Really windy!

The kind of windy that is posted "No Open Fires" and that's after a good soaking yesterday.  Despite the wind, the day got quite warm and sunny.  The osprey and gulls rode the air currents hunting fish.  When I got home (after leaving before dawn) the first thing I saw was an osprey flying with a sizable fish in its talons.  Several more osprey hovered over the creek during the afternoon.  The yellow rump warblers were not deterred by the wind but it seemed all other birds stayed away.  I did see robins out along the street.

Windy

Rain freckled the pavement about an hour after dawn.  Yellow rumped warblers and chickadees worked on the remnants of the suet block.  Pelicans flew low over the creek while ospreys circled on high.

Later in the morning the rain got serious.  K installed the last block of suet.  The oriole (or another) returned. A downy woodpecker also worked on the fresh suet. An egret stalked along the bulkhead. 

About 2pm the sky cleared and the sun blazed.  K and I hacked some rooting branches off my favorite azalea and stuck them in dirt elsewhere.  I pulled up a lot of leucojum that had been loosened by the rain.  Then as I rested, a Carolina wren serenaded me.  In the distance I could hear another.  When I came in, the woodpecker rushed to the suet.  Despite the sun, the wind was cold.

Even more birds!

The water in the birdbath froze overnight.  Clouds in the East colored for sunrise then disappeared.  I saw a male oriole as I was making coffee.  If it was the same one as yesterday, it had cleaned the yellow off its face and it was willing to sample the seed feeder.  Later a female appeared, but didn't wait for a photo.  The oriole had lots of competition for the suet, mainly from downy woodpeckers and yellow rumped warblers, but a mockingbird got into the act.  A Carolina wren and a junco joined the white throats on the patio.  Around the trees I saw blue jays, doves, and titmice.

Herons and pelicans flew low over the water and competed for roosts.  One pelican just floated on the water for a while, not trying to catch anything.  Cormorants broke up the reflections. 

As I was making lunch, I saw a Cooper's hawk in the redwood.  It took some while after the hawk flew across the creek for the other birds to reappear.  Osprey circled over the creek.  Then I saw what I think was a phoebe, also in the redwood.  HRWE confirmed the phoebe. 

Cold sun and clouds

A freeze is predicted for tonight.  There were a lot of clouds at dawn but they moved away. Pelicans, herons and osprey checked the creek for fish.  There were ducks as well but I didn't see what kind.  The warblers still battled over the suet.  A pair of house finches were shoved off the seed feeder by a white throat.  Other white throats poked through the mulch.  The cloud cover returned by late morning. 

Lunchtime was a riot of gorgeous birds.  A male Baltimore oriole discovered the suet.  A pair of bluebirds were also interested but no match for the oriole.  A titmouse visited both feeders.  The woodpeckers and the yellow rump warblers spent more time competing than eating.  A female pine warbler also showed up.  And the regulars - cardinals, chickadees, finches - came too.  I glimpsed a male towhee by the faucet, looking very dull compared to the oriole. And a starling hit the suet briefly.  Its beak was already summer yellow. 

On the creek pelicans, herons, osprey, and cormorants fished.  The water was surprisingly still given the gusty wind in the trees.

The clouds looked stormy in the middle of the afternoon but there was sun later.  Some people claimed to have seen snowflakes.  The Western horizon was clear at sunset though there were smoky clouds overhead.  Venus was bright.

Cold rain

The wind rocked the feeders and a white throat rode the sunflower perch while a butterbutt clung to the suet.  Later a downy woodpecker appeared.  Between the low light under the clouds and the rain streaks on the glass, I didn't try to take pictures.

At lunchtime there was a mist but the window had dried.  Titmice joined cardinals and chickadees at the seed feeder.  Blue jays flew around in the trees.  The dogwood buds looked ready to pop.  A heron and a pelican flew over the creek. Then the mist got thicker and again coated the glass with droplets. 

Warm rain

Sunrise flamed across the clouds but faded to overcast at breakfast.  Then the cloud cover cleared in the middle of the morning only to return thicker before noon and start raining.  The hyacinths were blooming.  An osprey hovered during breakfast.  Warblers and woodpeckers joined the regulars at the feeders. 

