Melting

The snow has slumped enough that squirrels are willing to hop through it.  Yesterday they stuck to the aerial paths through the trees and bushes.  Cardinals and sparrows came for breakfast without the urgency of yesterday.  The paper says yesterday broke a temperature record for cold, though the snow depth was not a record.

In the late morning, titmice and chickadees came to the feeder.  Then a song sparrow took over.  The wren finally found the peanuts I put out.


Another pink sunset.  I just read Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard written and illustrated by Annette LeBlanc Cate which is a Silbert Honor Book. 

Sun on snow

Let the melting begin!  Today began with song sparrows.  Then finches, cardinals, the wren, and white throats arrived.  The male towhee showed up.  Finally, as I was doing dishes, chickadees and titmice appeared.

There is a lot of dripping which will probably mean ice tomorrow morning.  In the afternoon, the chickadees got their fill at the feeder.  Gulls and egrets flew over the creek but other water birds stayed away.  The sun made the snow blinding.

But today I didn't see any of the juncos that were all over yesterday.  Was it the sunshine?

I caught the final glow of pink clouds after sunset.  A planet trailed the sun.  The new moon was not visible. A low of 6 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded at the airport beating the previous record by 4 degrees. 

Snow birds!

It looks like there is about 6" of snow on the chair seats and table tops.  Elsewhere there is drifting.  The creek looks like milk that's gone off - a muddy, greenish white.  I think the dog across the creek fell in.  There was much shouting, a human lay down on their dock, then dragged the dog uphill by the collar. 

White throats and juncos were up first, the the trio of usuals.  A hawk dived at the feeder but didn't catch breakfast and sat in the dogwood for a while to recover. 

I tossed some more seed on the snow.  After a while the birds came back, including a song sparrow, a Carolina wren, a male towhee, and a dove.  One male cardinal refused to let another come to the feeder.  I saw three female cardinals.  A mockingbird sat in the oak for a while.  Flocks of birds went by and a gull played on the wind.  The snow is blowing rather than falling.

At lunch a brown thrasher hung out in the hickory while the other birds kept eating. 

It's snowing

I'll post some phone photos tomorrow from my train trip.  What I wish I had captured is the way the snow looks at night falling through a streetlight's glow.


Left is from the trip North and right is from the return.

I did see some ducks in an estuary, maybe of the Chesapeake.  They were dark with flashes of white on the wings when they flew.  I remembered the phone camera too late. 

Snow!

The ground and small objects are covered.  Sparrows are up to their feathers under the feeder but closer to the house there's crunchy ice.  K dumped some seeds there for the ground feeders.  Sparrows and the usual trio have been busy at the feeder.  A pelican checked out the creek which has floating skins of ice and open water.  It's windy but the sun is bright.  Gulls are playing and I saw one do a sideways roll.  Geese paddled upstream. 

K saw a female towhee but I missed it.  In fact, all the birds disappeared.  Then I saw a big hawk flying away, and the birds came back.  There are three female cardinals and they do not like each other.  I also saw a song sparrow. The Carolina wren took up its post on the grill hose.  A dove found the snow too unpleasant to hunt for seeds. The other birds seem to sit right into the snow, maybe keeping their feet warm? 

Later, juncos appeared and struggled in the snow.  Two male towhees came back and one took over the feeder, something I've never seen before.  The birds are really fighting for food this morning.  A chickadee tried to get at something behind the roof icicles. Pelicans continue to fish and there are egrets blending into the snow on the dam. A mockingbird visited the beauty berry bush. 

Early birds

Chickadees, sparrows a Carolina wren, and a dove beat the sun.  A pelican was floating on the creek and an egret soared over it.  The sky is hazy though the sun is shining.  That didn't last.  Cloud cover has muted the sunlight. More pelicans tried their luck.  Some finches joined the sparrows. 

The morning was more sunny than not and fairly warm.  Several egrets prowled the far bank and one promenaded on the dock.  Hooded mergansers paddled around.  Pelicans fished like there was no tomorrow.

