Cold front

Morning belonged to a different day from afternoon!  And evening was different from both. A pine warbler came for breakfast in the warm sunshine.  I saw a blue jay.  Then we left.  While we were gone a wall of rain cloud slammed us and kept going, having dropped the temperature from the 70s to the 50s.  March did not depart like a lamb. 

Shortly after we got home, the clouds broke apart and the wind began to dry every surface.  Not all that much water fell - the birdbath wasn't half full.  A downy woodpecker hurried to the suet.  The pine warbler reappeared.  Titmice got their seeds faster than I could get the camera.  Buffleheads dived all over the creek.  I saw a fish cross the water in three leaps!  Sunset tinted the remaining clouds and their reflections.  Egrets congregated in a tree by the lake.

Still summery

The creek was glassy under a bright sun in the morning.  The white and yellow narcissus I call fried eggs popped open today.  A half dozen white throats scurried around under the feeder and drank from the birdbath.  Downy woodpeckers worked on the suet.  Egrets congregated at the dam outfall. 

A crow came calling, seeking bark butter balls, but another chased it away.  I gardened a bit, planted the lavender, threw seeds around. Yellow kneed wasps and huge carpenter bees flew uncomfortably close.  Maybe they were frustrated because the blueberry lowers weren't quite open.  Twice, I startled a skink but got no photo.  Turtles lined up on the log in the lake.  The dogwood by the pool steps started to flower but the petals didn't let go of each other and the result looks like a tiny box. 

Two blue jays up in the redwood appeared to be courting.  By then the sky was white, the water rough, and the wind came in gusts.  The resident myrtle warbler watched from the trees.  Speaking of which, the fungus disease in the cedar came back. 

A taste of Summer

The creek mirrored early sunlight on pilings across the creek.   A blue jay poked around the far edge of the pool.  At lunch, the myrtle warbler looked ragged with molting feathers.  But the male downy was sleek and smooth, except for the crumbs on his beak.  Violets bloomed blue, white and in between.  K brought home seeds and plants and a couple of BIG shepherd crook hangers for plants or feeders.  The sky was a little hazy and there were some clouds.  I heard birds but couldn't find them.  By supper time, the sky had clouded over.  And the feral cat came to bird watch.  After the cat gave up, a cardinal perched on the railing, but by then the light was gone. 

Warming

An osprey landed in the pines at breakfast.  Unfortunately, the window screen was in the way and diffracted the image.  The creek beneath was quite placid and sunlit.

Squirrels were still eating buds and shoots and new leaves.  Blue jays were still eating the bark butter balls.

Azalea buds were showing color.  I saw a polistes wasp in addition to all the carpenter bees. 

Chilly sunshine

Outside looked so enticing, but cold gusts of wind blew me back inside.  The creek was rough but sparkly.  Squirrels cavorted in the trees. 

A Carolina wren wanted suet for breakfast.  A white throated sparrow showed off the seed it found.  A downy woodpecker took over the suet.  The myrtle warbler was around.  An egret fished below the dam. 

The wood duck pair reappeared in the late afternoon.  Turtles hauled out onto the logs on the lake.  And, at sunset, a little female bufflehead popped up (literally).  A great blue heron stood on the corner of the neighbors' floating dock. 

Clearing

It was sprinkling when I left before dawn to go to a meeting in Norfolk.  That stopped by the time I got out, but the East wind made waves on the Lafayette River.  When I got home, I could see the edge of the overcast and an hour later, it had blown away.  But the air was a lot colder, even if it hadn't been blasting down from the Northeast.

Hungry birds appeared, led by a downy woodpecker.  Several white throats began foraging.  A blue jay watched and more flew through the yard.  The resident myrtle warbler tried the fresh suet.

The wind drove the tide high despite the nearly third quarter moon phase.  I saw a crow fly sideways and others flapping mightily without moving forward.  A mature bald eagle arced over the creek and out of sight.  Pelicans were strong enough to fish despite the wind, but in the sheltered creek.  The lee of the dam protected egrets.  The the sun drew turtles up onto the logs.

Toward evening, a pair of wood ducks came paddling fast along the shore headed upstream.  A little later, another drake came behind even faster.  Love triangle?  Meanwhile, egrets, a heron, and cormorants gathered on the snags on the lake. (The turtles were gone.)  The muscovy duck was hanging around the geese again.  Pink powder puffs dotted the sky and then it was twilight.

