Still warm

The sky was mostly overcast but there were flickers of sunshine and I saw the thermometer reach 68°.  The yellow rumped warbler stayed busy minding the suet.  Bluebirds stopped in for barkbutter balls.  The woodpeckers stayed with the suet.  Blue jays hunted in the trees and bushes.  Two mockingbirds showed up at the same time and didn't get into a fight.  I wonder if they were potential mates? 

I think this is the first year that the weather hasn't damaged the camellia buds before they were finished blooming.  Despite the warmth, pelicans and cormorants did not desert the creek for wider waters.  But I saw another dead fish floating and I think a buzzard spotted it too.  I caught glimpses of a hooded merganser. Turtles blanketed the lake logs and a pintail drake floated past them.  I caught a goose peeking through the fence.  

Spring-like

Rain fell early, then it was mostly cloudy - an early taste of March with afternoon temperature getting up to 65°, but windy.  The bird-watching definitely made up for the last two days.  A pelican perched on our dock and I noticed its breeding color had started to come in: yellowish head, dark neck.  Three turtles climbed out to enjoy the warm air, even without sunshine.  

The dark masked butterbutt got a little suet before the boss chased it away.  The female pileated woodpecker paid the suet several visits.  I also saw downy and red bellied woodpeckers.  A brown thrasher and a mockingbird wanted barkbutter balls but the brown thrasher was more persistent.  Bluebirds were regulars at the barkbutter cup.  I think one of them was from last year's hatching.  

There were occasional patches of blue sky and moments of sunlight in the afternoon, but it was more often overcast.  The full moon spring tide was very low.  A couple of doves walked around for a while.  Blue jays lurked and raided the barkbutter balls.  The brown headed nuthatch grabbed a seed.  The first towhee I've seen in a long time scuttled around the patio.  It was a male.  

Gray

The day wasn't much of anything, neither warmer nor colder than expected, and not very windy.  And the birds mostly stayed away.  I put out some barkbutter balls and there was a brief flurry of blue jay, red bellied woodpecker, brown thrasher, and bluebird.  The warbler was on duty and I thought I saw the white breasted nuthatch.  A few pelicans flew by.  A sprinkle of rain began around 5pm.  

Sunny

Breakfast was enlivened by a pileated woodpecker visit.  Unfortunately I couldn't get to the camera without being seen so I got no pictures.  The day was mostly sunny.  Bluebirds visited the barkbutter balls.  I spotted a song sparrow singing in a dogwood.  Downy woodpeckers stuck to suet. 

Pelicans and great blue herons were out fishing on our stretch of the creek right up to sunset.  

Very warm

Warm sunshine all day brought the temperature up to 69°.  The early morning reflections were lovely.  A downy rose early for a suet breakfast.  White throats looked for fallen bits.  And then I had a meeting.  

Pelicans continued to fish in the creek despite the warmth.  Maybe the Bay was too windy.  Turtles enjoyed the sun.  The tide was way out in the afternoon and I saw two dead fish.  

The moon rose before sunset but it wasn't missing much of a full circle.  I spotted a couple of bluebirds at the top of the pecan soaking up the last rays.  The yellow rumped warbler checked on its suet.  Then a white breasted nuthatch came for seeds.  

Southwest wind

It was warm and sunny but the wind was harsh.  I spent time outside after lunch.  A pair of buffleheads dived for their lunch.  A great black back gull pecked at a floating, presumably dead, fish.  This attracted a pelican but I guess the fish was too far gone for its taste.  At least seven turtles basked on the lake logs.  The juvenile eagle flew circles overhead until the crows caught up. 

A female red bellied woodpecker hitched around the trunk of the oak, probably hoping I would go away.  A male yellow bellied sapsucker tried to get nourishment from the oak. Blue jays sneaked past me as though I was guarding the barkbutter balls.  Starlings watched me but stayed away from the suet.  I saw bluebirds and warblers up in the trees but they didn't venture close.  Then I had to go in and start Zooming.  

