Cloudy

A broken overcast greeted dawn with clouds streaming East.  Great blue herons, a buzzard, and three white geese (snow geese?) flew over the creek.  Gulls and crows also flew around.  A heron perched up in the pines across the creek.  Yellow rumped warblers were up early.  White throats scurried over the patio and the regulars visited the feeder.  Snow and ice persisted. 

The overcast congealed to a solid white by late morning.  The warblers continued to compete for the suet.  Several pelicans flew over and numerous great blue herons perched here and there.  One that landed on the bench back was speckled with blood.  Ducks returned at last.  A flock of ruddy ducks swam around mallards.  I glimpsed buffleheads and possibly a kingfisher.  A couple of blue jays were courting up in the trees. 

In the afternoon hooded mergansers paddled by.  A song sparrow and a titmouse came for a late lunch. 

I was advised to contact the wildlife rehabber about the heron that perched on the bench.  The consensus was that it was injured. 

Melting

Rain fell in the morning but blue sky began to appear by 11am.  A cloud of gulls landed in the back yard at breakfast.  They hung around the neighborhood all day.  The pest or a squirrel kept chowing down on the suet.  Warblers and white throats and woodpeckers joined the regulars.  Titmice arrived late.  Herons flew over the creek and landed along the bulkhead. 

On the way to the rec center I saw robins, blackbirds, and snowmen,  While in the pool, I saw a mockingbird outside.  At lunch the sun was out and so were juncos. In the afternoon, ice was still clinging to creeks and lakes.

Toward evening the sky became glazed with high ice clouds.

Overcast, cold and quiet

We have had at least some snow on the ground since the 16th of February.  The edges were melting by mid-morning even without sunshine, but there was a lot left to melt.  Still, gray sky in the winter usually means warmer air. So I would not say March came in like a lion this year.

I caught the feral cat watching the feeders and scared it off.  By careful observation I discovered that the yellow rumped warbler with the black throat is the chaser and the one with the white throat is the chased.  The downy woodpecker pair took turns on the suet when it wasn't under attack by a squirrel or a starling.  The regulars, juncos, and white throated sparrows all visited.  A great blue heron circled and landed on the boat lift.  Lots of gulls were in the air including one great black back.  I also saw a buzzard. 

Waves of rain came through in the afternoon.  In between, herons, buzzards, ducks, and gulls flew over the creek.  One heron stalked upstream under the bulkhead where there was open water.  Water covered the ice and made it more reflective.  A brown thrasher visited the suet.

West wind

The breeze pushed clouds and warmer air to us.  Much of the snow has fallen out of the trees.  At breakfast a juvenile eagle made a couple of passes overhead.  Later a pelican and a buzzard went by and gulls continued to fly over the frozen creek.

The feeders were busy all morning.  At least one squirrel feasted on suet while another worked on the seed feeder to no avail.  (I think that pepper is needed in the suet.)  A song sparrow joined the white throats and juncos, and the regulars.  A wren appeared briefly.  A red bellied woodpecker chased the downy woodpecker pair off the suet but was confronted by a bold warbler. 

The birds were back at lunch and through the afternoon.  The icicles dripped but the creek stayed frozen. The sunshine was constant despite the passing clouds.  Sunset was streaky so tomorrow may not be so sunny.

Sun on snow

The sky cleared by dawn.  Gulls, including one great black back, and crows were flying about along with flocks of smaller birds.  White throats and juncos joined cardinals and finches for sunflower seeds and a starling competed with a warbler for suet.

K said that a squirrel as able to use the snow on the roof of the feeder as an anchor to reach the seed trough.  She took pictures, so here is the proof.

At lunch a downy chased a butterbutt off the suet.  I can tell two yellow rumps apart - one has a black patch on the throat where the other is all white.  Lumps of snow were falling off the trees and bombing the ground. 

K said it clouded up in the afternoon while I was busy on the computer. 

More snow

It was still falling at breakfast on the 4" that accumulated overnight.  More worrisome were the wind gusts and the crack of sleet on the windows.  Birds mobbed the feeders except when those gusts came through.  Cardinals, finches, white throated sparrows, juncos, yellow rumped warblers, starlings, robins, and a red bellied woodpecker showed up for breakfast.

The snow quit before noon but it remained overcast and gusty.  The snow itself had developed a crust that supported the birds and squirrels.  Chickadees and two brown thrashers joined the other birds at lunch.

K said it began to snow again but I missed it.  Toward evening, a heron and a duck flew over.  And then it was dark. 

Sparkling snow

About two inches of snow fell last evening, then the sky cleared by dawn.  The creek got a coat of white over the ice, but not in some spots where I think there was melt-water atop the ice.  This was fluffy snow that the birds sank into.

And there were plenty of birds.  The regulars and the winter regulars (white throats, yellow rumps, and juncos) were joined by a dove, a brown thrasher, a song sparrow, and a pine warbler.  A red bellied woodpecker and a downy woodpecker, both female, came for suet but were run off by a starling who was in turn chased by a squirrel,  Robins were hanging around the yard.  Gulls were flying.  At one point both butterbutts were about a foot apart on the snow-covered mulch coexisting, but it did not last long enough for me to take a picture.

The day warmed quickly and most of the snow was gone by lunch. The big storm was predicted for tonight.