Changeable weather

Morning was warm and the sky was blue.  The only sight at breakfast was a cormorant acting weird.  It appeared to be trying to keep its wings out of the water while paddling furiously.  I had to rush off to an appointment.  Lots of mockingbirds were out performing as I came home. 

I saw the first skinklet of the year at lunch time.  The poor thing probably had no idea the temperature would soon to drop.  I glimpsed the red bellied woodpecker but it dropped out of sight behind a bush.  A myrtle warbler was almost dressed for summer as it ate bark butter.

Storm clouds moved in and sprinkles started around 5pm  Egrets hung out around the dam outfall.  A great blue heron perched by the lake and another hiked along the bulkhead.  Two bufflehead drakes and a female went downstream in the rain, diving and popping up to dive again.

Warm and sunny

The tide was extremely low, morning and evening.  I startled a couple of wrens when I got the paper at breakfast.  I suppose they want to nest in the hanging planter again. Blue jays teased me all morning but finally came for lunch.  One bumped a cardinal off the bark butter.  A downy woodpecker ignored the bad behavior and focused on suet. 

The dogwood flowers started to open.  The myrtle warbler stayed screened by twigs in the wild cherry.  Carpenter bees pollinated the Carolina jessamine. 

Toward evening, the sky went white with a thin cloud layer.  Crows and ospreys had an aerial chase.  Meanwhile an egret stalked along the mud exposed by the low tide. 

Blue sky

It was a beautiful Spring day and i had to spend it inside.  At breakfast the downy woodpeckers argued about the fresh suet.  The myrtle warbler with long yellow streaks was back.  White throats were still with us. 

When I got home, the creek placidly reflected the slanting sunlight on the tree trunks. Squirrels were busily eating leaf buds on the trees.  At twilight the feral cat showed up. 

Sunny morning

Downy woodpeckers finished off the suet.   A myrtle warbler with very little yellow breakfasted on bark butter.   At lunch, buffleheads were diving on the creek. The myrtle warbler ate more bark butter while a blue jay wouldn't come close to the feeders.

The sun didn't last.  Fierce clouds piled up in the afternoon and sprinkles fell as I put out the fresh suet after I got home.  It cleared somewhat and the late sun backlighted titmice in the trees.  An egret stalked along at low tide..  But the clouds came back at sunset. 

Rainy

The creek was high in the morning. A downy woodpecker worked on the nubbin of suet that will need to be replaced soon.  Some light rain fell and then the clouds broke apart.  It was warm enough to encourage the tree buds.  Turtles crawled out to enjoy the warm air.  Dark rain clouds chased me home around 5pm.   White throats scavenged seeds anyway.  I saw mallards on the creek but nothing else. 

Vernal equinox

And a dreary, drizzly, raw gray day to be calling itself Spring.  Not only was the invisible sun over the equator, the equally invisible moon was full and close to Earth.  Humpf. The wildlife was slow getting up, like me.  A white throated sparrow hunkered down on the feeder perch.  The downy woodpeckers ignored everything but suet.

Several blue jays hung around to see if anything tasty would appear.  A female oriole had the same idea and I got some jelly out for her.

Then the male red bellied woodpecker inspected a dogwood. The yellow streaked myrtle warbler tucked into the bark butter.  A titmouse watched for an opening to slip in and get away with a seed. 

A squirrel stripped redwood bark to carry off and line her(?) nest.

Sunny

The cat was around for a while in the morning but the birds did not seem nearly as worried as when a hawk is in the vicinity. They came back to the feeders while it was still in sight.  A couple of blue jays got into the bark butter.  The feisty myrtle reclaimed the bark butter as soon as the blue jays left. 

The female downy woodpecker was convinced the male was taking too long at the suet.  He tried to ignore her so she hopped on with him.  His red feathers stood on end but she persisted.  A nuthatch took its seed to the dogwood to hammer open.  Unfortunately its favorite spot puts twigs and buds in the way of a photo. 

An early queen yellow jacket scouted sites for a nest.  A very dark myrtle warbler showed up. I wondered if it was a different species till its yellow rump flashed.  And I got a very poor photo of two squirrels kissing. 

The moon was very bright but it was not quite above the trees and I didn't want to hang around. 