Waves of rain came and went, punctuated by brief glimmers of sun.  But not enough water fell to do more than moisten the birdbath.  White throats were out at noon. The cherry leaves popped out of their buds, making a green haze. 

Busy creek

Broken cloud cover turned rose at sunrise.  The creek was busy with an egret, at least two herons, pelicans and an osprey.  At first is was flat as a mirror, then the surface developed tiny ridges that made reflections dance and glitter.  Chickadees and cardinals ate sunflower seeds while the warblers ate suet and the white throats foraged in the mulch.  The sweet gum buds look ready to pop.

A male downy woodpecker visited at lunchtime.  A Carolina wren got some mealworms the greedy squirrel missed.  White throats were out foraging too.  A pelican roosted on a navigation sign downstream.  The wind picked up in the afternoon though it was quite warm.  A cabbage butterfly flitted past the feeders - first of the season! 

Just before sunset, I saw a pine warbler on the suet, but I guess it saw me.  Clouds in the West made the sunset dramatic. A male cardinal came to the feeder at dusk and a sparrow scurried around the patio.  Cormorants flew home. When I went outside later, the evening planet was just about to slide behind the pines.  The crescent moon was considerably higher, sailing through clouds. 

Blue birds

The yellow rumped warbler was up before me.  There is still more than one and they still chase each other around.  And while they defer to the downy woodpeckers, a butterbutt chased a white throat off the suet.  At least four white throats foraged in the mulch and on both feeders.  A female junco showed up.  I got a brief glimpse of a Carolina wren over by the outside faucet.  Blue jays chased through the trees and a couple of female cardinals got into a tussle while a male watched.

Clouds slid East, sometimes obscuring the sun.  An egret fished at the dam outflow and a heron flew downstream.  I think that's the first egret I've seen since the big freeze. 

After lunch, a male bluebird checked out the patio including the suet feeder.  Alas, there were no mealworms out for him to sample.  Chickadees, warblers, and woodpeckers also stopped by. 

An osprey and a pelican showed up to fish in the late afternoon.  A song sparrow joined the white throats and cardinals at the Sunflower Cafe.  The butterbutt never stopped eating, even when the other birds scurried to cover.  A cardinal came zooming out of the cherry for all the world like Angry Birds.

Windy, cold and gray

During breakfast,  the feeders were deserted.  As I passed the school, a sharp shinned hawk zoomed in front of me.  I saw a robin on my way back.  But when I pulled into the driveway, things got lively.  A brown creeper was scampering around the sweet gum trunk.  A pair of cardinals were in the azaleas. A woodpecker inspected the pecan while a chickadee perched in the dogwood.

The woodpecker came around to the patio for lunch.  And the notch-tail squirrel scarfed up the mealworms I'd put in my chili-powder-lined flowerpot base.  So that idea didn't work. The cloud cover thinned and allowed weak sunlight. 

The sky continued to clear as the afternoon went on.  Juncos and white throats appeared.  Warblers and woodpeckers traded off at the suet. 

Dull morning

Chickadees were up early.  Warblers and woodpeckers were already breakfasting on suet and sparrows were busy on the ground.  Clouds covered the sky but sunlight occasionally leaked through.

The clouds thinned to haze as the morning wore on.  Warblers and woodpeckers kept at the suet.  A pelican flew upstream followed by paddling geese.  The white daffodils have opened.  The leucojum, however, look freezer-burned.  This was not the winter to be first out of the ground.

Sunshine

Soft clouds blended imperceptibly into blue sky.  The yellow rumped warblers arrived first, then white throated sparrows.  Then a pair of cardinals and a pair of woodpeckers and two Carolina wrens joined in, though only this one got up on the feeder.  A white throat and a downy briefly shared the suet.  On the creek I glimpsed a large, dark duck or possibly goose. A great blue heron rested on the dock.

The clouds were all gone by late morning.  And the creek was still an unruffled mirror. 