Windy

We began with overcast.  The temperature climbed almost to 60, but with a fierce, gusty wind from the southwest that drove the water out of the creek.  The overcast tore apart around lunchtime and there was some sunshine, but then clouds returned and we had a downpour in the mid afternoon.  By sunset, there were rents in the cloud cover that the sun painted fiery red.  Even the cloues in the East were vividly colored.

The young eagle was back with a crow escort.  Unfortunately vegetation screened my view.  The eagle dropped a pale object I suspect was a chunk of fish.  That presented the crow with a dilemma, whether to continue harassing the eagle or to fly down and investigate possible food.  The food won.  

Few birds ventured out to the feeders and those that did struggled to hang on.  I saw two yellow rumped warblers and a pine warbler, the mockingbird, a hand full of white throated sparrows, downy woodpeckers, cardinals, house finches, and a brown thrasher.  A couple of gulls tried to fly into the wind.  A mallard pair stayed low in the water.

Brrrrrr

I wanted to put the fresh suet out early, but the suet appeared to have melted and was stuck inside the package.  I was doing this outdoors to avoid a mess and it was so cold my fingers were fumbling.  Then the birds just stared at the suet and I worried that it had gone bad.  But I guess they were taking time to adjust to change because lots of birds that have been missing decided to return.  Anyway, the mockingbird took the lead.  Then a white breasted nuthatch began visiting.  There may have been more than one.  

The red bellied woodpeckers had no doubt about the suitability of the suet.  A ruby crowned kinglet and a Carolina wren slipped in while the bigger birds were digesting.  All the Baltimore orioles returned.  Even a pine warbler put ion an appearance, until the yellow rumped warbler pounced.  A brown headed nuthatch came for seeds but couldn't resist the suet. 

My extraction of the suet from its package left lots of crumbs on the patio so the white throats got a bonus.  A starling with a leg problem was also happy to help clean up.  Its right leg was sticking out sideways, almost like a dislocated hip.  But it had no problem flying so there was no hope of catching it and I'm not sure a wildlife rescue would take an invasive species.  A few juncos also came to forage.   Even the white breasted nuthatch joined the birds on the ground.  And, of course, the brown thrasher liked having food that wasn't in the air. 

Blue jays sulked till I put out some barkbutter balls.  Bluebirds sampled everything when they could.  So did the butterbutts.  A song sparrow showed up at the seed feeder.  When I didn't see it the last few weeks, I was getting concerned that it had been caught by a cat.  Today, I chased off the feral cat and later the green collared cat sauntered past the feeders.  The juvenile eagle circled overhead a few times.  And there were bird alarms when I didn't see a cause. In the afternoon, a red breasted nuthatch made a beeline for the seeds, unlike its cousins.  Titmice, cardinals, and chickadees also came for seeds. 

The creek had ice patches again but the pelicans didn't care.  A heron chased another.  I glimpsed some diving ducks but couldn't be sure which kind they were.  Pink sunset clouds reflected on water gone still while cormorants flew home.  But when I looked West, thicker clouds were flaming red.  Unfortunately, we don't have a good West view from inside, and I wasn't going out in the cold.  

Freezing sunshine

A patchy skin of ice covered part of the creek and the birdbath was frozen solid.  A few small cumulus floated in the blue sky.  The orioles wanted first crack at the remains of the suet.  White throats soon came a-foraging.  A Carolina wren was next.  A brown thrasher's head popped up, periscope-like, from below the steps where it was feasting on suet crumbs.  The suet was gone by lunch time so I made a pilgrimage to buy more. 

Pelicans were thick over the creek, undeterred by the ice.  Unfortunately, they were too often obscured by vegetation.  But the young brown pelican rested below the dam beside a great blue heron. 

Since there was so little suet left, and since there was no rain in the forecast, I put out barkbutter balls which immediately drew a whole flock of blue jays.   Bluebirds managed to get a few, but the blue jays packed them in till I was surprised they could take flight.  The woodpeckers decided barkbutter balls were easier to reach than the suet nubbin, but they politely only took one each visit.  Yellow rumped warblers also switched to the barkbutter balls after I refilled the cup they'd emptied during the morning.  A pine warbler lurked up in the cherry with the bluebirds but never came down for food. 

