Ice

The birdbath is frozen as is the rainwater on the pool cover.  There is frost on the dock and patchy skins of ice on the creek.  And I could definitely see my breath when I poured hot water into the birdbath.

A blue jay swooped through around 7:30 and all the birds appeared.  Juncos, a wren, and a sparrow were joined on the ground by whoever wasn't on the feeder, cardinals, finches, and chickadees.  Nuthatches arrived last.  Then they all left.

The day has gotten warmer, windier, and cloudier.  Twice, a flock of cormorants and mergansers has come diving and arcing upstream, driving a school of fish, I presume.  They go by before I can get the camera focused.  Crows found another hawk to harass.  A pelican passed through.

At noon a new shift came to the feeder.  This time a towhee joined in, maybe because the day was no longer bright?  Both song and white throats joined juncos, a cardinal, a wren and the towhee on the ground.  The wren got up on the feeder and shoveled out goodies to those below.  The nuthatches arrived to help.

A blue jay was working on something in the crotch of the dogwood across the pool when a woodpecker startled it off.  I cannot tell what kind of woodpecker as all I could see was a white tummy and black-and-white wing. When I looked at the photos, I discovered a cardinal in the bush next to the blue jay.

Toward evening, when the tide is low, a great black-backed gull was working at something in the mud under the bulkhead across the creek.  A great blue heron coasted in and landed next to the gull.  The gull lost the stare-down, but paddled around in the water nearby.  When next I checked, the heron was gone and the gull was back at work. There is a small moth on the window tonight, on the last night of the year. 

Lazy morning turns windy

The moon was just touching the treetops in the West when I got up.  The camera could not see it against the morning sky.  A bufflehead is making ripples in the creek surface.  There is a light wind, but only a single chickadee has appeared.  The sky is cloudless this morning and I could almost see my breath.  I hear crows, as always, and geese paddle by, as always.

By 9am, the wind had picked up and gusts were roaring in the trees.  Cloud puffs on the Northern horizon are moving East, but the wind in the trees looks like it is out of the Southeast.  It's hard to tell because it's swirling around houses.  A Carolina wren was on the feeder until a female house finch took over.  Juncos scurried around the patio.  A cormorant fished on the now-rough creek, then a parade of geese headed downstream. A pelican flew upstream. 

By noon, more birds were braving the wind.  Two nuthatches traded off on the feeder till a finch pair showed up.  The white-throated sparrow continues to hunker down in the mulch facing into the wind.  On the water, I think I see mergansers with the buffleheads.  A kingfisher lit on a piling and pelicans continue to fly by.

At lunch, the wren came back and proceeded to shovel seeds and husks out of the feeder.  It held its ground when the cardinals arrived.  Meanwhile juncos scurried and the sparrow foraged.  Nuthatches and chickadees also tried for feeder seeds.

After sundown, a bright planet cleared the trees in the East, probably Jupiter.  It's two days past full so I'm still waiting for moonrise.

Rain again

And that brought a towhee, this time a male, I think.  Interesting that they only visit on rainy mornings.  Sharing the mulch were juncos, a wren, and a song sparrow.  On the feeder, finches, cardinals, and chickadees stocked up.  It's a good thing I refilled it yesterday. The birds all showed up around 7:30 and were gone by 8am.

Sunlight is flickering on in the afternoon, but dark clouds persist to the North.  A nuthatch ventured out despite the wind.  The clouds are moving very fast to the ESE.  A pelican flew upstream and five buffleheads held station off the dock.  A junco stuffed itself on the feeder while a white-throated sparrow settled into the wet mulch.  A small flock of mallards flew upstream.  A buzzard circled the creek.  A couple dozen crows all headed upstream, no doubt to make life a burden for a hawk.

The camera is still being fussy about focus. The rising moon is round and bright so I guess the sky has cleared. 

Quiet

The creek is smooth and the trees are still.  Soft cumulus blend without edges into blue sky,  The feeder needs to be refilled.  A cardinal and a chickadee poked at it without much luck.  Juncos are more successful on the ground beneath.  Several buzzards circled over the creek, why I don't know.  I hear crows.

