scared off a junco. I can't call it the first robin of spring as they never leave. I saw a flock fly over the creek a few evenings ago, very red in the sunset. But I don't usually see any close to the house in the winter. Also appearing this morning, a crow proclaimed from a dock piling and a flock of geese went by.

Mid morning a half dozen buzzards circled them moved on. At lunch, pelicans were fishing. Crows harassed a hawk. And a flock of doves pecked around the patio. Several egrets flew downstream.

Roaring wind

2012-01-13T07:45:00.003-05:00

The temperature is supposed to drop steadily all day. The feeder is rocking but a chickadee hopped on during a brief lull. A female cardinal and juncos stuck to the ground. A flock of diving birds went downstream but I couldn't tell if they were cormorants or ducks. Gulls and pelicans are fighting the wind to go upstream. A white throated sparrow had a drink at the birdbath.

At long last, today the red maple tree was planted to replace our lost oak. We had McDonald Garden Center do it which gives us a 2-year warranty. I wonder how long it will be before it begins to replace the shade we lost. At least, it is a native and adds variety for the critters who need native vegetation.

Blue sky is back

2012-01-12T09:50:00.003-05:00

And it is getting warm. The moon is waning but very bright in the West at dawn. An early pelican inspected the creek.

The feeder is popular again. Finches were queuing up for a perch. Juncos ate both on the feeder and the ground, where they were joined by white throated sparrows.

In the afternoon, bees visited the rosemary. Doves cooed in the trees. Soft little clouds streamed out of the Southwest, but by evening they were all gone. Geese lined the bulkhead, then jumped into the creek, then flapped back out. Hundreds of cormorants did their evening commute, some heading upstream and others down. Gulls all headed North. Between the breeze and the lack of clouds, the sunset wasn't much.

Pink sunrise, gone gray

2012-01-11T07:38:00.004-05:00

No visible moon setting this morning. A cardinal is on the feeder and I hear geese honking. A disturbance on the creek resolved into cormorants boiling up from below and then a pelican joined them. But I was on my way out and couldn't wait to see more.

Squirrels are romping. More pelicans. The rain has come.

It let up a bit and juncos and a white throat appeared. Then it returned in a lethargic way - distinct drops - but enough to keep everyone out of sight. The empty feeder is reflected on the wet concrete.

Dramatic moonset

2012-01-10T07:28:00.004-05:00

It went down into a cloud bank on the horizon. Now the day is sunny with heavy dew everywhere.

On the creek, a bufflehead and a pair of mergansers swim by. A brown thrasher and a mockingbird are in the trees. Now the geese are lined up on the bulkhead again.

It's only low 50s, but bees are out, and yes they do like camellias as well as rosemary. Chickadees and titmice are busy on the feeder. Something I cannot quite see is scurrying under the rosemary.

Rain

2012-01-09T07:47:00.006-05:00

So far the rain is very light, splashing in the birdbath but leaving a dry spot under the mesh patio chairs. Squirrels greeted dawn as did a bufflehead. It is keeping station out on the creek off the end of the dock. Juncos are hunting seeds on the ground and one took to the feeder.

Lunchtime and the lone bufflehead is still out there. A pelican just flew by. Dreary day.

Last evening I watched First Flight, a video of a hummingbird and its nest. The photography was great, though they had a unique opportunity with the nest on a clothesline on a porch - so they could get images from every angle. I could have put the sound on mute though, as they overdid the music and the narrator had an accent. The hummingbird was a western species but not all that different from a ruby throat. One thing I will remember is that if I see a hummer with spiderweb, there is a nest somewhere near.

The sun continues, but cooler

2012-01-08T08:32:00.005-05:00

A squirrel was around so early there was barely enough light to see it. The feeder has been popular with titmice and a female cardinal. Pelicans are cruising the creak - four came downstream together.

The geese are all lined up on the bulkhead, this afternoon. Juncos are back from wherever they go on warm days. Doves and white throated sparrows are also hunting on the ground.

Raccoons

2012-01-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

Two burly raccoons were on that patio at 11pm last night. One climbed the feeder post. It didn't manage to open the feeder and my picture-taking annoyed them so they left even though the camera refused to flash.

This morning a squirrel tried the feeder - possibly it smelled the raccoon? A half dozen finches and a cardinal and a wren also visited the feeder.

I spent the morning in a meeting and, coming out, saw this pelican on the Lafayette River.

Getting warmer

2012-01-06T09:20:00.003-05:00

Cirrus wisps and sunshine, breezy with a ruffled surface on the creek. The clouds dissipated and it warmed up enough for honeybees. And a three hour power outage! Since I could do nothing electrical, I sat with the camera, which was uncooperative again.

Nevertheless, I caught the wren demanding room on the feeder and the yellow rumped warbler hanging about. Also on the feeder were a male cardinal, house finches, chickadees and titmice. Down below were squirrels, doves and white throated sparrows. A blue jay paused for a moment then left.