Alas, a starling discovered barkbutter balls so I suppose they'll be emptying that feeder too.  Although, the starling seemed to be sensitive to the hot pepper and needed a drink. 

More cold rain

All the orioles came for breakfast.  Of course, all of them didn't fit on the suet.  Then a starling showed up and the other birds gave up.  White throats foraged as usual.  A Carolina wren tried some of everything.  The mockingbird wanted suet.  So did its cousin, the brown thrasher.    Downy and red bellied woodpeckers didn't consider anything else.  A couple of yellow rumped warblers also got some suet.  

The rain tapered off in the afternoon.  Several bluebirds, including at least two males, struggled with the suet.  A blue jay watched from the hackberry tree.   There were plenty of pelicans but I didn't have any luck with the camera.  I saw geese and mallards but no other ducks.  A great blue heron landed on the dock while another stood below the dam. 

Ugly weather

It was a miserable, blustery, cold, and wet day, but not as bad as the ice further West.  The hungriest birds came for breakfast, beginning with a female oriole.  The male red bellied woodpecker couldn't stay away.  A male oriole came soon after.  A brown thrasher hunted crumbs up and down the steps and then in the mulch.  The light was poor and the bird in near constant motion. 

Around 9am the rain trailed off and the light got better.  The female downy went to work on the suet.  White throats scampered around the patio.  A Carolina wren took a whack at the suet.  The wind gave it an unintentional crest.  A blue jay checked for barkbutter balls but I didn't put any out to melt in the rain.

At lunch, we had a yellow rumped warbler chase.  Bluebirds fought the wind to get suet.  Starlings fought with everyone including other starlings.  A flock of juncos landed on the patio.  

Blackbirds

Breakfast was not leisurely but bright sunlight and cold air made it easy on the camera.  White throated sparrows hunted through the mulch and ignored the frozen birdbath.  The red bellied woodpeckers were hungry for suet and the brown thrasher was there to clean up after them.  And there were starlings which the mockingbird did not like.  The mockingbird tried to boss the suet which frustrated the yellow rumped warbler that wanted that job.  I braved the cold to put out barkbutter balls and pour hot water into the birdbath. 

The cast had not changed much at lunch except there were Baltimore orioles.  That irritated a downy woodpecker.  Bluebirds joined the party.  A red winged blackbird visited briefly.  They seem to be more wary than other blackbirds.  I saw a redbreasted nuthatch but it was gone before I wan ready.  There were pelicans fishing all day but I never got a good shot. 

Warm sunshine

A piece of March broke off and fell into the middle of February.  I saw the thermometer reach 66° and it may have gone higher.  The wind was March-like as well as the Spring temperature. The overnight rain was still falling at breakfast, which did not deter a female oriole. Pelicans fished in the rain-dimpled creek but I had little luck taking pictures of them. 

The rain cleared off by 10am and the white throated sparrows celebrated.  I went outside an hour later without any coat.  While I was out, a wood duck drake paddled downstream.  A couple of turtles basked on a log that looked smaller than before the bad weather.  

Misty end to the GBBC

There was rain overnight but by breakfast it was just mist.  I dashed off to a virtual meeting before the birds got up.  So the tally began at lunch with two female buffleheads.  For this year's Great Backyard Bird Count, I turned in 8 lists over 4 days covering a total of 8 hours, during which I saw 25 different species, plus a gull and some crows that I couldn't nail down.  None of them were new to me.  

Since I first started eBird in 2013, I've reported on 92 species.  I've seen more but I didn't  realize at first that I could enter a list any time, not just during the GBBC.  And I haven't tried to go back and add birds I saw before.

The mockingbird was already having trouble with the suet.  The very red bellied woodpecker male managed without a tail prop.  Downy woodpeckers can brace against the suet cage.  A pair of bluebirds got a good lunch of suet.  Then a Carolina wren found an opportunity to have some too.  The brown thrasher, as usual, preferred to eat what fell.  White throated sparrows stayed on the ground out of the way. 