Pelicans and ducks at lunch, both mallards and buffleheads.  Then the crows started diving at the top of one of the pines till they eventually drove out a hawk.  I wonder if the crows o it for fun or as a way of showing off to potential mates? 

The clouds got more defined later in the day, but just when I hoped for a colorful sunset, they all blew away East leaving a haze that obscured the light.  I refilled the feeder but only one chickadee has noticed.  A bufflehead led a flotilla of geese downstream. 

Blue sky morning

The rain blew out to sea but the wind is still blowing.  The sun is bright and the air is cold.  Little birds were hungry.  First came chickadees, then titmice, nuthatches, and finally a wren.  On the ground, a song sparrow sorted mulch.  Later a cardinal appeared.  I also saw a little bird going up the trunk of the remaining oak tree, but that's too far of to be sure it's a nuthatch.   Geese paddled upstream.

It's gull weather - they're out playing on the wind.  A pelican flew upstream and a bufflehead paddled down. While we ate lunch, several pelicans cruised by.  The wind is very gusty.  Crows rousted a hawk from the pines across the creek.  More pelican fly-bys and I think I glimpsed a kingfisher. 

Drizzle

A high gray tide is coming in under a gray sky.  The wind is up.  A chickadee visited the feeder. A junco hunted through the leaves that accumulated in the corner.  The female cardinal that appears to have difficulty perching was startled off the feeder by a male.  Sometimes I think I see a dangling foot under it.  It is now raining.

By noon the rain is coming down hard and the wind is roaring.  A gust stirred up the leaves in the corner.  That always reminds me of awkward lines from "A Visit from Saint Nicholas."  "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky," which I always want to edit, though I appreciate the image.

In between waves of rain in the afternoon, the female cardinal came back and a nuthatch also visited.   Around 4pm the rain was so heavy it made a fog.  And at dusk a dark cloud swept North and extinguished all light.

Not much stirring

The sky is blue and the creek glassy.  It's nippy but not really cold without wind.  A cardinal brightened the feeder and a couple of white throated sparrows kicked the mulch around.  I got up late and may have missed other birds.

A half hour later it is overcast.  There is a female cardinal that acts as though something is wrong with its feet.  It rests on its belly on the feeder and moves with difficulty, but it flies without any problem so I cannot get close.

 Now the sun is finding breaks in the clouds.  I decided to give the squirrels some peanuts to make merry.  One squirrel has whiter than average ears - all the gray squirrels here have white on the back of their ears, but this one has large, furry patches of white.  A male squirrel has lost its tail. It has a furred stub and a bare, skinned bit sticking out beyond.  I think a predator grabbed its tail and pulled it off, but K thinks it got burned.  It does not seem to be unhealthy otherwise and certainly has an appetite for peanuts.  There are at least five squirrels around.

Chickadees and nuthatches came for lunch.  On the ground a white throat stayed out of the way of the squirrel with the white spot on its hip.  A pelican flew past. 

Warmer and grayer

The sun leaks through breaks in the cloud cover occasionally.  No feeder birds - the seeds were stuck again.  I shook the seeds down and also put water in the birdbath, but it may take a while before the birds notice. It is warm enough for bees to be active.  The yellow jackets continue to work on their nest under the leaves.  I noticed more pieces of it lying around from the raid back in October. A white violet is blooming. 

Out on the creek is more lively.  A juvenile gull is fishing for minnows.  Sometimes it just plunges its head into the water, but sometimes it leaps up out of the water, flips, and dives head-first.  Other gulls circled in the air for a while, then moved on.  Also on the creek are a few buffleheads, a mallard pair, a flock of geese, a great blue heron and an egret.  The crows are very interested in the water too, parading along the bulkhead opposite, watching whatever is below the surface.

The chickadees and the nuthatches are back.  A rabbit hopped around the far side of the pool. 

Parade of birds

Titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, finches on the feeder and both kinds of sparrow, a female towhee, and doves on the ground below.  The towhee did not like sharing with the song sparrow.  Two nuthatches  were on the feeder together, then one got thirsty and visited the birdbath.  It is cold and the creek is glassy.

