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.  

 

End of the hear wave

A myrtle warbler breakfasted on barkbutter balls.  Then three starlings argued about who would eat first.  A white throat headed for the mulch to look for seeds.  A blue jay followed the starlings.  A different myrtle warbler tried the jelly.  One white throat appeared to be molting and looked a mess.  I saw an orange butterfly about the size of a cabbage white.

The sun was still bright at lunch.  Afterward I took the camera to the front yard.  Pollinators were busy around the jessamine but too fast for me to photograph.   The bumblebees buzz-pollinating the blueberries were a little slower.  Clouds rolled through and the wind made 70° feel a little chilly.  

I spotted some money plant flowers.   The birds stayed away while I was outside but showed up as soon as I came in.  Bluebirds and the red bellied woodpecker scarcely waited for the door to close.  A mockingbird came but by then the barkbutter dish was empty so it headed for the jelly.  I hadn't refilled the barkbutter balls because rain was predicted.  Around 4pm the sky darkened and the wind picked up and the temperature started dropping.  A rain shower passed through around 5:30pm but hardly wetted the birdbath.  A very red sunset glowed through the trees.  

Hot sun

The song sparrow came early to forage.   A myrtle warbler was disappointed that the glass dish was empty.  A bluebird found seeds in the feeder.  A white throat wandered the patio.  A brown thrasher hoped for barkbutter but the dish was still empty.  I did refill it after breakfast.  A downy ate seeds in lieu of suet since that was empty too.  

It was at least 85° this afternoon, and sunny.  Paper wasps were flying, along with a cabbage white.  The squirrel with the light spot on its back came close and sniffed my toes.  I guess I passed inspection.  A brown thrasher watched from the maple.  Bluebirds and blue jays were skittish but wanted barkbutter balls.  Lots of sparrows scurried around.  A mixed group of white throats and house finches drank from the pool puddle.

The oaks were in full bloom, mating with the wind.  A squirrel was feeding on the pollen.  The volunteer domestic cherry had flowers though the wild cherry was leafing out before blooming.  

Warmer

A blue jay demanded breakfast.  The song sparrow hunted for its own meal.  A starling arrived after the dish was empty.  A white throat posed flaunting its field marks.  A downy worked to extract the last morsels of suet, but dropped some.  The sunshine felt warm but the breeze did not. 

The temperature sneaked above 70° at lunch before dropping back to the upper 60s.  While I only saw a bumblebee, I expect the birds found more insects to eat.  The regulars visited the feeders but didn't seem especially hungry. The male pileated wanted some suet but little remained.  Annoyingly, a brown thrasher on the barkbutter dish kept its back to me.  A pair of doves perched in the oak.  Bluebirds ate seeds.  They like something in the mix I bought from WBU.  A crow hoped to find something tasty.  

Vernal Equinox

Today the bluebirds and the red bellied woodpecker arrived early.  White throated sparrows soon followed.  Blue jays flitted through the trees.  Carolina wrens shared the barkbutter balls.  The song sparrow got up a bit late.  So did a myrtle warbler.  I didn't get any more photos after breakfast.  Morning was sunny but by evening the sky was clouded.    

Spring arrived as this was the equinox, although there were twelve hours and eight minutes between sunrise and sunset according to NWS Wakefield.  (Sunrise at 7:09am, sunset at 7:17pm.)  I do not understand.  I attended online the Reed Environmental Writing Award presentation which was exceptional.  I signed up in order to hear the keynote by Christian Cooper who was very moving, but the two award recipients were also very good.