Good fishing!

Despite the cold, the creek flowed free beyond a margin of ice and waterfowl returned. Red breasted mergansers started fishing right after breakfast.  There were more females than males and a mad-eyed juvenile. 

Up at the feeders, the red bellied woodpeckers showed up early.  Wind ruffled her stripes.  Yellow rumped warblers were hungry too.  A half dozen doves hoped for water in the birdbath but it kept freezing as fast as we poured in more hot.  The tailless blue jay returned.  Downy woodpeckers waited for their big cousins to leave. 

When we got home, the was a wigeon drake on the creek.  It tried to join a flock of hoodies.  A great blue heron caught a fish bigger than its beak.  I believe I glimpsed an eagle with a fish. 

The sky clouded up during lunch.  Pine warblers joined the butterbutts.  Carolina wrens appeared.  Song and white throated sparrows kicked mulch. 

The fishing went on in waves, heralded by a circus of gulls, till I could not see any more.  The camera had already given up.  But all day I only saw one cormorant. 

Gray sun

The prediction was for a sunny day but a thin layer of cloud blocked or muted the sun throughout the day.  With little warmth from the sun and occasionally icy gusts, I could not stay still outside very long, even though it was not as cold as yesterday.  The birdbath didn't refreeze after I thawed it but the creek retained much of its ice. 

The birds were hungry in the morning.  The bark butter balls attracted pine and yellow rumped warblers, blue jays, red bellied woodpeckers and even Carolina wrens.  Titmice and a persistent squirrel wanted sunflower seeds. Downy woodpeckers insisted on suet.   A white breasted nuthatch paid one visit to the feeder.  Juncos and sparrows, both song and white throat, foraged on the ground. 

 Mallards and one hoodie drake paddled up the narrow line of open water where the current ran.  A great blue heron fished further downstream.  Crows chased a hawk.  And three eagles sailed overhead but soon were screened by trees.

A sizeable flock of robins descended on the yard and then did nothing but pick new perching spots till they all took off again. Sunset painted pink freckles on the sky. 

Frigid!

The creek never fully melted and the birdbath refroze each hour.  The feral cat was waiting below the feeders at dawn.  Red bellied woodpeckers arrived as soon as it was fully light.  Blue jays were right behind.  A Carolina wren was also hungry.  White throats were glad I melted the birdbath. 

A squirrel not only ate the clementines, but also gobbled up the grape jelly that was supposed to lure an oriole. 

The doves were back.  So was the olive-drab warbler which I suppose is just another pine warbler.  The yellow rumped warbler with the odd markings was back too.  And I got a glimpse of a song sparrow.  Downy woodpeckers got up later than their big cousins. 

 Mallards got as far as the dam before they ran out of open water.  A great blue heron watched the ice from the mud flat exposed at low tide. 

Sunset was a brilliant pink as the sky had gotten hazy.  The moon was haloed in mist. 

Flurries

Flakes of snow blew around in the morning but didn't stick to anything.  The birdbath was frozen solid and the creek had a flexible skin of ice. There was sun when I first got up, but the clouds merged and the sky was mostly gray in the morning.  The temperature never rose out of the 20s Fahrenheit all day.  We poured hot water into the birdbath repeatedly throughout the day. 

The cold made the birds hungry and thirsty and brought the shy ones into view.  The red bellied woodpecker pair were after suet and bark butter balls.  A Carolina wren started with bark butter balls but had some of everything.  The white throated sparrows were especially grateful for water.  The downy woodpecker pair also alternated on the suet.  But at least three pine warblers wanted their share of suet and bark butter and tried to share space with the woodpeckers.  A flock of doves foraged with the white throats. 

A yellow bellied sapsucker appeared on a dogwood trunk but didn't stay long.  Three blue jays were really into bark butter balls.  A male towhee put in an appearance for the first time in months.  An industrious butterbutt still retained some summer feathers.  K and I believe we saw an oriole, so I put grape jelly out, just in case.  I got a photo of a female in the camellia.  Titmice were quite late to the party. So were juncos.  A couple of song sparrows joined the white throats, but also got interested in the bark butter balls.  For some reason, the song sparrow preferred to climb the hanger to the feeder instead of flying in like every other bird. 