At noon, the cardinals and juncos finally showed up.  The wind picked up a bit.  A "murder" of crows settled on the neighbors' fish-cleaning sink as though they knew something was coming.  After a while they gave up waiting and went on a raptor chase.  A flock of diving ducks went upstream, mostly under water - not buffleheads.  Something with white patches perched in the redwood, then flew off , probably a mockingbird. A little later, a bald eagle circled over the creek, but my hands were full making lunch.  Later a pelican passed through. 

Cold

Only traces of cloud remain.  Nuthatch was up early. Later, on my way to a meeting, long bars of cloud radiated out of the North with corrugated patches of cloud elsewhere.  I assume they marked oscillations in air pressure - waves and troughs.

After the meeting, the clouds had become fuzzy cotton balls against a brilliant blue.  On the creek, black back gulls were battling over a catch.  Other gulls roller-coastered on the wind.  A pelican flew low to the water.  A cardinal visited the feeder while sparrows foraged below.  This song sparrow bullied the white-throats out of the way.

Bright half a moon tonight. 

Happy Solstice

The sky is full of heavy clouds in bands and mounds with the sun peeking through gaps.  The wind is fierce.  The feeders are not just rocking, they're bouncing.  For a while it seemed the only birds that would venture out were gulls.  Then a brave chickadee came to the feeder and a pelican flew up the creek.  A flock of white-throated sparrows ventured out of the rosemary, then scurried back.  A male cardinal clung to the feeder while his crest blew sideways.  The lavender is still blooming, just like the rosemary. 

Around noon, the clouds cleared somewhat, but they have recovered the sky.  Still, the birds decided it was time to eat despite the wind.  Two nuthatches, titmice and chickadees perched on the madly swinging feeder while sparrows and a squirrel foraged below.  A song sparrow drove off the white-throats while a nuthatch watched from above.  Over the creek, I saw a cormorant flying backward trying the head into the wind.  Gulls played while pelicans stayed low.  A buzzard circled along with another large bird that may be a young eagle. 

I went out on the dock to view the sunset, but the wind was too cold to stay long.   A pair of geese went past and cormorants struggled upwind. 

Bright morning didn't last

An early egret flew past.  A Carolina wren and chickadees came to the feeder. Apparently the seeds got stuck out of reach because only a few chickadees and a nuthatch came back.  The trees have reached the stage that reminds me of Shakespeare's "bare, ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang. 

On the creek, a great blue heron landed in the pines.  A pelican flew downstream and buffleheads followed as the day grew darker.  I shook the seeds down so maybe tomorrow will be more interesting. 

Clear sky at sunise

A raccoon-size bushy black cat ran through the back yard and hid under the bench till I went outside.  I heard a squirrel curse at it as it disappeared.  About five minutes later the birds came out.  A blue jay and a mockingbird paid a visit along with sparrows and juncos on the ground.  Nuthatches, titmice, chickadees, finches, cardinals and a wren ate on the feeder.  They all left when I finished breakfast and got the camera.

Crows and gulls played on the wind.  A cardinal at lunch acted like it might have a damaged foot.  Not the one in the photo.  Not much activity after that.  A sparrow hopped around at dusk.  After dark, the first quarter moon was hazy, but stars were bright. 

A creature was stirring!

The mouse reappeared.  It raced from one side of the patio to the other, explored the leaf drifts, went out on the pool cover, and looked for seeds in the mulch.  I wonder if it was suffering from the effects of the termite exterminator's visit yesterday? 

White-throated sparrows emerged from the rosemary to forage and two nuthatches visited the feeder.  Clouds are racing East and the sun flickers as they go by.  On the creek, a cormorant paddled by and a pelican cruised overhead.  Gulls and buffleheads also fished and a great blue heron watched. 

When I got home at noon the sky was pretty clear.  A few clouds were still coming from the Northwest.  But by 2pm the cloud cover was back.  Juncos came out at lunch time. They too like to hang out in the rosemary - It must be a bird version of the local pub in there.  The nuthatch also reappeared.  