Then clouds swept up from the SW and the temperature plummeted.  And I came inside.  The wren, chickadees, sparrows, finches and a cardinal descended on food like they'd heard the weather report.  I put more than the usual peanuts out to get them through the storm.  So, now let it snow. 

Wrensday

All morning, the only bird around was a Carolina wren.  It waited quietly on the grill hose for over an hour.  Then it got excited and began bouncing and chirping and fanning its feathers.   I have no idea what this was all about.  It left and a squirrel crawled all around the grill, then mountaineered up the brick wall by the bedroom window.  During all this time there were no other birds, not even gulls and crows. Thin cumulus clouds creep slowly East in a sunny sky but the wind in the trees is gusty.

The wren came back and stayed through lunch.  Finally chickadees started visiting the feeder.  A male hooded merganser paddled upstream and then the pelicans arrived.  At least three swooped and plunged right in front of us. 

The day has been warm and this evening a moth came to the window.  And snow is predicted for this time tomorrow! 

Quiet

Wisps of cloud break up the blue sky.  A Carolina wren is sitting on the gas hose of the grill, making little bounces as though it has a spring inside. The hose is an excellent perch, sheltered from above with a wide view.  But there isn't much to see just now.

The sparrows, both song and white throat, came out to eat, as did chickadees and a mourning dove.  The creek is flowing strongly and all I've seen fishing is a cormorant.   Some mallards and geese paddled past. 

The song sparrow's beak is open and you can see the tongue! 

Clouds blew away

And here's what blew them out to sea.

Early the sky looked menacing.  Sparrows and titmice joined the usual trio.  A pair of house finches are waiting for the female cardinal to relinquish the perch.

When I got back, pelicans and cormorants were fishing.  A woodpecker was working on the camellia.  The wren was investigating everywhere.  A song sparrow visited the feeder.

Frost and flocks

The creek is only half skinned over with ice but the frost is white on every surface.  A great blue heron and a great egret, gulls and cormorants flew over it, and a mallard pair paddled down.  On the far bank, a large flock of birds gathered in the grass then startled into the trees, repeatedly.  I thought they were mixed blackbirds but the ones that came close enough to identify were robins.

Juncos poked through the frosty mulch.  The first birds on the feeder were chickadees and a titmouse.  Then a pair of finches came.  White throats and a wren snatched peanut bits.  The sun is now fully up and melting the frost. 

The female towhee and a yellow rumped warbler joined in around 10am.  The titmouse was back too, but eluded the camera.  The towhee kept flaring her feathers as though she were experiencing digestive discomfort. 

Overcast

A couple of gulls swooped in the air over the creek.  The feeder was busy.  First, chickadees and a Carolina wren appeared, then sparrows and finches.  Finally a male and female towhee showed up to scratch in the mulch.  I don't know what the male has on its face. 

Later a cardinal and a couple of doves arrived.  A pelican cruised the creek, without luck as far as I could see.  There is a definite breeze and it is not warm.

I happened to be passing the 264-Newtown exit at twilight today and there was the great swirling cloud of crows. 

Fog

There was a weather saying: "A January fog will freeze a hog," but it is not really cold.  It is still, both the air and the creek.  Drops are hanging from every branch and plopping loudly.  The sun is beginning to burn through but the only birds thus far are a gull, a crow, and a blue jay.  And here comes the wren!

The fog was slowly dissipating and then suddenly it was gone.  I'm thinking the temperature rose just past the dew point.  Before that, a heron sailed downstream.  Something, maybe a ruddy duck, made rings in the creek.  Then a cormorant flew close to the water. 

Once the fog was gone, the sky was hazy but sunny.  Then around lunch, it clouded up.  Pelicans were fishing.  A junco showed up briefly.  The white throats were in the front yard hopping around the azaleas. A dandelion has flowered. A gull soared overhead. 

Sunset turned the clouds and everything pink.  With twilight, a cardinal and a sparrow stocked up on seeds. A hooded merganser pair paddled upstream. 

