Black swallowtail

At lunchtime the swallowtail was checking flowers for nectar but I think most of them had already been visited.  

Nuthatches

Lots of birds arrived at breakfast while my fingers were sticky.  I think one was a brown thrasher but I didn't see it again.  The first one that I caught on camera was a white breasted nuthatch.  White throats were everywhere, on the ground, on the feeders, in the pool puddle.  A myrtle warbler also looked for a drink there.  Bluebirds defaulted to seeds because starlings emptied the suet and barkbutter.  A titmouse investigated the empty dish feeder.  The male red belly ate seeds.  I put some mealworms out hoping the starlings would be less interested.  A crow didn't see anything worth its time.  

Azalea buds began to open as the day warmed up.   A pine warbler foraged for fallen food.  A chipping sparrow made a brief visit.  The mockingbird pair discussed the menu and decided on jelly.  Cardinals were courting.  A brown headed nuthatch tried to grab a seed.  When I put out more barkbutter balls, blue jays showed up immediately.  Bluebirds and white throats were right behind.  

March wind

A white throat started the day with barkbutter balls.  A blue jay was next, then a Carolina wren.  And then the voracious starlings showed up.  The wren moved over to the suet.  Chilly and gusty wind didn't discourage the starlings, alas.  Eight or ten of them attacked the suet, the barkbutter balls, and each other. White throats ate what fell.  Cardinals courted, doves foraged, and orioles ate jelly.  

Some of the white throats were a molting mess.  The pine warbler was back for more suet.  A downy ate seeds as did bluebirds.  A myrtle warbler also indulged in jelly.  The suet nearly disappeared during the day but a wren found a few bites.  Lots of money plant flowers opened so that's something for hungry nectar feeders.   

 

Downhill weather

Morning was very warm and my car was well dusted with pollen.  A Carolina wren carried off a barkbutter breakfast ball.  Clouds came in and dropped the temperature.  The red belly chose suet this time.  Unfortunately, so did starlings.  A female bluebird ate seeds.  By supper it was chilly and birds seemed frantic to pack in some calories.  But the light was too poor for photos.  Thus a brown thrasher got away without paying for its meal.  

Pairing up

It looked like the cardinals were getting in the mood to nest.  An egret flew upstream and I believe I also glimpsed a great blue heron.  A pine warbler ate suet.  The two doves returned.  I chased off the short haired yellow cat which was trying to hide behind an azalea.  Starlings bathed alongside a white throated sparrow.  The male red belly came for seeds, but still no sign of a female.  The day was sunny and warm though clouds thickened toward evening.  

Orioles

Three orioles showed up at breakfast. A female had barkbutter while the male went straight to the jelly.  Then another female shoved him off the jelly.  A mockingbird also enjoyed the jelly.  Blue jays, bluebirds, and a brown thrasher wanted the mix of barkbutter and mealworms that K had restocked. So, alas, did a half dozen starlings.  Bluebirds seemed flustered  by the battling starlings and mostly stuck to seeds.  All the sparrows appeared to be white throats.  At lunchtime a pelican flew upstream.  

 

Junco

I saw a male oriole eating jelly at breakfast, but I don't know if it wintered here or was just passing through.  I only got pictures of its rear, unfortunately.  A Carolina wren didn't find much in the glass dish.  A bluebird did better at the seed feeder.  A pine warbler came for suet.  A mockingbird helped itself to suet at lunch.   A myrtle warbler visited the jelly.  A brown headed nuthatch came for seeds.  White throated sparrows ate at feeders and under them.  

Later in the afternoon, a junco appeared.  Perhaps it was migrating North?  The feeder perch gave the bluebirds some trouble by twisting underfoot.  They looked like logrolling lumberjacks.  A blue jay drank from the pool puddle.  A starling tried to get some suet.  The mockingbird switched to jelly.