Everything drips

The rain looks like the sky is dripping into the birdbath.  Drips hang on the camellia leaves.  Chickadees were up early, though it is still pretty gloomy and I hesitate to call it day.  Titmice have joined them.  A pelican and herons flew over the creek while a bufflehead paddled below.

Toward noon, a watery sunlight appeared.  Nuthatches, a Carolina wren, and sparrows visited.   I think they were song sparrows.  It is very warm and bees are around, as they were yesterday. 

I just took 54 out-of-focus photos.  Grrrrrrr.  Anyway, the sparrows are white-throats.   A half dozen doves dropped in.  The sparrows rush into the rosemary whenever startled.  Several squirrels were working all over the yard. 

Gray birds in a gray mist

Titmice and chickadees on the feeder.  I caught the flash of a junco's tail.  Their are birds up in the sweet gum, and of course I can hear crows.  The mist is thick and everything drips.  The white spot squirrel is busy in the mulch.

By 11AM, the mist has dissipated but the sky is still gray, the light diffuse and too directionless to cast a shadow.  A cardinal and a nuthatch visited the feeder.  White throated sparrows tried the mulch.  The tide is high and rain-washed litter is moving downstream quickly.  The surface is glassy except when rippled by the buffleheads.  An egret and a heron flew over the dam. 

At lunch, a Carolina wren joined the nuthatch.  Sparrows were busy on the ground. The day stayed dim and gray till dark. 

Frosty again

And there is a hint of mist.  Finches are up.  Crows are calling.

9am and still no sun.  On the mulch, juncos, song sparrows and white-throats.  Chickadees and nuthatches are competing for a place at the feeder.  Two nuthatches got into an aerial fight.  In flight, the stripes on the nuthatch make it hard to tell head from tail.  On the ground, a song sparrow pursued a junco. Buffleheads are fishing.

The predicted sun has not materialized. Pelicans are cruising around the bend of the creek and crows are taking an interest.  Juncos and sparrows, chickadees and nuthatches are still hungry.  A Carolina wren appeared for lunch.

The sky has cleared to the North, but still the predicted sun fails to shine.  

Bright and still

There ought to be birds.  On Facebook, friends are bragging about the meteors last night that I slept through.  An egret is blindingly white against the blue sky.

9am and here comes everybody: a pair of cardinals, a female towhee, a song sparrow (photo of the first this fall) and some white-throats, a nuthatch, a female finch, juncos, and two Carolina wrens, one of which chased the other off the feeder.  It is curious that wrens pause in feeding to look straight up.  Nuthatches by contrast seen to be concerned about danger from below.

Here's the towhee.  There was also a yellow-rump warbler which I didn't realize till I went through the photos.  The instant blessing of digital cameras which almost makes up for shutter-lag.

A Carolina wren was back at lunch. It was all over the patio hammering a recalcitrant seed.  Strangely, no chickadees seem to be around. 

A bright sliver of moon followed the sun into the West. 

Little birds

Before there was enough light for photos, the feeder was hoppin'.  Two nuthatches, Carolina wrens, Carolina chickadees, and juncos were joined by the white spot squirrel.  Later the wind rose and the creek is high and empty.  There is blue to the East but the clouds are slowly moving that direction.  Now the feeder and mulch area are empty but white-throated sparrows are prospecting in the leaf and petal litter around the camellia. 

After lunch, geese, mallards, and buffleheads were out on the creek in the sunshine.  White spot was still busy in the mulch, but now a nuthatch was coming to the feeder.  The wind was enough to keep the feeder rocking slightly.  

More rain

It started about 7:30am, but that didn't faze the squirrels.  A little later, the birds arrived.  Two Carolina wrens took over the feeder.  Chickadees, titmice and a junco also wanted breakfast. 

More birds sowed up at lunch: nuthatches, cardinals and finches joined the titmice,wrens, juncos, and chickadees.  The rain quit but the wind got colder. 

Gray and dreary

The temperature is steadily dropping from the high yesterday.  A great blackback gull landed on the creek and worked on something, maybe a dead fish.  Not much else to see.  It may be too windy. 

Some herring/ringbill gulls joined the blackback, as did buffleheads.  The nuthatch visited the feeder at lunch. 