And wet

Rain fell overnight and the sky is gray.  Drops are still plopping in the birdbath. Chickadees and sparrows and a Carolina wren are coming to the feeder.  Cardinals and a blue jay are hanging around.  Too bad they won't perch close enough to each other for a colorful photo.  I wish I could feed jays without attracting blackbird flocks.

The white throats are getting bolder and won't let a squirrel have all the peanut bits.  Peanuts appear to make both thirsty.  A pelican perched on one of our pilings to preen.  A mallard drake and the pekin duck paddled past it. 

Lunchtime was gray and wet and deserted. 

Warm

The sun is glowing on the pines and their reflection in the creek.  All the fishing birds - cormorants, egrets - took off downstream a few minutes ago.  The feeder is quiet.

Later the feeder got busy with cardinals, chickadees, sparrows and the wren.  A squirrel got all the peanut bits.  K refilled the feeder.  It's amazing how much longer the seeds last now that the raccoons can't raid the feeder.  A yellow rump paused in the dogwood. 

After dark, bugs collected on the window.  I suppose they're freshly hatched by the warmth and will die in the next yo-yo of temperatures. 

Beautiful winter day

It is not so warm as yesterday but clear and bright.  The creek is glassy with sharp reflections.  A wren appeared first, then sparrows and the usual trio.

A lunch time juncos joined the other songbirds.  Pelicans, egrets, hooded mergansers, gulls, and crows patrolled the creek. Flocks of robins flew past. 

Warm rain

The temperature has shot back up to 70 and, of course, that means rain.  The usual three species plus sparrows and a wren were on the feeder at breakfast.  A couple of pelicans flew by.

The rain stopped at lunch and there were flickers of sun.  The clouds are speeding NE and it is gusty.  That may explain why the feeder is untouched.  Crows and the occasional pelican watch the creek, now at low tide.  A few gulls and cormorants are around.  I notice the squirrel's nest is gone from the oak.  Flowers and young plants look dreadful after the yo-yo temperatures. 

The wind and rain have become very loud in the late afternoon. Both slacked off after dark and hours later the moon was only a little misty. 

Melting

There is open water by the bulkhead where the current runs but the creek is still iced on our side.  The sky is cloudy with blue spaces.  A blue jay was hammering away in the cherry.  Chickadees, a cardinal, and sparrows breakfasted.  A mockingbird surveyed the yard from atop the redwood. The sparrows were happy the birdbath ice has melted. 

The sun has come out though there are still clouds.  It's been playing peek-a-boo while the clouds to the North look dark. A song sparrow took possession of the feeder.  Then the Carolina wren arrived.  A cardinal wanted a share.  Then a male finch tried to get in, but no luck.  Eventually he was able to seize the moment, and a seed.

At lunch, the wren was back along with white throats and squirrels.  A few mergansers were out on the creek.  Egrets hung around the dam outflow. 

Rain started in the afternoon, sooner than predicted.  

Still cold

There are a few cloud wisps this morning.  The creek is still frozen but an egret is finding something to eat where the pine branch fell beside the bulkhead.  A cardinal, two juncos, and several sparrows came for breakfast. 

Just before lunch, I spilled the remains of the trail mix all over the floor.  So after sweeping it up, I tossed the bits on the patio.  A squirrel got the bulk of it.  The idiot buried the dried fruit!  But the stuff also attracted a Carolina wren, a yellow rumped warbler, a mockingbird, and sparrows. 

Meanwhile on the feeder titmice joined the cardinals and chickadees and occasional sparrow.  Out on the creek a pelican cruised past and, seeing the ice had not melted, did not return.  A heron also did a fly-by. 

Ice everywhere

This morning the creek is frozen.  Chickadees and sparrows are awake and hungry.  It's another bright, clear day, but with little wind.  The temperature is in the teens again and supposed to get all the way up to freezing.  Some juncos are still around.

I got curious about the lake above the dam.  At noon, it was mostly ice, with a flock of red wing blackbirds in the grass between it and the road.  On the other side of the road, hooded mergansers paddled in open water at the outflow of the upper lake.  The creek is still ice. 

