Spider

The pileated woodpecker spooked before it got any suet.  The first violets opened.  I took the scallop shells down to the creek to throw in and there I found a spider in an orb web on the dock.  I couldn't get close enough to be sure it was alive but the web looked fresh.  

Hoodies paddled downstream and a kingfisher zipped by too fast for me.  An egret took over a post on the new dock beside the dam while a great blue heron occupied the turtles' log.  Pelicans and cormorants flew past.  I saw the muskrat or nutria or possibly otter swim to the neighbors' dock leaving a wake but with only it's nose above water.  

Cats!

The long-haired yellow cat (or miniature lion) disrupted bird feeding in the morning and an all black cat roamed the fence line in the afternoon.  I did not see the resident feral black and white cat today.  I wonder if these new cats have been dumped here?  

When there weren't any cats lurking, the feeders were visited by bluebirds, orioles, warblers, a mockingbird, blue jays, two kinds of nuthatches, and the usual seed eaters.  I did not rush to refill the dishes, disappointing the starlings. 

Juncos and white throated sparrows mostly stayed on the ground.  I spotted a Carolina wren in a dogwood.  Pelicans flew past, and a heron landed.  The day grew overcast and windy but rain didn't fall. 

Gone fishin'

The sun was back but there was a brisk breeze.  Apparently it was good fishing weather.  Pelicans, cormorants, hoodies, and the ruddy duck thought so.  There might have been a grebe as well.  A couple of blue jays followed each other through the trees. 

Rain

After some sun at dawn, morning was overcast and rain began around mid day.  It was light and gentle for a couple of hours, but in the mid afternoon it fell more heavily.  And it seemed to be finished before dark.  The temperature dropped back into the normal February range after fooling some trees into flower.  The big question is whether there will be a hard freeze now that the trees are committed to Spring. "Some plants tie their yearly cycles to the availability of light and water — but others like magnolias and cherry blossoms respond to warming temperatures, said Les Parks, director of horticulture at Norfolk Botanical Garden."  The creek was smooth and reflective in the early morning.  Pelicans flew past and one plunged in front of us, but the camera was fussy about focus. 

A crow saw me put out food but it had a hard time reaching it.  A mockingbird sampled the orioles' jelly.  Meanwhile, the orioles ate barkbutter balls.  Blue jays dropped in for more than their fair share of barkbutter balls. Bluebirds arrived before breakfast was all eaten but then wasted energy defending it. 

A junco found a barkbutter ball on the ground.    A white throated sparrow hunted breakfast under the mountain mint stalks. A Carolina wren also found a fallen barkbutter ball.  The song sparrow was back for another round of kicking mulch. 

A brown headed nuthatch got a drink before a seed.  The boss butterbutt glared at the downy on the suet but didn't quite have the nerve to attack.  The pileated woodpecker returned and I caught sight of another one watching from the pine tree.  I couldn't be sure if it was a female or a rival, but the photo leads me to think mate. 

Then the rain streaked the windows .  I could see ducks on the creek but the camera could not.  

February scorcher!

I saw 81 on the thermometer and the National Weather Service claimed a record.  The Southwest wind kept the humidity low and raised worried about wildfire.  More hyacinths bloomed.  So did a leucojum - will I ever finish pulling them up?  The dog sniffed a squirrel and sent it up the oak.  Later he rolled over in the grass which I thought he'd gotten too old to manage.  A blue  jay scolded from the fence line. 

The wind may explain why pelicans came up the creek despite the warmth.   Next I spotted a ruddy duck, maybe the same one as a couple of days ago.  A hoodie drake paddled upstream and a female headed in the opposite direction.  The kingfisher was back.  I think I saw a muskrat or nutria leave a wake as it headed toward the dock across the creek.  The turtles were out enjoying the tropical day. 

A flock of small birds flew over the dam in the evening.  The leonine cat sprawled on the dock like a dead thing.  Then it lifted its head so that's one worry removed.  A mystery animal's wakes made strange patterns in the water. 

