Still frigid at breakfast

Puffy white throats and juncos hunted for crumbs on the patio.  The creek ice buckled around the barnacles on the pilings.

The morning warmed considerably while I was in a meeting.  And the sky clouded over while the ice melted except in the shade.  I counted birds during lunch: 1 yellow rump, 2 white throats, 3 mallards, and a crow and a gull of indeterminate species.  I blame the high winds for the low numbers. 

As the sun set, and the cormorants flew home, the clouds broke apart and tinted up nicely.

Some rain fell well after dark, or possibly snow, though it was water on the car. Apparently there were high winds as well.