I saw a bufflehead where the current had kept part of the creek ice-free. I saw pelicans in the afternoon, but got no photos.  A flock of hoodies glittered in the late afternoon sunlight, but again no photo.  Egrets were more cooperative.  There were squirrels around, but they didn't do anything interesting.  Sunset turned the few remaining clouds to coral.  I saw the half moon in the afternoon and meant to get another look after dark, but missed my chance. 

Cold gray sky

The goldfinch was on the feeder hanger when I came out to the kitchen, but it left and never came back. The female red bellied woodpecker decided to keep eating suet.  A Carolina wren hunted bits that had fallen.  A yellow rumped warbler was thirsty.  Blue jays went for more bark butter balls. 

White throats pecked at all sorts of bits.  Downy woodpeckers followed the red bellied on the suet.  And then the male red bellied took a turn.

A song sparrow joined the white throats.  A male brown headed cowbird dropped in on the feeder. A couple of pairs of hooded mergansers paddled upstream.  A titmouse got thirsty. At least seven doves showed up just as the light was going.

Morning was fairly quiet but I thought I saw a few tiny pellets of snow.  The wind kicked up by mid day and the clouds looked like snow.  In the middle of the afternoon there was a short window of sunshine.  And around 4pm the clouds on the Western horizon turned yellow.

Cold sunshine

Patches of fish scale clouds alternated with blue sky.  The birdbath was frozen but there was no ice on the creek.  Instead there was lots of fishing.  I missed the pelicans again. A heron was wading by the dam outfall.  A half dozen hoodies sailed past the heron.  Buffleheads were also out on the water, as was a female ruddy duck - first this winter. 

A downy woodpecker managed to bluff a red bellied woodpecker off the suet.  A blue jay lurked but didn't come close.  White throated sparrows were also shy.  A yellow rumped warbler finally got up.  Then a pine warbler had a staring match with the red bellied woodpecker.  A goldfinch joined the party but had no refreshments. I glimpsed a brown thrasher under the camellia before it spooked. 

In the afternoon, the heron moved to the dock closest to the dam.  The ruddy duck was like a jack-in-the-box, popping up and immediately diving, only to reappear 20' away.  Eventually she stopped diving and bathed and preened, then went to sleep. 

Three blue jays landed in the hackberry and one went for the bark butter balls I'd put out. At sunset the sky was clear except for streaks of gilded cloud right over the sun.  As I pulled into the driveway, a mockingbird dashed into the shrubbery. 

Plenty of birds

 When I came out to the kitchen, a pine warbler was glowing in the early sunshine.  Titmice soon appeared, then yellow rumped warblers and Carolina wrens.  A male red bellied woodpecker ventured out of the trees for some suet. 

 Buffleheads, mostly drakes, came and went all day.   There were pelicans cruising over the creek but I didn't see any on the water. As long as they are flying, they are screened by twigs from the camera. Later, a handful of female red breasted mergansers and one male chased a school of fish.  Cormorants joined the hunt. 

Clouds thickened till the afternoon was overcast.  A goldfinch perched on the feeder hanger but left without any seeds.  A few white throats kicked mulch while a blue jay watched from the trees.  A downy woodpecker came for suet.

Damp

A female red bellied woodpecker had some suet this morning.  A blue jay zipped across the yard and a Carolina wren visited every feeder.  Gulls circled overhead but didn't see anything in the creek.  A squirrel climbed the dish hanger only to find hot pepper bark butter balls instead of mealworms.  The day was colder but less windy, overcast, with intermittent drizzle. I was surprised to see a few bees working on the camellia blossoms.  