Wet

Gray sky.  The white spot squirrel was busy in the mulch.  Later another squirrel came past with a pecan.  I think it was dug up like a 1000-year-old-egg.  The sunflowers are quite finished blooming but still have green leaves so I think the seeds must be growing. 

By mid afternoon it was above 70 and the sky was clearing somewhat.  A strong wind out of the WSW moved the lower cumulus along very fast and the wispy higher clouds tagged behind.  Gulls were playing mad flying games, as usual, when the wind is strong. 


Bees and yellow jackets were hard at work.  A larger bird chased a smaller over near the neighbor's fence, too fast for me to identify.  A small pelican flew first upstream then down, staying very low to the water, out of the wind.  Buffleheads were out paddling.

An olive drab bird flitted through the bushes, I think it was a goldfinch.  A flock of robins landed in the oak and I believe it included a cedar waxwing.  If you look very closely you can see the waxy yellow tip of the tail.  A dove was also perched there, but didn't fly off with the flock. I thank Mary Reid Barrow for blogging that cedar waxwings flock with robins, otherwise I would not have guessed to look for them. 

Rainy morning

Dramatic clouds picked up the dawn light.  Buffleheads were out on the creek, mallards flew downstream, and cormorants in every direction. At 8am the patio was full of birds. Chickadees came first, then a nuthatch, titmice, cardinals, a wren and beneath them sparrows, juncos, and a female towhee.  In the sweet gum tree, a lot of birds were hopping around, but even with binoculars I couldn't identify them.  White spot squirrel showed up, and several others raced through the trees.

Then, a sheet of cloud moved in from the West, they all left, and the rain started at 8:30. And was over by 9:15. The rest of the morning has been brief sun and longer cloud, but no more rain.  It is very warm.  A great blackback gull and a herring or ringbill have been paddling on the creek.

After lunch it is sunny and two egrets have taken up stations on the two tallest pilings while the buffleheads swim below.  A flock of robins pass overhead and a flock of juncos kick mulch.  The nuthatches, titmice, finches, chickadees, and cardinals jockey for space on the feeder. 

Morning mist

There was a flurry of activity that is now over.  Sparrows scurried around, joined by a female towhee, and the white-spot squirrel.  A cardinal, a chickadee, and a finch stopped by.  Out on the creek buffleheads were joined by cormorants. Two great blue herons flew upstream.

A great blackback gull is sitting on the dock.   Mallards and geese have joined the buffleheads.

By lunch, watery sunlight had warmed the day into the 60s.  The yellow jackets are continuing to work on their raided nest. When I opened the door, two fishing spiders dashed away.  Titmice, chickadees and a nuthatch are on the feeder with sparrows and juncos below.  A blue jay and a cardinal are hanging around in the trees.  The crows had another family fight. 

The setting sun lit up thin clouds and highlighted a tree full of egrets across the creek and above the  dam.  You can't buy tree ornaments to beat this!  Dusk fell and a cardinal sought a bedtime snack. 

Soft gray sky

We're into the season where warm fronts bring overcast and cold fronts bright sun.  A glimmer of sunlight touched the tops of the pines when I got up, but it was quickly gone.  There is not much wind this morning so we have birds.  Chickadees, a Carolina wren, titmice, cardinals, and a nuthatch are coming to the feeder.  A titmouse confronted the wren, then both flew away.  Crows are carrying on about something.  Two did a mid-air dance.  Egrets are perched up in the trees while buffleheads make white spots on the water.

A great blue heron perched on the bench on the dock for a while. No birds at noon - turns out the feeder was nearly empty.  When it is humid, seeds sometimes stick toward the back where the birds cannot reach, even though the bottom slopes.  Well, it is refilled now. The clouds broke up somewhat. 

Sunny again, but not for long

A chill wind cleared out the clouds.  Buffleheads are still hanging out on the creek. Geese are as well.

Clouds rolled in at lunch, despite the prediction.  Few birds, just a female cardinal. 

A change in the weather

The pavement was wet, from dew I think.  Pretty dawn puffs and streaks of cloud have congealed into overcast, with rain predicted.  A Carolina wren darted around the patio then sought cover in the rosemary.  Doves and squirrels were up and the buffleheads were back. 