The yellow rumped warbler chased another away.  It also chased a chickadee off the sunflower seeds which the warbler doesn't even eat.  Then it got bold and tried to share the suet with a bluebird. 

Toward evening, the mist thickened.  The creek was very still except when birds made ripples.  A pelican floated by the downstream dock, then paddled up the creek.  It was beginning to get the dark feathers of breeding plumage.  Geese kept a respectful distance from the larger bird.  I peered through the mist at the lake and saw a flock of cormorants.  A great blue heron stalked along the shoreline.  

Misty, moisty day

At over 90% humidity, the weather fit the nursery rhyme.  Even though it didn't rain and a cold breeze came from the North, nothing dried out.  A starling showed up early but didn't return.  Carolina wrens were around all day, as were white throated sparrows.  The yellow rumped warbler kept watch on the suet but that didn't deter the downy woodpeckers.  The brown thrasher returned to its crumb hunting.  And then the feral cat came hunting.  It was soon followed by the collar-wearing tabby cat. 

I saw a bufflehead drake several times and a female once.  Pelicans fished all day, including the brown one.  I saw a great blue heron fly past and later land on the dock.  A hooded merganser drake popped up.  Something white wrestled just under the creek's surface and then disappeared.  On the far side of the creek, a female wood duck was barely visible. 

At lunch time a female bluebird joined the suet queue.  The male red bellied woodpecker took over the suet and later a female did the same.  I think they are a pair though I didn't see them together.  The goldfinch foraged briefly.  One female oriole returned to the suet.  The mockingbird also got a turn at the suet. A blue jay checked for barkbutter balls but only took two.  Many of the birds looked wet where usually rain just beads up on feathers. 

Miserable weather

The wind from the North drove the rain against the windows, making it hard to see, much less take pictures.  And, of course the light was poor.  I think the birds were sheltering in place till they got too hungry.  Anyway, at breakfast I counted a chickadee, a yellow rumped warbler, a downy woodpecker, a pair of house finches, three white throated sparrows, a Carolina wren, and a mallard duck.  

At lunch there were three white throated sparrows, a yellow rumped warbler, a Carolina wren, a goldfinch, two Canada geese, two pelicans, a cardinal, and a red bellied woodpecker.  When the woodpecker pushed off, the ant moat dumped on the suet.  In the late afternoon the rain slacked off so I went to see if birds would come out, but the feral cat was there, waiting.  Sigh. 

GBBC begins

This was Lunar New Year, it was raining, and the wind was from the NNE, a recipe for high tides.  Cold and rainy isn't bad for bird counting but it's lousy weather for photos.  The windows were streaked and spotted and the light was poor.  A Carolina wren worked on the remnant of suet that I put out on the 5th.  It lasted a whole week.  

I saw blue jays in the trees.  A mockingbird could see the suet but couldn't manage to hang from the cage and peck at it.  Alas, a starling managed quite well.  So did a yellow rumped warbler when the starling was full.  Three white throated sparrows and a brown thrasher cleaned up on the ground.  However the cat was on the prowl. 

Pelicans were active on and over the creek.  I saw some mallards, geese, a bufflehead drake, and maybe a cormorant.  I think the fishing birds prefer low tide.  

By lunch time there was no suet left.  The obnoxious little warbler was sure that if it looked one more time the suet would reappear.  The downy woodpecker didn't take as much convincing.  Juncos showed up and joined the sparrow clean up crew.  

After lunch the rain seemed to be in a lull so I put out the last block of suet.  I accidentally got a chain link caught on the hook and had to fight with it while icy water from the ant moat slopped on my fingers.  Karma, no doubt, for laughing when the ant moat gave a starling a bath.  A Carolina wren noticed the suet right away.  Then the butterbutt started on the other side of the suet.  

Rainbirds

Morning was gloomy and afternoon was wet.  A Carolina wren pecked at the suet.  Then a yellow rumped warbler took a turn.  Then the cat began birdwatching.  So much for K's cat whispering.  