Windy

A Carolina wren was up before me.  White throated sparrows searched the mulch for fallen seeds.  A bufflehead drake paddled on the choppy creek.  But the most interesting event was a titmouse attacking the egg sack left by the Argiope spider up in the cherry.  I wonder if the warm temperature caused the spiderlings to hatch. 

A yellow rumped warbler showed up in the afternoon.  A chickadee proposed sharing the suet but the warbler objected.  The chickadee prevailed. 

Later a robin stopped by for a drink.  It had a bent tail feather.  A male downy woodpecker ate suet.  The oak tree caught a grocery bag.  And a hawk perched in a pine across the creek which scared everyone away. 

It was quite warm in between gusts of wind, and fairly sunny, though the sky was never clear.  The wind from the Southwest ruffled altocumulus clouds into ridges and popcorn.

Gray

It was warmer and overcast, with a dribble of rain mid morning.  A female pileated woodpecker showed up today. Between it and a Carolina wren, the suet was down to a nubbin, so K put out a new block. A butterbutt scrounged on the patio. 

Two bufflehead drakes paddled downstream on the glass-smooth creek.  Later, a great blue heron perched on the back of the dock bench.  The light was bad all day and birds were scarce.

Solstice

The sun shone in a clear sky but a chilly wind carried its warmth away.  A Carolina wren found the hot pepper bark butter balls and seemed delighted.  A pine warbler glowed like living sunlight.  The female red bellied woodpecker came back and there was no sign of the pileated that scared her off yesterday.  White throats and doves foraged but I saw no juncos.  Titmice, cardinals and chickadees stayed with sunflower seeds.  A butterbutt got up late.  So did a downy woodpecker. 

I was away for a good part of the day doing civic things. At twilight, I looked out and caught the sharp crescent moon descending. An unexpected visitor indoors was a leaf-footed bug. 

Still and gray

A day like a titmouse, with an unexpectedly loud whistle.  Birds prefer days with no wind or shadows.  A mockingbird came for a drink while I was eating my (late) breakfast, but it got away without a photo.  Yellow rumped warblers were busy with the suet.  Blue jays lurked in the bushes and chased each other.  They began eating the hot pepper bark butter balls.

 Down on the dock a crow played fetch with a pine cone.  A squirrel fell off the seed feeder while trying to raid it.  Buffleheads paddled around the creek. 

A Carolina wren foraged, then attacked the suet.  A half dozen doves also poked through the mulch.  A male downy woodpecker followed the wren on the suet, which was getting quite small.  The female then took her turn.  White throated sparrows seemed to be everywhere.  And one of them tried a bark butter ball. The female red bellied woodpecker showed up, seemingly with a flock of pine warbler attendants.

And then, a male pileated woodpecker scattered all the other birds.  Despite his size, he was very shy.  He sneaked up on the suet as though there might be a snake hiding inside.  He was big enough that he could perch on the post, instead of clinging to the suet cage, and still reach his beak inside.  But the lump of suet was so small, it kept sliding to the other side.  Meanwhile a bold pine warbler got tired of waiting and tried to slip in for a beakfull.  The woodpecker flared his crest and looked very imposing. 

A small flock of bluebirds  arrived, hoping for some suet.  A blue jay and a bluebird posed together for me.  Another warbler* got a chance at the suet though a bluebird objected. And then they all went away. 

Toward evening, I saw a buzzard fly over and a bufflehead paddle downstream.  Layers of cloud hung over the Northern horizon. 
__________
*orange crowned?  juvenile black poll?  Or just a female pine warbler?

Morning mist

Oval rafts of leaves floated on the creek, an odd phenomenon I cannot recall seeing before.  Mallards took an interest in something under the dock.  White throats and Carolina wrens visited. 

I was running around most of the day but got in a short walk through the yard to check on the argiope's eggs  and the oversize fungus under the oak.  I found footprints of the robber who upset the mealworm dish, leaving behind the hot pepper bark butter balls.  A pine warbler dropped in after I came inside.  I saw a turtle on the lake log again.