Crows hassled a hawk, a buzzard circled, and gulls took a great interest in the creek, first two black backs, then a flotilla of medium size gulls. An egret fished along the bulkhead.

Still cold

2012-01-05T09:10:00.004-05:00

The sun is shining and the squirrels are hopeful. One watched another preen, then they played chase, then right at my feet (but outside the window) one crawled into the watering can and the other hopped on top. The one inside scrambled back out and the chase was on. I wish I could have photographed it, but they were too close and the window frame reflection interfered. But it was a hoot!

Meanwhile the feeder hosted finches, chickadees and titmice while sparrows and juncos hopped below. Jays and a cardinal hung out in the bushes. A great blue heron sunned on the bulkhead across the creek. At lunch, the female kingfisher showed up again, but I don't think she caught anything despite several plunges. And another squirrel crawled in the watering can! I put water in the birdbath in case that's what they are after. It is warmer today after a hard freeze earlier in the week.

I spent an hour freezing out on the dock. A lone goose on the far bank heard the honking of a passing flock, cried "wait for me" in goose, then jumped into the creek and took off from the water. A hooded merganser pair paddled past, she in the lead by about 20 feet. The waxing gibbous moon rose over the pines as birds flew home to roost. Several photos were no good because my battery was dying.

Cold and sunny

2012-01-04T08:25:00.006-05:00

Not much going on - a few gulls.

Now the feeder is in the sun and juncos, chickadees, titmice, and a male house finch are feeding. A white throated sparrow is hunting for dropped seeds on the steps, along with more juncos. And pelicans, cormorants and egrets are out on the water along with mallards and buffleheads. A yellow rumped warbler and a yellow shafted flicker showed up at lunch. (We really need new shingles!)

Last year I saw a mockingbird along with the usual suspects.

Cold wind blowing

2012-01-03T07:53:00.008-05:00

It must be harsh out on the bay. Cormorants and gulls are fishing the creek instead. A heron was poised by the bulkhead across the creek, but it flew off. Then crows hassled a hawk in the pines over that spot - maybe that's why the heron left?

Egrets gathered below the bulkhead where it's in the sun and out of the wind. Then a female kingfisher landed on the dock bench with a fish. She whacked it on the wood repeatedly as she worked it around into swallowing position. I had to take the photo through a screen unfortunately.

Clouds have rolled in and the wind is even stronger. A lone bufflehead paddled upstream and some mallards passed it on their way downstream. An eagle put in a brief appearance overhead. Chickadees and titmice visited the feeder, then a male red bellied woodpecker showed up. It perched almost upside down with head back and tail tucked under the feeder. I think that's because woodpeckers always brace with their tails on tree trunks, but Kathleen thinks it was to make room for the long beak. At any rate, it flew off to the oak and busied itself with a knot hole. Last year one did the same feeder trick in mid-February. But a year ago today was not so interesting, though I did hear an owl then.

Chilling down

2012-01-02T09:35:00.006-05:00

Windy too. A lone bufflehead was out on the creek in the early light. They seem to spend more time alone than other ducks and more time paddling than the mergansers. Crows were making a ruckus early.

I took the New Year's oyster shells down to the creek. The sun felt good, but the wind was cold. However, a dandelion popped into bloom despite the drop in temperature. Birds were plentiful: a male hooded merganser, a female bufflehead, mallards, geese, crows, great blue herons, cormorants, pelicans, and a herring gull. The pelican overhead appeared to worry the bufflehead which changed direction to avoid its shadow. But even the pelican's splashdown didn't disturb a nearby cormorant.

This day last year was my first firm sighting of the eagle, and I noted other birds were fishing. The feeder was busier, possibly because of the snowstorm, and I saw robins and a sapsucker in addition to the usual suspects. Not this year!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T10:23:00.005-05:00

Mist hung over the creek as the sun came up. Herons, a bufflehead, gulls and cormorants were fishing. Juncos scouted the patio while chickadees and titmice visited the feeder.

Last year was somewhat colder with the melting remains of snow. Virginia Beach Naturally (which I've now finished) has a monthly calender which recommends watching & listening for foxes and owls in January. We saw an animal across the creek that might have been a red fox but was probably a dog with a brushy tail.

Around lunch, I saw a pelican. Squirrels were getting their exercise. Also, there were contrails, and more interesting, one contrail cast a shadow across another. It was quite windy.

Last day of 2011

2011-12-31T09:25:00.004-05:00

I'll have to change the header tomorrow. More come-and-go sunshine, early pelican and egrets. It's warm and breezy. The feeder needed a refill.

The honeybees are still at work. According to Wikipedia, we are probably within two miles of the hive. It says bees have ranged as far as six miles, but I don't think that would happen on short December days when it is barely above their minimum flying temperature. Of course, there may not be all that much else flowering as they don't seem attracted to camellias. I also saw a hover fly on, actually over, the rosemary.