At lunch the chickadees finally showed up.  Afterward, I saw a hooded merganser pair bathing.  Then a bread bag came downstream imitating a fish.  I coated a wet flowerpot base with chili powder to see if that would deter the squirrels from eating mealworms.  Before I'd even added the bugs, a squirrel poked his nose in and had to wash it off in the birdbath.  The poor, sad, frozen rosemary put out a few blossoms.  I saw a fly but no bees. 

Sunset was streaky and later Venus looked misty. 

Vernal equinox

Cold rain seemed to bring out birds' territorial instincts.  At least three herons chased each other, as did yellow rumped warblers and downy woodpeckers.  A warbler and a woodpecker did come to a moment of inter-species accommodation.  White throats and juncos got along better. 

A pelican cruised over the creek ignoring everything but fish.  The three regulars - cardinal, chickadee, and house finch - have been scarce recently, but cardinals did put in an appearance this morning. So did a male towhee earlier, but the low light ruined my photos.  And rain on the glass didn't help. 

Titmice and chickadees, and then house finches finally showed up a little before noon.  The rain continued.

Later in the afternoon, the rain dissipated into fog and mist. Very chilly and dark. 

Cloudy

Yellow rumped warblers, white throated sparrows, and a song sparrow came for breakfast.  I put out a few meal worms along with the dregs of trail mix and discovered at least one squirrel will eat mealworms.  Maybe I need to buy Tabasco sauce?

The day stayed gray.  Titmice and downy woodpeckers came for lunch.  The butterbutt was not pleased. 

The evening brought light rain. 

Early birds

A rosy dawn faded to gold by the time I got to the camera.  The warblers were up early.  Juncos, white throats and a song sparrow followed.  The cardinal pair took over the feeder. And a female junco discovered the suet.  Out on the creek a flock of ruddy ducks fished.  A pelican, an osprey, and a heron also looked for fish.  Streaks and wisps of cloud flowed from the West.  The temperature was much cooler than yesterday. 

Titmice and downy woodpeckers showed up for lunch.  At least three osprey were fishing along with a pelican or two. A flotilla of ruddy ducks paddled downstream. At least one cormorant was also fishing. The buds on the sweet gum have swollen. 

A pair of geese came walking up to the patio till I went to meet them.  Later a crow walked up.  I saw two hooded mergansers on the creek along with ruddy ducks.  The ruddy ducks were beginning to live up to their name.  Ospreys, gulls, and pelicans continued to fish.  Warblers, woodpeckers, and the song sparrow hung around, but the cold wind drove me back inside.

Hot!

I thought I would be tied up in meetings all day but the climate change meeting let out early.  My car said 78 when I got home but then clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped.  On the way home I noticed that the bradford pear on the Witchduck embankment is budding out - it's always one of the first.  Maples have been blooming for several days.

At home, I saw pelicans, gulls, and osprey fishing.  Tufted titmice and yellow rumped warblers went for suet while chickadees and finches stuck to seeds, and a dove and the notched-tail squirrel picked over what fell.  I could hear a towhee whistling.

The temperature dropped rapidly after dark.  I saw a bright planet in the East, Jupiter, I think. 

Birds everywhere

The sky was hazy - thin blue haze in places, thicker white elsewhere - but the sun shone through.  Not much went came in the morning but woodpeckers (downy) and warblers (yellow rump) and white throats (sparrows).

Mid-day got lively.  At least two pine warblers appeared. one had a run-in with a downy woodpecker. A pair of bluebirds checked out the feeders.  I put out mealworms but they didn't come back.  Titmice went after the suet.

Osprey, pelicans, and gulls fished the creek.  One pelican kept following a great black-backed gull around.  I only saw one duck, a ruddy I think. 

In the late afternoon, heavier clouds rolled down from the North, leaving a golden horizon to the West.

Busy feeders

The yellow rump warblers had to put up with titmice, downy woodpeckers, and starlings on the suet.  White throats preferred the sunflower seeds.  Doves and juncos foraged on the ground.  The notch-tailed squirrel tried to nibble suet but couldn't stand the pepper.  It clung to the back side of the post for a long time.  Ruddy ducks were out on the creek while gulls and pelicans flew above.