Warm

The cat turned up just as I was wondering what became of the birds.  Doves and cardinals flitted among tree branches, catching early sunlight.  When the cat had been gone for a while, a male downy woodpecker breakfasted on suet.  White throats turned up eventually. 

The creek glittered as a pair of hoodies paddled upstream.  A great blue heron caught the late afternoon sun on the dock next to the dam.  Turtles did the same on a log in the lake. 

The tide was way out at sunset, leaving only a small reflection of the pink streaks in the Northern sky.  A small flock of white birds sped over the dam in the twilight.  I've no idea what they were.  The sky to the Southwest was brushed with gold. 

Lots of birds

Frozen again, birdbath and creek.  I poured boiling water into the birdbath, but left the creek alone.  The camellia blossoms were frostbitten but there were more buds.  I was up early enough that the sky was still pink and there wasn't enough light for bird photos.  Carolina wrens and cardinals were having breakfast.  A song sparrow left after a brief reconnaissance. Then the sun illuminated the feeders. 

A female red bellied woodpecker seemed offended by the camera.  A blue jay lurked in the bushes.  Pine and yellow rumped, and possibly orange crowned, warblers hotly contested possession of the suet, chasing each other across the yard., putting the "war" in warbler.  White throats and juncos foraged in the mulch.  Titmice alternated between seeds and suet. 

Stringy clouds streamed across from West to East until after lunch when they filled the sky quite rapidly, thickened, and grew dark.  A bluebird inspected the yard but the camera refused to focus.  Then a robin did the same.  A male red bellied woodpecker hammered on the sweet gum tree.  The wrens returned.  A mockingbird wanted a drink.  A white breasted nuthatch scurried up and down the pine tree trunk. 

I saw a male bufflehead on the creek after the ice melted.  A downy woodpecker finally showed up.  And then, so did the feral cat.  The light was so poor by then that I gave up.  But I had trouble with the focus all day.  The camera kept reacting to the background instead of the bird in the foreground. 

Deep freeze

The creek was iced over when I got up and didn't melt completely till mid afternoon.  Naturally that eliminated waterfowl.   After mid day a great egret fished below the dam where the current had hastened melting.  Later a great blue heron rested on the dock nearest the dam. 

There was not a lot of feeder activity.  The pine warbler brightened the afternoon as he fed on the suet. A downy woodpecker wanted a share. 

The ice i pulled out of the birdbath lay on the mulch with no sign of melting.  Low tide was way out, exposing mud on both sides of the creek.  I don't believe the lake ever thawed.

Running around

The clouds were back with only occasional glimmers of sun.  A sudden flurry of birds came when I was busy and by the time my hands were free, they were gone.  I remember a wren, white throats, and juncos.  I did catch a yellow rumped and a pine warbler, a tufted titmouse, and a downy woodpecker.

A pair of hoodies paddled upstream with the drake doing his strut.  A great blue heron perched up in a pine growing on the dam.  A pelican flew down the creek but behind a screen of trees. 

I had to leave right after lunch and didn't get back till after dark.  Dramatic clouds streamed out of the Southwest at 1:30pm.  As the afternoon continued, the temperature took a nosedive. 

Sunny all day

The birdbath was frozen again.  When I poured hot water in, I was able to pull out the ice with rotting leaves and other debris frozen in.  I also put out some mealworms and half a tangerine that had begun to go bad.

The hoodies were up early and busy fishing.  The creek surface was rumpled, unlike most mornings this time of year.  One female bufflehead zipped past.  A few pelicans flew over the creek along with gulls, including a great black back.  The common mergansers returned in the mid afternoon.  They were all four females. The water grew calmer as the tide went out, and out, until mud flats were exposed.  I saw a great blue heron on the dock next to the dam.

A Carolina wren flung seeds out of the feeder in search of shelled bits, or maybe bugs.  Its beak isn't suitable for hulling seeds.  A yellow rumped warbler made a brief stop on the step but didn't hang around.   Later a male pine warbler dug into the suet.  A downy dropped in but didn't stay.  Juncos were very late but when they arrived, they seemed to be everywhere.