Bluebirds had difficulty with the diminished suet.  The mockingbird watched.  A brown thrasher hoped for barkbutter.  Downy woodpeckers dug right in.  Orioles queued up for a turn but the male red bellied woodpecker jumped the line.  Starlings crashed the party. 

About five white throated sparrows scuttled around in the rain hunting their dinner.  The pelicans were back.   A female hoodie left a wake as she hurried somewhere.  The young eagle landed in the pines across the creek.  Rain streaked the windows after lunch.  

Pelican fight

I didn't see much and I photographed less.  The regulars came to the feeders, including the mockingbird, bluebirds, and woodpeckers.  We yelled at starlings and so did the male red bellied woodpecker.  

But the excitement was on the creek. At least four, and I think more, pelicans were attracted to our stretch of the creek.  Suddenly, one pelican began to hit another with its beak.  The aggressor was hitting the other bird between the shoulders and at first I wondered if it was trying to mate.  I have never seen this behavior before and unfortunately I didn't get a picture.  All I got was another pelican that was quite brown, indicating that it was a juvenile.

Woodpeckers

The day began gray, turned wet, then cleared for a warm, sunny afternoon.   Turtles and mallards enjoyed the sun on the logs in the lake.  Pelicans fished up and down the creek.  The sun made the pool cover steam.  The great blue heron kept a watchful eye on its stretch of creek. 

Back on the patio, orioles were frustrated by starlings.  I counted four females and two male orioles.  A mockingbird was disappointed in the lack of barkbutter balls. A pine warbler watched other birds gobble up suet.  Bluebirds mostly watched as well but they got a few bites.  K took credit for persuading them to pose.  

White throated sparrows foraged as usual, joined by a Carolina wren and a yellow rumped warbler.  I took a quick walk outside and found a yellow jacket clinging to the pavement.  It looked like a queen and I suspect it regretted emerging in February. 

And the suet attracted woodpeckers - downy, red bellied male, and pileated female.  The pileated woodpecker inspected the trees first but did not seem to find any grubs.  Then she did backbends to reach the suet from the post.  

Cold blue sky

I really overdid the picture-taking today, which is surprising since I didn't start till lunch.  Ring bill gulls were busy on the creek which caught the notice of pelicans, or maybe the other way around.   The great blue heron patrolled its territory.  Two female buffleheads fished in the early afternoon.  Hoodies arrived later. 

I put barkbutter balls out for bird lunch and a brown thrasher came right away.  Then a swarm of blue jays gobbled up all they could.  They were outdone in greed by the starlings on the suet.  Yellow rumped warblers managed to get some of each.  Downy woodpeckers focused on suet but the red bellied male went for barkbutter.  The mockingbird spent too much time trying to choose.  Bluebirds seemed to prefer barkbutter.  The orioles definitely wanted suet. 

A handfull of white throated sparrows scoured the steps for crumbs.  Carolina wrens joined the hunt.  I found a stick loaded with jelly fungus softened by yesterday's rain.  Though it was cold and breezy, turtles basked in the sunshine.  A pair of wood ducks joined them.  The drake was bathing while the female dried out and preened between turtles. 

Wet birds

It rained most of the day.  Word got around that there was suet again.  The orioles returned.  Downy and red bellied woodpeckers claimed a share but I think bluebirds got the most, except for the starlings.  The ant moat gave one starling an unwanted bath.  Even a blue jay tried to cling to the suet cage.  Pine and yellow rumped warblers, a mockingbird,  and Carolina wrens joined in.  White throated sparrows and a brown thrasher cleaned up what fell. 

I believe I saw a brown headed nuthatch briefly, trying to get a sunflower seed, but the yellow rumped warbler over-reacted and chased away every smaller bird.  We chased off the starlings repeatedly and once I saw a couple dozen blackbirds up in the trees  It was a mixed flock because at least one was a red-winged blackbird.   A hawk flew across the yard and everything got quiet for a while

The fishing must have been good because there were lots of pelicans and gulls. The great blue heron had to chase a rival several times  It landed up in a tree near where the buzzard was yesterday..  I saw a hooded merganser pair and a bufflehead drake and lots of cormorants.