Busy birds

2011-12-30T08:26:00.014-05:00

Including eagles! Two swooped through just after 8am. Then one dive-bombed some egrets downstream, hoping, I think, that they might drop a fish. Also circling the creek were a great many gulls. They all seem to think that something should be there to fish for, but I don't see them catch anything. And I can't find any indication of a fish species that would be spawning or schooling in the estuaries today. Of course, the purveyors of "solunar tables" weren't even agreed on whether today was good or merely fair for fishing. Flocks of mallards and geese headed upstream, but they wouldn't have cared about the fish.

In the pines across the creek crows were hassling a hawk of some sort - I couldn't get a good look at it, but it was tan under the wings. Meanwhile, on the feeder a sassy wren contended with chickadees and titmice. A female cardinal and juncos hunted on the ground and a brown thrasher tossed mulch under the red cedar. I tossed out a peanut I found on the floor and a white-throated sparrow took it under the rosemary to peck apart. Then the sparrow posed under the pink camellia where it looks quite pink by reflection.

Obviously yesterday's cloud cover was gone at dawn, but by 11am clouds had moved in from the West. The creek was flowing strongly to the East, but there was only a light breeze. And by 2pm the clouds were gone again. There are still bees on the rosemary! Lazy squirrels are finally out playing chase. A lone pelican checked out the creek. Just before sunset, a bufflehead paddled by.

Commuter birds

2011-12-29T09:40:00.002-05:00

Most mornings, flocks of water birds move past from their roosts to wherever they feed. Today a squadron of Canada geese flew upstream. Gulls headed in every direction. The sky is blue and the cold air is slowly warming.

At lunchtime, three turkey vultures swooped through the yard and landed on the dock. When I photographed them they moved, one by one,. to the boathouse roof across the creek and then further upstream. I only could get two in a photo. Meanwhile the crows carried on as though the vultures were predators.

On my way back, I noticed that the beauty berries are all shriveled and black. Titmice and chickadees were flitting around the bushes.

Clouds moved in through the afternoon and made for a dark and streaky sunset. The white camellia is blooming.

Come and go sun

2011-12-28T08:42:00.003-05:00

At dawn, the sun performed its usual magic on the tops of the pines across the creek. Then it disappeared, but now it's back.

Squirrels were out early. Last night's wind blew the patio furniture around. But the sky had cleared enough by bedtime to reveal Jupiter. Venus would have set already according to this guide.

Now it's all blue. Juncos are on the feeder as well as the patio. Pelicans were cruising the creek earlier.

Tonight I saw Venus chasing the sunset, with the crescent moon behind and Jupiter not quite yet overhead.

Heavy gray clouds hanging

2011-12-27T08:15:00.005-05:00

It must be getting warmer. And mid-morning, the rain begins. There is some kind of brown scum on the creek. It isn't gas or oil because I do see drops of that too. It's sudsy - when a bird takes off from the water it makes bubbles. Disgusting.

And there haven't been many birds either. Some cormorants, a female merganser, and a kingfisher that flew upstream. Gulls and crows overhead. Chickadees and titmice at the feeder. Funny how a titmouse is twice the size of the chickadee but much more timid. I heard jays. A pair of doves were cuddling up in the gum tree. Some kind of woodpecker was silhouetted against the sky.

Miserable rain all afternoon with gusty wind. Gulls are undeterred.

Cold wind, bright sun

2011-12-26T08:52:00.006-05:00

I love watching the sunlight slowly move its highlighter from the tops of the pines down to the surface of the water.

At mid-morning, the creek surface has gone smooth. House finches, chickadees and titmice are busy on the feeder and a nuthatch is checking out the neighbor's pine trunk. It was mostly detectable as it moved from the shady side to the sunny.

At noon I saw a hawk fly upstream. Shortly afterward, a cardinal pair showed up. She poked a male house finch of the feeder while he (the cardinal) watched from the dogwood. After a while he flew over and announced it was his turn. Meanwhile, pelicans cruised up the creek and a buzzard circled high up.

Sunset was brilliant with intense red cloud puffs and the thinnest sliver of new moon, all reflected in the glassy creek. Hundreds of cormorants were flying to roost in every direction along with a few gulls and egrets.

Blue sky and quiet water

2011-12-25T08:48:00.007-05:00

At dawn the cormorants flew out. Then mergansers flew upstream. Their white markings and wing beats interact and make them appear to vibrate.

The sky has clouded over. Chickadees and finches are visiting the feeder again after disappearing yesterday. Gulls, egrets, and pelicans are watching the water. And there is a big hawk hanging around. It looks osprey-size so I'm guessing red-tail, but there is not enough light to be sure.

A flock of about five male and three female mallards is circling off the end of the dock. We used to have a lot more mallards. I think a neighbor was feeding them. Now we are down to a reasonable number and it has been some years since I found a nest in the yard. Anyway, there are enough mallards around to name this blog.