At mid day, osprey circled and hovered in a crystal-blue sky.  Geese took over the creek.  Warblers and chickadees were bold enough to come to the feeders while I was outside.  Something flitted among tree trunks but I couldn't see it well enough to tell if it was a brown creeper. 

There is a website for bird forecasts that covers migrations!  After dark I saw a bright planet, probably Venus, in the West.  Appropriate for the Ides of March.

Wet

Rain was off and on at breakfast.  White throats made brief forays to the seed feeder but yellow rumps stuck it out on the suet.  A few gulls flying over the creek completed the sightings.

A pine warbler visited the suet briefly at lunch.  Later a dove poked through the mulch.  Waves of rain continued to pass through. 

An interesting reclassification of birds based on genome research was reported in several science magazines.  Turns out eagles are closer to buzzards than to falcons which in turn are closer to songbirds.

Springlike

Today was predicted to be cloudy but I'm not disappointed the prediction was wrong.  Sunrise colored clouds rose, then gold.  The creek reflections picked up the warm early light.  Warblers and woodpeckers both wanted suet and white throats headed for sunflower seeds.

At lunch time pelicans were fishing with some success.  The first daffodils have blossomed.  The temperature was brisk but not too cold or windy for sitting.  I could hear a variety of bird songs. Squirrels were canoodling in the bushes.

The clouds arrived during the afternoon. Evening brought sprinkles and night rain. 

Sunny trip

Sunrise in Richmond was pink and so was sunset at home.  When I left Richmond it was 64 and it had dropped to 48 by the time I got in.  I saw a dead deer and a dead raccoon and several live buzzards.  As I passed the Newport News reservoir I could see rows of turtles lining the tree trunks in the water.  But no birds welcomed me home.  And there are no photos. 

Warm and overcast

Another pretty sunrise followed by overcast.  It was springlike with sunlight leaking under dark clouds and warm temperatures, but it won't last.  I saw white throated sparrows and yellow rumped warblers and a downy woodpecker.

A couple of downy woodpeckers tussled over the suet in the afternoon.  And a couple of robins prospected in the grass.  I saw a head pop up from the nesting platform across from Lake Lawson Park.  Out in the harbor the fog was thick and the rain heavy on the Peninsula. 

Gray

There were pretty, tinted clouds at sunrise but they soon congealed into a gray blanket.  Not much was stirring.  Lots of ruddy ducks on the creek were flown over by pelicans, gulls, and crows.  Up by the feeders I saw white throats and yellow rumps.  I did see some mockingbirds while driving.

Overcast and mild, then sunny

Not much was going on at breakfast. Later a downy woodpecker left the suet and a pine warbler tied to get a quick snack but a yellow rump asserted status and displaced it.  A bluebird observed from the trees. 

At lunch the creek was full of ruddy ducks and a lone hooded merganser male.  There weren't so many ruddy ducks in past winters.  A song sparrow scurried across the patio.

Sunlight began to leak through after lunch and by mid afternoon the sky was clear.  I sat on the dock and saw about a hundred ruddy ducks up and down the creek.  Pelicans and herons were flying and roosting.  One of each shared a dock.  Another pelican preened on the boathouse roof.  Among all the ruddy ducks there was a gadwall and I think a couple of females.

Saving daylight

Back to arising at dawn.  The creek was busy early with pelicans and herons and rafts of ruddy ducks, but it didn't last.  A titmouse and a downy woodpecker made brief appearances while the yellow rumps, white throats, and juncos hung around.  I saw a Carolina wren down by the water in a saltbush.  Later a buzzard circled.  The day was warm and sunny but windy.  The mealworms disappeared overnight and I saw a squirrel licking the plate.  The white throats turned up their beaks at them. 