The creek is covered with fallen leaves.  I can count two female buffleheads and three males but there may be more.  The rain began at noon.  

More warmth

A katydid nymph has been on the glass door since yesterday.  It has moved a couple of feet so it is alive.  Buffleheads again paddle and dive on a glassy creek.  Seven doves wandered around the patio along with a sparrow.  Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches visited the feeder.  An oak across the creek is shedding leaves which fall like glitter because the sun catches them but has not yet reached the lake behind. And, finally a finch arrives.

Later, juncos show up.  And the Carolina wren comes for lunch.

Warm

I saw a bee visiting the camellias so I knew it couldn't be as cold as last week.  Buffleheads are out on the creek, mostly hanging out under the boatlift on the other side.  I think fish must hide in the shadow.  I saw three males and a female, along with gulls. 

When I came in from photographing the buffleheads, the feeder got very busy. Finches, chickadees and the nuthatch wanted a place on the perch.  On the ground I saw a sparrow, a wren, the nuthatch again, and a mockingbird.

A sheet of clouds moved in and then out as the morning progressed.  At lunch, a titmouse, a junco, and a dove joined the crowd.

The creek stayed mirror-like all day.  In the late afternoon, four males congregated in the boatlift's shadow.   A female came upstream and a male went down to meet her.  When she caught sight of the other three males she turned tail and paddled off.  A little later another female arrived, running on water.  She adopted the males as escort and they followed her down and up the creek.  So, four males and two females total.  In the morning, the males appeared black and white, but the afternoon light brought out chestnut and green and purple in the black. Cormorants did their evening commute.  The sinking sun set a tree ablaze upstream - it is one of the few to still have leaves. 

A hint of mist

It seems quite still and there are oodles of songbirds:  a towhee, a titmouse, chickadees, finches, cardinals, nuthatches, sparrows, juncos, and around the edges, bluejays and doves.  The towhee and the titmouse left before the juncos arrived. 

Do you see all three birds in the photo?  The nuthatches were everywhere - on the feeder, in the mulch, drinking from the birdbath, using the post as a hatch for their nuts, and squabbling with each other.  The sparrows also got into a spat.  On the feeder, first a cardinal and later a finch drove off the competition.  As Darwin observed, "The most intense competition may be among individuals of the same species who compete for nearly identical environmental requirements."

Late morning, three buffleheads are paddling back and forth beyond the dock. A bright green stink bug appeared on the inside of the window.  I released it into the wild. 

A very pink sunset, then four hours later, a fat yellow past-full moonrise.

Bright

The moon was still up in the morning and there was a hint of mist.  By noon, it warmed up, but then it chilled down again.  Mostly chickadees around. I was not around to observe much of the day. 

Official hurricane season is over.  That did not stop the storms in 2005. 

Another overnight frost

The moon was huge last night and still up this morning.  Chickadees and finches were up too.  A squirrel got a drink - the frost did not freeze the birdbath. It's bright and sunny now.

Around lunch, sparrows showed up, along with a Carolina wren and a few juncos.  Crows chased a hawk across the sky.  

A flock of robins flew over going South.  Cormorants headed North.  A half dozen mallards paddled up to the bank.  A pair of buffleheads started their way when a boat came around the bend and scared them off.  The boat docked where a kingfisher had planned to land and it was quite agitated about finding another perch.   Great blue herons flew past and egrets fished. 

Frost!

When I stepped out to take a photo of the white-frosted dock, a little flock of migrant ducks dived out beyond it.  Only surfaces up in the air are white, proving once again that "bridge freezes before roadway."  Of course, this is only crystallized dew, not a ground freeze.  Chickadees are up and about. 

An hour later, the chickadees have been joined by cardinals and finches and a whole flock of white-throated sparrows.  Geese are out flying and paddling.  An egret flew into a pine across the creek.  A spotted cucumber beetle landed on the window!  More sparrows, this time with juncos came for lunch in the mulch.  A female cardinal guarded the feeder. 

Last fall, the first frost was November 19, so it is ten days later this year.