Cooler

2011-12-24T08:57:00.008-05:00

Like yesterday, the clouds dispersed and now it is sunny. The creek is mirror bright though there is wind. I think the wind has less to do with the water surface than the tide. I think "slack water" is what I'm seeing - at high and low, when the flow slows before reversing. I will watch the tide calendar to confirm.

Two squirrels have been cleaning up feeder spills. No birds yet.

OK, now it's nearly noon and the creek has little waves. It's about half way between high and low tides, which would fit the slack water theory. This is also a new moon, so the tide range should be large.

Two black-back gulls are chasing each other around the sky. I don't know if it's a territorial dispute, play, or courtship. Finally one bird landed on the creek. Meanwhile a buzzard sailed overhead. I wonder if there's a hawk somewhere that I cannot see that keeps the songbirds from the feeder?

A menacing sky at dawn

2011-12-23T08:18:00.012-05:00

Heavy clouds moved swiftly East on a strong wind. Gulls and cormorants slid sideways as they flew South. Something very large circled once behind the trees, maybe the eagle?

A couple of itchy squirrels visited the patio. Now there are glimmers of sunlight and juncos pop-hopping around the patio. One just did a little dance in the dry leaves to kick up seeds.

The sky is clearing now. A female cardinal posed on the feeder and a female house finch sat on its roof. A pelican sat on a piling across the creek and a kingfisher flew past. Bees are still coming to the rosemary, despite the wind.

And now the sun is bright in a blue sky. Four pelicans were sunning on the boathouse across the creek and one gaped for me. A bald eagle circled overhead. One junco got tired of waiting for seeds to fall and jumped up on the feeder.

It is getting colder.

Warm and gray and wet

2011-12-22T08:31:00.003-05:00

A mist was rising off the water. An early heron flew off. Latter a bufflehead swam past. Juncos were out on the patio. A kingfisher flew upstream squawking all the way. Later some human making a racket up that way startled three mergansers who flew downstream.

The grass was blessed with a heap of pellets, presumably from a rabbit. They seem appropriate to my feelings just now as my camera is not working right. The zoom quit functioning on our trip and has worked only sporadically since. I thought it was a low battery, and switching seemed to help, but only briefly. Fewmets!

The sky lightened and there was a little sun after lunch, but it did not last. The creek was an absolute mirror, the reflection as sharp as the original. And the water is very clear - I can see minnows and bottom at low tide. A blue jay and a flicker came by. Another kingfisher flew downstream, this time silently. An egret landed by the dam outfall and snapped up something. The camera decided to cooperate, for once, but all the birds were too far or back-lighted, or something.

Overnight rain

2011-12-21T08:00:00.004-05:00

The rising sun highlighted the edges of the clouds that were moving fast to the East, but now all is gray. Tonight will be the longest night as the solstice is at 12:30 am tomorrow, just after midnight our time.

Now it is raining softly. Pelicans are cruising the creek and a bufflehead swam past. Otherwise it is quiet and nothing is coming to the feeder.

I'm looking at Virginia Beach Naturally: A Guide to Enjoying the Wildlife of Virginia Beach, Virginia by Scott F. Bastian and already I've found names for some of the unidentifiables of this past year. I will go back and correct past entries

Warming up, clouding up

2011-12-20T09:14:00.004-05:00

Typical. This time of year is either cold and bright or warm and wet. A lone squirrel moseyed by. I have refilled the feeder.

Bees are still feeding on the rosemary! Almost all tree leaves are shed, except where the wild cherry grew back after the May storm. The dawn redwood made cones this year, I think for the first time. A mockingbird perched on the beauty berry and feasted on the now dull berries. Seems like they need to age or something.

A male merganser went upstream in a series of dashes and dives. As you can see, the creek is beautifully reflective today. A heron waited at the dam outflow and a kingfisher flew downstream.

Pink wisps of cloud at dawn

2011-12-19T08:11:00.008-05:00

A cloudless sky (contrails excepted) and a mirror-like creek. Not much moving since the flocks of cormorants flew South at dawn. There must be a few seeds left in the feeder - this morning finches, titmice and chickadees visited. A male cardinal came later.

I was just reading the latest newsletter from the Ferry Plantation House, and I learned that Lynnhaven River Now has an initiative called Pearl Homes for people who manage their runoff. I'm going to apply.

The rosemary is still blooming, likewise the pink camellia. The red camellia has one last blossom and the white one has fat buds. It is cold and windy and the creek is choppy.

Blue sky and glassy creek

2011-12-18T08:50:00.004-05:00

I bet the feeder got emptied while we were gone. Juncos are searching the ground but nothing is visiting the feeder. A merganser pair is out on the creek.

The blue sky didn't last, now it looks like rain. There's a breeze but the creek is unruffled. And now, mid-afternoon, it's cleared again. At sunset, we're back to heavy clouds.