Several herons watched the creek or flew over during the afternoon.  At one point I saw three.  Two stalking under the bulkhead maintained about 15 feet of separation.  Pelicans, gulls, and buzzards made sporadic fly-bys, but didn't catch anything that I saw.  I noticed the "string of pearls" spider eggs made it through the winter storms.  Some kind of bug flew past me but I think the wind cancelled out the sun as far as invertebrates were concerned.  A wren scolded me and everything else as it worked its indignant way around the yard.  A song sparrow paid a brief visit to the feeder.

The sky was clear all day, but moonrise was misty and streaky.  The moon was past full but still round. 

Frosty morning

A skin of ice covered the creek and there was frost on the mulch.  A brown thrasher stopped by very briefly.  Warblers were busy with the suet.  Juncos and white throats ignored the frost as bright sun went to work on the ice. 

The fishing was apparently excellent at lunchtime.  Pelicans, herons, and an osprey joined the ruddy ducks.  A Carolina wren and titmice showed up at the feeder.  I hung the hot pepper plus bugs suet and the warblers took note. 

By 3pm the tide was out and the fishers gone except for some ruddy ducks. The wind was still cold despite all the melting. 

Icy and bright

Snow or ice pellets collected on the furniture, dock, and pool cover.  The creek was loaded with ruddy ducks and I saw a pintail pair and a hooded merganser.  Pelicans cruised by and one landed on the water.  A heron supervised from the bulkhead.  The squirrel was determined to get the last of the suet.  Clearly pepper is needed.  The regulars, juncos, white throats, yellow rumps, doves, and downy woodpeckers showed up during the morning.

An osprey sailed over us at lunch. High, corrugated cumulus clouds were set on fire at sunset though the Western horizon was clear.  I took this on my phone from the parking lot of the convention center.  Later a bright round moon rose. 

Rain streaked windows

Photography was difficult.  Lots of ruddy ducks were paddling about and some other kind of duck splashed down among them but disappeared behind the bushes.  Pelicans passed over the creek but I didn't see any land.  The suet was popular.  A downy woodpecker took it away from a yellow rumped warbler.  Later I saw a pine warbler and a tufted titmouse on it. Then all got quiet until there was a whack on the window and when I looked up, a hawk was chasing a songbird.  They circled the sakaki and then disappeared behind it. 

The rain let up a bit in the late morning but was back by lunch.  I saw a mockingbird on the dogwood in the front yard.  A red bellied woodpecker came for suet.  A flock of ruddy ducks were out on the creek and a great blue heron landed on the dock bench. 

Later two Canada geese guarded the entrance to the driveway.  By that time a cold, hard rain chased us inside.  About 6:30pm I heard the ticking on the windows that indicated rain had changed to sleet.  Snowflakes were soon falling. 

Windy and wet and woodpeckers

The creek was, at last, clear of ice.  I could see open water on the lake above the dam though I think there was still some ice there.

A brown thrasher paid a breakfast visit to the soggy mulch.  Juncos and white throats also poked through the litter.  Yellow rumps continued to chase each other off the suet.  And the notch-tailed squirrel continued to steal nibbles off the suet.  A woodpecker landed on the post and flew off.  I thought it was a downy.  Then I saw a red bellied woodpecker on the redwood, so I don't know what the first woodpecker was.

The landscape folks were finally able to come.  They showed me a lot of broken limbs in the wooded corner that I couldn't see without going outside, which I'd been reluctant to do in the snow.  The ground was spongy and slick but I survived.  They told me that while they were pulling out the dead wood a raccoon dropped out of the magnolia into their midst.  Wish I'd seen that!  Ruddy ducks were out on the water.

At lunch, a downy woodpecker visited.  I saw hooded mergansers out on the water.  The sun came out in the afternoon.  Herons were about but I did not see yesterday's.  I did see one with a long piece of lunch - eel?  Several buzzards were circling and there was a black back gull on the water.  A pine warbler came to the suet, only to be chased off by a butterbutt.  A blue jay flitted around the edge of the yard. 


The day got very warm.  On the way into Norfolk this evening I passed the 264/64 intersection at 6:20 and there was the swarm of crows wheeling above the highway.  Coming home, I saw the moon in a halo of clouds but they seemed to be moving off to the Northeast.