I put peanuts out but some were still left at the end of the day. Here's an explanation of the big chill.

Frigid

The birdbath is a block of white ice but the creek is open, probably due to the wind.  Gulls are playing and a chickadee came for fuel.  KVAVIRGI59, the weather station at Pembroke Manor says it's 16 degrees with a light breeze from the NW.  The sky is clear. 

Several egrets are working along the bulkhead.  I saw one pelican and a few hooded mergansers.  Juncos arrived along with sparrows under the feeder.  The temperature has risen to 20 by late morning. 

As we ate lunch, a mockingbird ate beautyberries.  Cardinals and chickadees have joined the sparrows at the feeder. A dove stopped in.

The day stayed clear and bright and cold.  It never got past freezing. 

Wild weather

The wind is swaying tree trunks.  It's very warm at dawn but supposed to plunge 40 degrees by tomorrow.  There are layers of clouds with occasional glimpses of blue.  The dark, low clouds race out of the Southwest.  The ground is wet but it's not raining.  Before sunrise, a towhee, sparrows, cardinals, and chickadees had arrived.  They mostly left as it got lighter.  The squirrel with the white spot on her hip came by. Gulls and crows are playing with the gusts while pelicans fly low.

Around mid-morning the rain began.  Squirrels were not deterred and, in a lull, a wren and sparrows competed with them for peanut bits.  One squirrel has a very short tail - I noticed because another was using its tail as an umbrella.  A flock of robins took brief refuge in the oak.  The clouds continue to stream past but I think the wind has shifted a bit and is more West to East. 

The clouds broke around 4pm.  A great blue heron basked on the bulkhead in the late afternoon light.  There was great sky drama, first with the sunlight on trees against the dark and stormy East, then a flaming sunset in the West.

Warmer

The sky was overcast at dawn but it has cracked up to the North and the edges are sunlit.  Down here it is all gray directionless light without shadows.  An egret flew downstream and some mallards and cormorants are out on the creek.  The wren is checking the patio for edibles. Cardinals, chickadees, and both kinds of sparrows have arrived. 

The sun appeared for a while but now it's all gray again. And so it went, all day, on a wind from the SW.  A blue jay flew through our airspace.  Gulls and crows flew up against the clouds.  Geese stayed on the creek.  A few bugs thawed out and flew around, including a mosquito. 

Now for the big arctic freeze tomorrow night. 

Ice on the creek

There is ice all the way to the bulkhead but I doubt it is thick enough to support a seagull.  I can see open water further downstream.  The sun is bright but nothing is stirring.  It is very cold. 

By the time I got home it was much warmer.  Pelicans, herons, and mergansers were busy on the creek.  Cardinals, chickadees, finches, titmice, song and white throated sparrows, and a Carolina wren all came to the feeder.  Squirrels were in pursuit of love and food. The one that had a sore elbow now has a white nose.  Clouds appeared mid-afternoon on a wind from the West. 

Bitter wind

It's freezing but the wind prevents ice, except in the birdbath.  The gusts are tossing birds in flight.  Gulls seem to enjoy it but a flock of little birds barely made it across the creek.  A lone cormorant is fishing.  The feeder is busy despite the wind with both song and white throated sparrows, cardinals, chickadees and house finches.  A Carolina wren scurried around the patio.  Leaves skitter and make me think a bird is there. 

A glimmer of sunlight slipped between the clouds for a moment.  The wind has blown some juncos in!  By 9:30 the clouds have definitely broken up and are sailing swiftly toward the Southeast.  The creek is high which I didn't expect with a wind from the Northwest.  At ground level the wind blows every which way.  The juncos have departed. 

By lunch, the pelicans were out.  A raptor of some kind swooped into the pines.  Geese and a bufflehead paddled.  A robin scuttled across the patio.  The feeder is busy.  The wind is still roaring but the tide has come down somewhat. 

Toward evening, the wind slacked off some.  Hooded mergansers were out on the creek and egrets passed on the way home.  The sky was cloudless and the moon was a bright sickle.