Pelicans

2011-12-17T15:19:00.006-05:00

All the time we were in Cancun, we kept seeing brown pelicans and now that we are home, they're out cruising the creek. Now that's a successful species. But I can't help wonder why the local pelicans stay here through the winter when they could be there.

I can now add frigate birds to my life list - very angular and menacing. I also saw a pair of wild green parrots and some kind of plover, and the ubiquitous herons and egrets, gulls and grackles. The gulls looked like the ones I saw at Cape May. The grackles woke us up every morning with piercing calls. There were boat-tail grackles as well as the regular kind in both purple and bronze.

One small lizard scampered out of sight one evening but otherwise I don't think I saw any wild animals. Oh, lots of dogs, all short-hair terrier-ish mutts. No cats that I recall.

Bright and breezy

2011-12-08T08:39:00.005-05:00

Despite the breeze, the creek is very smooth. Two geese paddled lazily upstream. Earlier a cormorant had done the same. No action on the feeder so far. Just squirrels.

Later on, a male cardinal visited while juncos feasted on the sweet gum seeds on the ground. I saw an odd dove with a white feather in the middle of its back. I don't know if the feather was just out of place or mutant.

Squirrels' day out

2011-12-07T08:20:00.004-05:00

A half dozen are playing all over the yard, flirting, chasing, monkeying with the feeder, and nibbling on the sweet gum seeds. The seeds are very small and blow everywhere as the gumballs ripen. No birds have visited the feeder. Possibly they are wary of the squirrels. This squirrel decided to sneak up on the seeds from underneath, but was foiled by the counter-weighted baffle.

It is gray in the East so no sunshine though I can see blue sky to the North. It's supposed to rain and it is certainly damp. It's still warm though it's supposed to cool off after today. Geese and cormorants have flown by and some cormorants were fishing. Later four mergansers, two each, paddled by. The sun came out briefly but now the sky has curdled again. Cumulus clouds are streaming Northeast under a stationary layer of cirrus and contrails. But on the ground, the gusts feel like they're coming from the Southeast. Honeybees are still busy. I wonder where the hive is?

Warm and damp and still

2011-12-06T08:16:00.004-05:00

I can see dew on the chairs outside. The paper says it's overcast, but the sun is shining. A squirrel tested the feeder and some chickadees visited it. Last night the waxing gibbous moon was spectacular glowing through holes in the clouds surrounded by a multicolor halo.

Why is there a dove on our feeder? The chickadee and the finch seem as puzzled as I am. A squirrel climbed the post and shooed the dove off. Then a brilliant male cardinal arrived and the finch left. Now all are gone. The bees however are still busy.

It got fairly gray with overcast and a breeze and the current in the creek ran strongly. The chickadees fussed at me for a while and a blue jay hung out in the dogwood. Then, toward evening, the sun burned through and the sunset looked like fire with a golden haze in front of the sun and clouds streaming away like smoke. After dark, it is strange to see the Christmas lights and hear crickets.

Clouded up

2011-12-05T07:29:00.002-05:00

The cloud cover is patchy and starting to break up in the North. The photo looks colder than it is - it's damp and mild with a light breeze. The creek would be beautiful if there was anything to reflect. The clouds are slowly moving North-northeast.

Some chickadees and a cardinal came to the feeder. There are crows around and I heard something else calling, but I'm not seeing any other birds. The bees are back on the rosemary after taking the weekend off.

Bufflehead

2011-12-04T09:02:00.005-05:00

First one this season. In the only photo I got, it is behind this screen of branches. What alerted me was the appearance of ripples on the otherwise mirror-smooth creek. The bufflehead spent more time underwater than on the surface.

The chickadees and titmice have discovered that I refilled the feeder. Do you think this one knows who to thank? Cormorants headed out at dawn to wherever they like to fish. The crows passed through one by one instead of in a clump. All day, all over town, I have seen huge numbers of crows. Do they migrate through here?

Sunset was beautiful with gold streaks under pink puffs. Unfortunately I was driving East at the time.

Bright and windy

2011-12-03T08:36:00.002-05:00

An early pelican passed by. A squirrel washed itself on the patio but saw me reaching for the camera. Then I had to leave for much of the day.

Across the street, birds nests are appearing now that the leaves are gone. I do not see any nests in our trees though.

The wind is coming out of the East-northeast and it is cold, especially when a cloud blocks the sun. Cumulus puffs are streaming along, but the higher contrails are stationary. Mergansers and mallards are out on the creek and a flotilla of cormorants went past. A flock of crows flew across the creek with one diving on another. I refilled the feeder but no one has noticed yet.

Frost and herons

2011-12-02T08:56:00.010-05:00

The dock, the roof, and some patches of mulch and grass have frost. Quite a few great blue herons have passed through and one stopped to sun across the creek. Then a skein of geese passed by headed up the creek.