Busy day

I didn't have a lot of time to watch nature.  Blue jays flitted among the trees.  Myrtle warblers ate bark butter and downy woodpeckers ate suet.  A white throated sparrow hopped up onto the sunflower seed feeder.  A heron walked down the dock just as I was leaving. Later, buffleheads floated on the creek below the dam. A light rain began around 4pm, but after dark, the sky cleared and the moon first looked spooky, then sharp and clear. 

Duck on the dock

Titmice were hungry enough to come to the seed feeder.  A blue jay was up in the redwood.  A white throated sparrow needed a drink.  I finally caught a downy woodpecker in mid-leap from post to suet.  And yes, it was a leap - "look, no wings! 

A male red bellied woodpecker eluded me until it landed on a thin, whippy redwood twig.  Another red belly was in the tree but I couldn't see much of it.  I don't know if the resident red bellied woodpecker found a girlfriend or a rival.  A very greenish pine warbler showed up for bark butter.  A nuthatch mooned me on the feeder perch.  A goldfinch got a drink from the pool puddle.  A blue jay also liked the bark butter.  A different myrtle warbler appeared on the bark butter dish. 

An egret stalked downstream while buffleheads bobbed in the water under the dam.  A male wood duck was snoozing on the edge of the dock, apparently without a care in the world. The creek sparkles under passing clouds.  Just one turtle crawled up on a log.  The moon looked big in the afternoon sky.

Birdsong wetland

At first the creek was shiny with reflected sun, but later when the light fell directly, the reflections were softer. I saw an egret fly downstream below the dam with a heron right behind.  Busy white throats and downy woodpeckers stayed focused on breakfast.  A nuthatch slipped in with the feeder regulars.  The myrtle warbler looked like it had rolled in pollen. It alternated with a couple of blue jays on the bark butter balls outside my window.  Squirrels ate buds as well as feeder scraps.  I don't think last year's acorn crop was very good.

I took the camera to visit the wetland project behind the Larchmont Library.  I could hear lots of different birds, even a red winged blackbird, but I was severely scolded by a male red bellied woodpecker.  The water was very low in the pond and many things were making ripple rings, possibly coming to the surface for air.  Fish or tadpoles?

There were interesting solar powered gadgets and a very interesting mesh over the mud banks of the creek from the pond to the river.  It looked like the way paper decorations fan open and some of the openings were full of mussels.  Small fish swam in the creek below the bridge but upstream toward the pond there were more rings of ripples.

Back home, only a few turtles were basking.  Oak buds were popping and our maple that always lags was getting red.  I saw an egret land in the top of a pine but there were far to many branches in the way for a photo.  The sky got hazy, then clouded, and muted the sunshine.  But for sunset the clouds broke into brilliant pink bars.

First butterfly

At breakfast, the myrtle warbler was back, but none of the other warblers.  Carpenter bees feasted on the Carolina jessamine.   A crow checked out the bird buffet.  The very warm and very windy day kept most birds away.

The black swallowtail butterfly was only about half as big as normal and the wind was almost too much for it. Meanwhile, the wind also brought moist clouds that obscured the sun.  Some turtles were out on their favorite logs.  A very gentle rain fell sometime before 6pm. But when I went outside after dark the rain had stopped and I could see a blurry moon.

Warm

I went outside to listen to the birds.  I should have recorded them.  I heard a woodpecker hammering, a kingfisher giggling, blue jays screeching, crows cah-ing, cardinals, titmice, chickadees, and others I don't know.  There was new growth on the rue. Leaves were beginning to show on the wild cherry.  The sky was hazy and streaked but the sun was bright and warm.  I had a good shot at a blue jay and the camera focused on the background. A titmouse climbed a pine trunk.  Maybe it had been watching the nuthatches?  The butterbutt was a perfect match in hue with the daffodils.

A squirrel almost defeated the squirrel-proof feeder.

Canada geese found something they liked in the water just below our yard. There was more action on the lake than the creek.  Turtles soaked up sun while ducks stirred up food.

A blue jay with a misshapen beak visited the feeder outside my window.  It looked like another bird had pecked its neck.  It was able to pick up a bark butter ball but I don't know how well it eats otherwise. 

I finally saw the kingfisher but it took off before I had it in focus.The south wind brought not only warmth but clouds.  There wasn't a sunset, just dropping light.  After dark I could see the first quarter moon overhead, but it was just a blur of white. The warmth and the South wind may be pushing spring migrants.  This map suggests it's time to put an optimistic hummer feeder out. 