Two squirrels managed to forage under the feeder (mostly) peacefully.  One squirrel chinned itself on the mealworm dish.  And then it carried off the half tangerine I'd stuck on the wire hanger.  The other squirrel found something good and hid up in the dogwood to eat it.

Cold

The sky was clear when I woke up but the air was freezing and the birdbath ice.  I poured in hot water and put out some mealworms which a Carolina wren eventually found. The sick house finch pecked at the birdbath ice. Downy woodpeckers and titmice waited for the sun's warmth. 

Hooded mergansers were out on the water early. Pelicans came at lunch time.  I saw a bufflehead pair at sunset when it was too dim for photos. 

Stratus clouds moved in again, muting the sun and producing streak of color.  The sunset colored half the sky. 

Sun to sleet

A Carolina wren explored every nook of the patio.  A couple of goldfinches visited in their plain winter plumage.  White throats and a few juncos scurried around the patio.  A sick male house finch hung around the feeder and birdbath. 

I saw cormorants and ducks fishing on the creek and a mallard pair that kept getting in the way. Fortunately photos revealed that the ducks were common mergansers. 

Wispy ice clouds became a streaky stratus overcast tat blurred the sun by mid day.  By evening it had thickened enough to block the sunset except for some golden streaks to the North. It began to sprinkle after dark and by 8pm it was sleeting.  A gusty wind made the icy rain sting.

Clear blue sky

There was frost on the dock and ice in the birdbath.  A few white throated sparrows poked around below the feeder.  A mockingbird came for a drink but found only ice, and that's when the camera battery died.  I swapped out the battery and poured hot water in the birdbath but the mockingbird did not return.  The temperature climbed steeply and by noon it was pleasant if a bit cool and damp. Small pollinators flew around the camellia flowers. 

At lunch time there were juncos with the white throats.  Several doves showed up.  A female cardinal joined the male.  A downy woodpecker hung from the suet.  A bufflehead and several cormorants fished.  After lunch I spied a great blue heron preening by the garden across the creek.

Cold!

Outside it was almost freezing and I stayed in trying to defeat a slight head cold.  But at least the sunshine was cheerful after days of grayness.  Buffleheads popped up occasionally, but most of the action was up at the feeders. 

Wet and windy

The creeks were high and there was ponding in the streets from the wind and second day of rain.  The rain has not been heavy, but cold and stinging.  Soggy ground made the post for the bluebird house topple.  Buffleheads were out on the creek.  A great blue heron chased another upstream.  I believe I saw a pelican through the rain-streaked window.

Nevertheless, a parade of birds sought a meal.  A blue jay, a female red bellied woodpecker, downy woodpeckers, titmice and a yellow rumped warbler visited the feeders.  Juncos, white throats and song sparrows, and Carolina wrens foraged on the ground but occasionally flew up to the feeders.  A goldfinch wanted something but the seed feeder was too busy and the suet wasn't suitable for a vegan. 

Cold rain

I had to go across town for an appointment that ate the whole morning.  The female red bellied woodpecker was on the suet when I got home, but she bolted,  So did a blue jay. But a whole flock of mourning doves stayed on the patio hunting spilled seeds.  White throated sparrows mingled with the doves twice their size. 

Eventually, a yellow rumped warbler landed on the suet.  Then the blue jay came back and took over.  Meanwhile a song sparrow went for mealworms.  A Carolina wren finished them off.  A junco poked around under the feeder.  And of course there were titmice, chickadees, house finches, and a cardinal.  A downy woodpecker ignored the rain to reach the suet. 

Gray

Under an overcast sky, leafless branches crisscrossed in shades of gray.  Reflections in the placid creek were sharp but muted. A female red bellied woodpecker feasted on suet.  She was followed by a male pine warbler.  Then a yellow rumped warbler landed on the suet.  A bufflehead popped up on the creek.