Then some starlings landed in the top of the redwood - we have never had starlings back here away from the main road. A yellow-rumped warbler visited the rosebush. Doves scouted the patio, juncos argued on the roof, and a wren looked everywhere for breakfast. It took possession of the feeder, which I need to refill soon. Squirrels were busy too.The ubiquitous crows are rushing around.

Mid afternoon, a squadron of geese paddled upstream. A few minutes another of cormorants went by, paddling and diving.

Windy

2011-12-01T08:27:00.004-05:00

There is a strong breeze up in the trees but down on the creek, the water is glassy under a pure blue sky. Two egrets were on the dock and four more flew downstream. The usual crows were around, likewise cormorants. A mallard pair sailed upstream. Gulls have been circling around the dam. The wind is very cold. A pelican flew downstream.

A red and a yellow rose are blooming but I don't see any more buds. The morning glory is hanging on. Rosemary and camellia continue to bloom. The trees are getting bare and mistletoe and last year's nests are revealed.

The whole day has been much the same.

Sun has returned

2011-11-30T08:59:00.003-05:00

It is brisk outside. Chickadees and titmice on the feeder and juncos on the ground. One titmouse had a drink at the birdbath.

By noon the sun had warmed things up but then the clouds rolled in. The wind was quite harsh.

Mid afternoon looked like rain, but then it cleared somewhat. Cormorants headed home to roost.

Rain

2011-11-29T09:42:00.006-05:00

At dawn there were just some pink puffs in the West but clouds moved in and rain started before 9am. Squirrels were out early as were cormorants. A heron took off downstream.

The temperature is dropping swiftly. And then it rained and rained. This was a true November day.

Gray cloud cover

2011-11-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

A squirrel and a chickadee sought breakfast. The clouds came in bands. This one retreated to the North around noon, chased by some late leaves. The bees are still making the most of the rosemary. They ignore the camellias and roses and morning glories.

Busy birds

2011-11-27T08:13:00.005-05:00

Mallards on the creek and flights of geese, cormorants, a heron and a pelican. On the feeder, a female cardinal, a male red bellied woodpecker, titmice, chickadees, and finches. All before 8am. The sun is bright, the creek shiny, and the sky has cirrus wisps and contrails.

Clouds and wind have built up all morning. Then the sky cleared again. There are thin protoclouds in stationary waves and passing cream puffs. The male cardinal visited during dinner. Doves came over the roof as if chased. Crows harassed something in the pines across the creek. And the bees are still feeding on the rosemary. When full, they fly over the house toward the street.

Sun and clouds

2011-11-26T11:49:00.002-05:00

Windy too. A pelican cruised the creek. Finches came to the feeder. I overslept.

Something is schooling in the water. Gulls, cormorants, pelicans, egrets and herons are all fishing right in front of us. There's still too much vegetation for it to be easy to photograph them and the camera lag still messes me up so the bird is on the edge of the photo or behind something.

As evening comes on, the sky has grown grayer with thin clouds.

Bright and still

2011-11-25T09:33:00.002-05:00

The creek is a mirror and the trees that still have leaves are glowing above and below.

By lunch, both the temperature and the breeze have come up. A male kingfisher visited the dock. A pelican splashed down beside it, startling the kingfisher off. Clouds of black birds maneuvered overhead. A merganser pair paddled upstream. Bees are still harvesting rosemary nectar. And I think I hear a grasshopper.

Chickadees can't count. As I was sitting on the patio, with no birds stirring, Kathleen came up to me and then walked away. Immediately the chickadees started flying to the feeder as though I had disappeared.

Toward dusk the water was again still. A grebe went diving and popping up all the way up the creek. Great numbers of cormorants were flying to wherever they roost, some over the dam, some upstream, and some down. Crickets got loud as the sun set.

Perfect day for Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

Sunny and crisp with bright fall colors. Despite a brisk wind, the creek was smooth and reflective. Mallards and Canada geese sailed past. Once they would have been on the menu. A squirrel strove mightily to unlock the secrets of the bird feeder.

Mistletoe is becoming visible on the trees again.

Waking to the sound of rain

2011-11-23T06:47:00.009-05:00

Heavy clouds are blowing out to sea. It's supposed to get very warm and windy. Cormorants were battling their way South. One squirrel was very actively hunting something in the mulch near the feeder post - smell or memory?

And at 10am the sun broke through. It continues to alternate with clouds. The rain swelled a new crop of the bird's nest fungi and this time I was able to get photos that show the "eggs."

The hooded mergansers have arrived! Two pair were diving in the creek. Later two groups of three mergansers came back upstream. Also a great black back gull was paddling on the creek in the same area. A pelican did the plunge for something, but trees were in the way of seeing whether it succeeded.

The juncos are scurrying around along with the squirrels. Bees are still busy with the rosemary. And the waves of clouds continue to bring rain alternating with sun.

Gentle rain

2011-11-22T10:24:00.012-05:00

As usual, the rain seems to make birds hungry. Finches were busy on the feeder. Crows were harassing something in the pines across the creek. Whatever it was never appeared but the crows were quite spectacular doing rolls and dives.