Pollen!

Unless it was an error, today's newspaper switched from "pollen will return in the spring" to "Today's pollen outlook High." A lot of spring flowers are opening but it is the wind-pollinated flowers that cause allergic reactions, and those flowers are small and dull.  Maybe the maple trees are responsible?

The male downy was on the suet at breakfast.  The creek was full of wavy reflections.  The usual suspects ate sunflower seeds and the white throats cleaned up what they dropped.  The myrtle warbler was on patrol.  But nothing ate the jelly. 

Little flowers peeked out of the grass, mostly field pansy and birdseye speedwell veronica neither of which is a native. I saw a flower at the bottom of an azalea bush.  The callery pears, of course, were everywhere. 

Turtles were out on logs on the lake.  A shoveler and several wood drakes paddled by them. Then I saw a wood duck pair just below me on the creek.  They may have seen me because they headed across the water.

 

Blue sky

It was quite a bit cooler, and windy.  The creek and the lake waters were rough but I didn't see any waterfowl.  The chickadees were feisty this morning.  White throats were doing the usual.  So was the butterbutt bully, putting the war in warbler. 

Later in the day the lake grew calm and the turtles came out.  I counted at least ten. 

When I got out of an evening meeting, the crescent moon was bright, but lacking details like craters.  I could see a lot of stars despite the urban light scatter. 

Warm

The day started off sunny.  The creek glowed with the light reflected from the trees. A downy woodpecker breakfasted on suet. White throats stayed with sunflower seeds.  I put out jelly and saw a squirrel and a crow sample it, but not an oriole.

As I was about to leave for the pool, I saw a big midge-like insect on the window.  On the way, I saw mockingbirds everywhere and finally photographed one at the library.  The sky grew hazy then cloudy while I was gone.

Birds were scarce.  Perhaps they were finding bugs to eat.  Hyacinths were beginning to bloom. A crow tugged at a redwood twig, perhaps for nesting material.  Sunset was quite colorful around the edges of the cloud cover.

March wind

Daylight savings dawned dark and dank from overnight rain.  The myrtle warbler was up and guarding its food supply.  But by the time church let out the clouds were breaking apart and the sun was warm.  On the way home, wind held flags straight out as if wired.

More clouds kept blowing through in the afternoon and, when they blocked the sun, the wind gusted. The myrtle warbler was still at it.  White throats hunted fallen seeds.  A couple of pine warblers tried to get something to eat.  Downy woodpeckers kept up their assault on the suet. 

Turtles lined the logs on the lake.  Water gushed down from the dam outfall but no one was fishing there.  Crows danced on the wind that grounded smaller birds.  A squirrel sat on a branch in the neighbors' yard and squalled like it was treed by a cat, but I couldn't see any threat.  I pulled some more leucojum, paying for my mistake. 

Love in the air

The sky was gloomy and overcast all day.  Downy woodpeckers breakfasted with us.  A mallard drake napped on the dock.  The myrtle warbler guarded its feeders.  I glimpsed a Carolina wren.

At lunch, a titmouse and a nuthatch darted in to get seeds.  White throats were beginning to go to the feeder as well as pick up what fell from it.

The female cardinal sat on the feeder hanger and waited.  And sure enough, the male popped up from the perch and fed her a seed!  Just a few days ago he was still being a rude boor.  And then the squirrels started up.  They carried on up and down the dogwood trunk, apparently having a wonderful time.

Buds appeared on the blueberry twigs.  The Carolina jessamine was blooming.  And the dwarf daffodils joined the early daffodils. A late flower was opening on the camellia.  Most of the buds got frosted. 

Damp

I woke up to a gray sky that signaled the freeze was over. White throats were prospecting for fallen seeds.  And one had a brief shower in the birdbath.  The red breasted nuthatches were more cooperative than usual.  The yellow streaked myrtle warbler continued its bullying.  But the downy woodpeckers took over the suet. 

The creek was liquid glass with nothing interesting to reflect.   A crow visited and objected to my orange peel dish full of jelly atop the bark butter feeder.  It removed the whole thing and set it in the grass.  A light rain began about 11am and continued off and on through the day. 

At lunch, a titmouse joined the feeder crowd.  A pine warbler tried to eat but the myrtle warbler was on the case.  Then a female oriole showed up and the warbler gave up.  Then a blue jay scared off the oriole.  Meanwhile, a Carolina wren eluded me. 