After lunch, the cat came back to watch for birds again.  I saw a yellow jacket hunting through the mulch.  White throats foraged and downy woodpeckers ate suet.  A male red bellied woodpecker probed bark all the way up a pine trunk.  It appeared to be listening for movement.  I hoped to see it pluck something out of the tree, but no joy for him or me.

Unleaving

Today trees today had lost half their leaves or more. It called to mind Hopkins' poem Spring and Fall to a young child.  In college the prof told me I had missed the point of the poem.  I thought it was about adults getting preoccupied and failing to see the world around them.  The prof insisted it was about mortality.  I'm still not convinced and changing seasons still make me sad.

Rain and a cold wind discouraged the birds.  Plus, something swooped at a downy woodpecker as she was about to hop onto the suet.  A butterbutt dropped in briefly.  Hoodies were out on the creek.

The cat was prowling through the backyard in the afternoon.  Rain returned after dark and became sleet around 9pm. 

Warm and wet

The air was humid and a little rain fell.  Leaves on the creek were sorted into long lines. Hooded mergansers were fishing today.  A few buffleheads joined them.

Carolina wrens poked around on the seed feeder.  White throats scurried below. Downy woodpeckers claimed the suet. A pine warbler begged to differ. And then rain fell but it didn't last long. 

A female junco took a bath as we were leaving for lunch.  Hoodies were still fishing. in the afternoon.  Mallards were feeding too, but presumably on something different. The heavy cloud cover made the light drop and soon it was too dark for the camera.

Mild

A heavy dew made the feeder appear to be sweating.  The hoodies were out in force on the creek but I didn't see much diving.  A bufflehead preened.  Up on the patio, white throats were busy.  Downy woodpeckers wanted suet. 

At lunch, I saw a mockingbird drinking from the birdbath and a junco in the cherry but both were camera-shy.  A pine warbler was more co-operative.  The morning's placid, reflective water gave way to rough water. 

An egret rested on a log in the lake.  Clouds moved in during the afternoon, just in time to enhance sunset.  Later the moon played its light across the clouds. 

Clearing

The white sky became blue during breakfast.  Geese, hoodies, and buffleheads mized on the shining water.  The tide was up into the grass.  Titmice and downy woodpeckers came to the feeders. A couple of blue jays showed up but spooked before getting anything to eat.

When we came out of church, the sky was clouded over again, and again it cleared during lunch.  The hoodies were still strutting more than fishing.  A female paddled with her head under water, looking dead except for her speed.  A few white throats were around.  Two goldfinches dropped in for a quick drink.  Three mourning doves gathered around the birdbath. 

In the late afternoon I walked around the yard.  A great blue heron stood below the dam watching the water.  The black swallowtail caterpillar was still alive, though shrunken and slow to react.  And a male downy squeaked as it probed the dogwood.  By then clouds to the West were picking up sunset tints and the air was chilly despite being nearly still.  The full moon was above the trees by 8:30pm. 

Cloudy

A day that began placid and sunny clouded over by noon.  I did not get much chance to observe, but did see titmice, downy woodpeckers, butterbutts, and juncos.

A brief rain fell in the late afternoon.  The light level fell too.  About a dozen cormorants perched on a log in the lake but there was not enough light.  Hooded mergansers and buffleheads fished on the creek.  After dark, the moon leaked through the clouds and back-lighted them and looked very spooky.

Windy

The creek was rough but I glimpsed a bufflehead twice. Some new birds visited in the morning, along with the ones that have been around.  A downy woodpecker started the parade.  Then a blue jay landed on the mealworm dish.  A titmouse was open to either suet or seeds for breakfast.  Only suet would do for a male pine warbler.  Squirrels were thirsty and white throats wanted a bath.  A brown headed nuthatch appeared briefly on the suet before being jostled aside by bigger birds.

Redwing blackbirds visited along with a robin.  A yellow rumped warbler finally showed up.  A female house finch that appeared to have only one foot had difficulty staying on the feeder perch.   Another house finch examined the suet and didn't like it.