I've been using Google images and various websites to identification, but there have been several birds this fall that defeated this strategy. So I went back to Peterson. The ducks were definitely wood ducks. The gulls are still a mystery but I'm leaning toward Bonaparte's gull.

The rain and wind are so soft that big drops accumulate on the twigs. We're getting into the season where the choices are warm, but wet, or bright, but cold. Now the rain is tapering off.

And now the sun is playing pee-a-boo, but everything is wet. I hear a kingfisher. Pelicans and cormorants have come out to cruise the creek. The sun has descended into a bank of clouds in the West.

Warm with clouds

2011-11-21T08:29:00.007-05:00

Dawn was pretty but now it's gray. The sun tries to burn through, but this is as bright as it gets. Wind out of the Northwest keeps pulling in more clouds and the temperature is supposed to drop throughout the day. But despite the wind, the creek is only a little ruffled.

A boater flushed a pelican on the way out and a kingfisher coming back. I believe I saw an osprey though it is very late in the year. Crows and gulls were plentiful of course. The crows appear to have colonized the top of the water tower. Chickadees were busy on the feeder and doves underneath. Curiously, given yesterday's photo of the crow and the shell heap, today a single oyster shell appeared on our dock. I assume something carried it over to feast on in private.

Crows calling at dawn

2011-11-20T07:01:00.004-05:00

I thought maybe they'd cornered an owl, but I didn't see anything, so maybe it was just their celebration of the new day. I could also hear a cardinal fussing. The sky was clear and pink in the East with a crescent moon overhead and a bright planet, apparently Saturn, leading the sun.

Canada geese passed on review, first downstream, then back. Crows are everywhere, playing on the wind, chasing each other and imaginary enemies. It is hard to believe that only a few years ago their demise was predicted from West Nile virus. I wonder if the ones I see have some immunity? This crow is trying to decide whether to hop down into the neighbors' shell midden revealed by low tide. It flew away instead.

The morning glories were burned by the frost but are still blooming. Honeybees are still feasting on the rosemary and I saw a white cabbage butterfly that survived the frost. Lots of squirrels are scurrying around. A flock of robins passed overhead and a flock of ducks hurried downstream.

First frost!

2011-11-19T08:48:00.001-05:00

Not only on the roof and dock, but on the mulch and grass. It is still and cold and bright. Cardinals and finches are cleaning out the last of the feeder seed.

The temperature rose though the day and became quite comfortable by late afternoon. Thin cirrus clouds and contrails obscured the blue, making a colorful sunset. I was in a meeting all day so this is all I have.

Clear and cold

2011-11-18T07:59:00.004-05:00

At dawn, the third quarter moon was overhead, with the half facing the dawn illuminated. The light was very pink and gold. Suddenly the ground is covered with leaves.

The day has been beautifully sunny but very cold. My fingers froze on the camera and the light breeze made my skin ache. But the creek was glassy and I caught the kingfisher in level sunlight. Then some ducks passed over that I think may be wood ducks. I also saw the usual geese, gulls, herons, crows, and cormorants.

The feeder is empty but it will have to wait till tomorrow.

Checking Peterson, the ducks are definitely wood ducks in their winter "eclipse" drab. The kingfisher is a female.

Downhill temperature

2011-11-17T07:50:00.015-05:00

The rain started before midnight. It is much cooler and wet and gray. And the prediction is that the temperature will continue to drop all day. Today the chickadees are hungry enough to come out anyway. The wind is quite strong - I saw leaves flying along level, headed upstream. And the creek is quite high.

There are dark cloud bands again today, but a lot more wind. At the moment, the rain has slacked off. The goose flock is outside the local elementary school today. Bet there will be little kids with goose poop on their shoes and knees. The skies cleared before sunset, leaving only the cold wind.

The rain has softened and opened the tiny cups I saw yesterday and they are clearly some variety of birds' nest fungi. I recognize the pie crust crimping of the edge of the cup and think these are Cyathus striatus. The cup shelters tiny puffballs containing spores that are released by raindrops. These puffballs are the "eggs" in the "nest."

Dull and misty

2011-11-16T08:49:00.005-05:00

Here are the tiny cups that might be lichens or fungi, There is a cup lichen but it is greenish. There is a small puffball called the birds' nest but it isn't this small and it has tiny puffballs inside the cup. When I teased some of these up, a stuck-together clump came up, but I didn't see any hyphae.

The sun has come out. Chased by bands of cloud out of the West all afternoon. Some looked very threatening and the wind hissed in the oak leaves, but nothing came of all the drama. The day stayed very warm. Lots of cormorants and a few herons were flying into a wind that must have been stronger aloft.

Down on the creek, it barely disturbed the reflections. When it did push up little wave ridges, there were often finer wrinkle lines on their front faces. And the pilings sent counter waves back through them, like sonar. It is very strange watching how these waves move through each other with little interference.