Nice change

A warm sunny day, though it clouded over before sunset. This was one of the early mornings when the creek is still in shadow reflecting sunlit trees.  It wasn't long before the yellow rumped warbler discovered the suet.  I had a Zoom to wrangle so it was late morning before I got another look outside.  A bee was flying around the camellia.  Titmice packed away the sunflower seeds.  

By lunch time, wispy transparent bands of cumulus began to appear.  I saw a blue jay in a pine tree but it wasn't interested in anything but barkbutter.  A bluebird also watched from the trees. The warbler was still eating suet in between downy woodpecker visits.  A red bellied woodpecker tried for some suet but was interrupted by starlings.  A mockingbird didn't want to take on the starlings either.  Carolina wrens and white throated sparrows cleaned up below.  

When I went outside the sky was intensely blue.  A couple of female buffleheads fished together.  A turkey vulture circled and landed in a nearby tree.  It seemed curious about me.  The warbler and the starlings kept watch on me from the trees.  I spotted a robin in the redwood and a grackle in a pine.  Bulbs were beginning to send up shoots.  Turtles were out on the lake logs.  Thicker bands of cloud blew East and muted the sunshine, so I went inside.  

Pelicans

The day was warmer and rainy and generally dismal.  Pelicans fished the creek all day. Buzzards circled but I don't think they found anything.  Only the seed feeder was serving meals so many birds stayed away.  I did see the two wrens on the seed feeder.  White throated sparrows looked sad as they hunted fallen seeds.  Late in the day, I finally hung up a block of suet.  I hope it lasts longer than the last one did.  

Blue jays

The creek was iced again.  Fresh bark butter balls got gobbled by blue jays.  A red breasted nuthatch returned to the sunflower seeds, along with house finches, chickadees, and titmice. 

I chased the young eagle with a camera, to no avail.  There were pelicans but always behind trees.  Squirrels, song and white throated sparrows worked over the mulch.  The sun shone and the camera wanted to focus on the bright background instead of the birds in the shade.  

Dull day

A few more flakes fell.  Then the overcast developed ridges and troughs, and finally at sunset cleared away to the East.  I saw bluebirds and blue jays and brown thrashers and Carolina wrens and yellow rumped warblers but got no pictures.  A downy woodpecker and a white throated sparrow were the only evidence of songbirds.  Mallards and geese glided on the water and a female bufflehead dived.  And I spent far too much time on a computer.  

Flaky weather

I glimpsed a blue jay at breakfast.  A Carolina wren poked around in the birdbath and the seed feeder.  A yellow rumped warbler looked for fallen food.  I hustled out a fresh supply of barkbutter balls just as the snow began.  Yes, snow fell again, big flakes this time.  At 38°, the temperature was too high for the snow to stick, but it filled the air.  If there were any groundhogs living here, they definitely would not have cast a shadow.  

Right away, the barkbutter attracted a mockingbird, a brown thrasher, a handful of blue jays, and a pair of bluebirds. A goldfinch wanted to know what the fuss was about, but it soon headed to the seed feeder.  The song sparrow was back in addition to the white throats, and juncos.  

I could see a pelican on a dock way downstream.  It stayed there for at least two hours as the snow fell.  Gulls played with the wind over the creek.  I saw one hoodie drake and later one bufflehead drake, and of course cormorants.  The young eagle made a couple of passes over the creek then flew away. 

Misty gray

It wasn't quite fog, but trees in the distance were pale and cloudy.  The Carolina wrens were eager to eat anything.  There was quite a flurry of birds during breakfast, but I missed most of them.  White throated sparrows resumed their search of the mulch unencumbered by snow.  A brown thrasher, a mockingbird, and blue jays were attracted by the barkbutter balls.  I glimpsed bluebirds in the trees. 

A dozen cormorants blessed our dock and left it white.  Some appeared asleep with heads tucked between their shoulder blades.  Others stretched and shook their wings to dry.  A great blue heron also landed on the dock while the tide was high.