At the far end of the pool a squirrel was turning somersaults.  Later another peeled bark off the redwood for nesting material.  I wonder if it repels insects like cedar? 

A northern shoveler was feeding on the lake.  And a crow was crabbing along the water's edge below the redwood.  The tide dropped quite low although we are past the new moon. 

Icy

At breakfast there was a skin of ice on the creek.  A Carolina wren was hungry.  The yellow streaked butterbutt was fierce in defense of its food.  At one point, it chased off a chickadee.  White throats ignored the goings on overhead.  The downy woodpecker was focused on the suet and too big for the warbler to chase.  And the warbler did not bother the wren.  Other birds also flew at competitors.  I think the chill must have worried them about their food supply.  I put jelly out for the oriole but never saw it.  A little brown waterfowl paddled upstream faster than I could get the camera in focus.  I think it was the pied bill grebe. 

Overnight freeze

At breakfast, I saw an osprey in the pines across the creek. The water in the birdbath was frozen which annoyed a white throat. 

The myrtle warbler with no yellow along its wings was up early to eat bark butter.  About twenty minutes later the one with lots of yellow took over.  A Carolina wren went for the suet.  I put out jelly for the oriole but a squirrel found it. 

It was nearly lunch time when the downy woodpeckers arrived. Titmice appeared around the same time and so did pine warblers. 

The brown pelican plunged for a fish.  A crow made off with a treat and the others chased after it.  The wood duck drake, or another, was back on the lake.  A bufflehead dived its way downstream to where an egret fished in the late afternoon sun. 

Sunny bookends

The middle of the day was gray with sun at both ends.   A white throat did a dumpster-dive into the mulch.  A starling and a blue jay wanted some bark butter.  I saw a red bellied woodpecker on the pine tree but it came no closer.  Bufflehead on the creek, pine warbler and downy on suet, and butterbutt everywhere.

Sunshine

Morning was pretty quiet.  Downy woodpeckers, pine and myrtle warblers, and white throated sparrows came for food but the low light messed up the photos. 

The sky cleared around lunch time. Pelicans flew over the creek.  A Carolina wren and a female oriole joined the other feeder birds. 

I was surprised to see a turtle on a log on the lake because it was not warm.  Also on the lake were wood ducks and hoodies. 

More hoodies were down on the creek.   A very brown pelican sat on the channel marker.  It had a great blue heron for company. I found a snail when I was replacing fallen mulch. 

A goldfinch was high up in the redwood, again.  Another heron stood on the dock next door and cast a perfect reflection.  A pair of wood ducks napped on our dock. 

Clouds came back before sunset.  The light dropped and I could only photograph the hoodies when the water they floated on reflected the sky. 

Gray, gray, gray

The regular birds came to the feeders: chickadees and cardinals, myrtle and pine warblers, downy woodpeckers, titmice, and Carolina wrens.  White throated sparrows stayed on the ground and one took a brief bath despite the chilly air.  I saw a blue jay briefly in the trees.

 A squirrel ate new leaves off the rosebush!  A little rain fell a couple of times in the afternoon. The aggressive myrtle warbler was very put out with the downy woodpeckers that seemed to think they were entitled to eat suet. 

A bufflehead and some cormorants on the creek were all the waterfowl today.  After dark, harder rain hammered on the windows and I heard a rumble of distant thunder.

Wet

It was still misty at breakfast and the creek was calm.  I saw two herons head upstream, the one pursuing the other I suspect.  Later a pelican flew by.  The myrtle warbler with all the yellow markings stood guard over the feeders.  White throats paid no attention and just kept kicking mulch.  A Carolina wren got a breakfast of suet. 

There was a wink of sunlight at lunchtime, but no more. Two Carolina wrens shared the suet.  When one left a pine warbler joined the other wren.  When that wren flew away, another pine warbler appeared and the two male pine warblers had an aerial tussle.

Mist

Neither lion nor lamb - this March came in like a wet dog.  The very light rain continued all day but was much more noticeable in a moving car.  It didn't contribute much to the birdbath.  Warblers and white throats endured the wet for a meal.  I saw a heron on the dock but I was in a hurry.

Much later, I saw some shovelers on the lake, alongside some mallards. In the distance a flock of cormorants covered the water.