It's warm as a summer night with crickets chirping. I saw a junco early this morning - I wonder what it thinks of this weather?

Still warm, clouding up

2011-11-15T08:13:00.003-05:00

Squirrels were busy on the patio. The honeybees are still working on the rosemary. I am so glad to see them return and to be able to feed them. I wonder where their hive is? A very tiny wasp was also on a rosemary flower bigger than itself.

Just when I think the stinkhorns are finished another pops up. And another part of the mulch is growing very tiny brown cups. I cannot be sure if they are fungi or lichens as both have cup forms. Some of these have a seal over the cup which makes me suspect they are a kind of puffball.

Morning glories, camellias and the rosemary are blooming, plus the confused forsythia. The oak in front is gorgeous in red and orange, but the sweet gum looks more yellow than in other years. The wind in the trees rustles loudly, and there are no reflections on the creek today. The fig has lost all its leaves and one, caught on a dogwood branch, looked very spooky. The indoor orchid from last Valentine's Day is now blooming again - not by my green thumb!

Warmth predicted

2011-11-14T08:43:00.004-05:00

The sky was covered with a quilt of broken clouds that is now blowing away to the East. A great blue heron flew downstream. A squirrel visited - we are running a bed-and-breakfast for them, I guess. Our neighbor has a little roof over his outdoor grill and a pair of squirrels were on its peak just now, with their arms around each other! Unbelievably cute, but they were gone before I returned with the camera.

It has gotten up to 75! A pelican circled downstream. The cormorants are busy moving to night quarters. Most headed over the dam but this one went Southwest. A thin cloud cover has moved in and muted the setting sunlight. But it did make a very pink sunset. Even well after dark it is still very warm.

Wispy clouds become overcast

2011-11-13T08:50:00.006-05:00

The creek is again glassy except when mallards go by. The moon was still quite high in the sky this morning and distinctly lopsided. Last night it was very bright. In the past, merganser ducks would show up around now, migrating South, but for the last several years I have not seen them before Thanksgiving. Mary Reid Barrow reports a merganser sighting in Thalia this week.

By lunch time cloud cover had blown in from the West and it was warm, windy, and dull. A pelican hurried downstream and an egret battled upstream. A buzzard circled. A finch and some chickadees visited the feeder. The trees shed color.

Blue sky, still water

2011-11-12T09:24:00.004-05:00

The waning moon was just setting over the trees at the head of the creek this morning. Chickadees and titmice were very busy on the sunlit feeder. This titmouse was startled by an arriving chickadee. A cormorant disturbed the reflection on the creek and it was fascinating to see its path return to stillness as the disturbance rippled away. The redwood tree has gone copper and is shedding.

Very early, it looked like there was frost on the roof.

Sunshine with doves

2011-11-11T08:10:00.006-05:00

The wind roared overnight and blew the clouds away. It brought a chill despite the sun. The sky is nearly cloudless. Doves were out early, then chickadees. But a cold wind makes it tempting to stay inside to observe.

In the parking lot of the doctor's office I saw the same kind of gulls I saw at Cape May. They were mixed with ring bill gulls and were a little smaller. There were both juveniles and adults of both species. I am now leaning toward thinking that these are Bonaparte's gulls in winter plumage. Crows were pecking in the same area but staying in a distinctly separate group from the gulls. On the way home I saw the goose flock farther up the street.

The stinkhorns seem to be finished for now. No new ones have popped up and the old are flat and limp. There is a lot of fall color now but the wind keeps peeling it away.

Overcast and still

2011-11-10T10:05:00.003-05:00

No sun, little wind. A squirrel inspected us at breakfast. Doves and finches stopped in for some seeds.

The other day an infant spider rode into the house on my hair. I gave it the job of protecting the budding moth orchid where it is now busily building a tiny web.

Convoys of geese have gone by, headed downstream on glassy water under a dull sky.

Chill and still

2011-11-09T08:18:00.005-05:00

Another reflective morning. Jays, doves, chickadees and finches were out looking for breakfast. I noticed the doves feeding on the fallen beauty berries. The phragmites behind the dock in the photo are where the red wing blackbirds hang out.

The afternoon brought more clouds and warmth. The moon is nearly full and very bright with a nearby planet.

Bright and glassy creek

2011-11-08T08:52:00.002-05:00

A chickadee is on the feeder. Many, many egrets and other water birds all flew over the dam to the lake that borders Witchduck. Why, I don't know, nor do I have any idea what called them there. They were silent and they kept coming for maybe 20 minutes. Then, in the opposite direction came a red tailed hawk that was being mobbed. Finally many of the egrets returned and by the time I got over to the head end of the lake, there was nothing to see. Lots of drama even before I went to vote.

The creek was so much clearer that I could see minnows swimming. Larger fish keep jumping but there is nothing I can see that is chasing them underwater.