Nuthatches

The day was hazy and hot - 73°.  Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter and this winter may break a record.  I was far too busy and only had a brief time in the late afternoon to see wildlife.  Driving home, I noticed the callery pear trees were blooming.  I wouldn't mind if a late frost blighted them. 

Bluebirds were still hungry.  White breasted and brown headed nuthatches visited the seed feeder in a steady stream.  They drove the boss butterbutt crazy.  Juncos foraged on the ground along with one white throated sparrow.  

A goldfinch tried to eat barkbutter dust but I think it had too much animal protein.  So the goldfinch tried the mountain mint seeds instead.  I don't think they were very satisfying.  I saw a red bellied woodpecker in the trees, and of course a downy on the suet.  

At sunset I went out front to look for the moon.  Because of the haze it wasn't as sharp and clear as last night but I did find both Venus and Jupiter.  

A day late

The pileated woodpecker that was missing throughout the GBBC returned today.  And I saw the first ruddy duck of the winter hanging out with a mallard and a grebe.  A couple of female hoodies paddled by. 

The dog put on a concert of growls and howls at nothing in particular.  The yellow rumped warbler exhausted itself chasing pine warblers, displaying its buttered butt, and trying to eat suet while hovering.  Must be something in the air, which rose over 70^o!  

After lunch, I saw three female orioles, a red winged blackbird, juncos, a song and a white throated sparrow, bluebirds, and a blue jay.  

Later on the creek, an egret flew in.  Turtles soaked up the sun.  Pelicans passed and one landed to swallow a fish.  A couple of female buffleheads flew in.  The kingfisher was back on the bench but without a fish.  A great blue heron flew over and the kingfisher disappeared. 

I left for a meeting at sunset and got to see the new moon's crescent trailed by a bright planet.  I didn't have the camera with me but here is a diagram.  According to EarthSky, the planet must have been Venus, though Jupiter was supposed to be in the neighborhood.  I hope I can watch tomorrow when they should be even closer.  

Overcast

Mallards were making out at the shoreline.  Orioles and bluebirds stuffed themselves.  Blue jays were more wary.  The self-appointed boss butterbutt chased all the other warblers while flashing its yellow rump.  Juncos foraged along with a song sparrow. 

Pelicans flew past regularly while cormorants mostly stayed in the water.  It was far too cloudy to glimpse the new moon.  

My eBird stats: 8 checklists with 29 species.  

Long GBBC watch

I spent a little time at breakfast, but the whole afternoon, 1-5pm, in Zoom meetings, mostly with the camera off and my back to the screen.  And I was rewarded!  But first, the morning.  A black cat I've never seen before limped through the yard.  The birds took to the trees,  I saw a myrtle warbler and a bluebird in the cherry.  Four or more crows were carrying on about something. 

When I went back to the computer, a great blue heron was standing on the neighbors' floating dock.  Turtles congregated on the fallen logs on the lake.  A couple of blue jays hopped around the redwood branches. and then I saw why.  A red tailed hawk was sitting in the hackberry.  The jays harassed it into crossing the creek. 

Later a few songbirds flitted around the trees: a myrtle warbler, two juncos, and a bluebird.  Meanwhile a kingfisher perched on a dock post.  A flock of about eight hoodies paddled upstream.  A pelican soared over the creek.  

The kingfisher moved to our dock to whack her fish on the back of the bench.  While she was busy with the fish, a myrtle warbler, a mockingbird, blue jays, and a bluebird perched in the trees.  I got a good photo of the kingfisher flying off.  Later she moved back to her observation post.  By then there were more clouds and less sunshine. 

Chilly sunshine

The sun and the birds came back, but oh, it was cold!  At 7:30am when it was 35°, I saw a crow, a pelican, two female orioles, a myrtle warbler, and a chickadee. The maple tree was flowering. 

By noon, the temperature had climbed to 42°.  I saw a pair of bluebirds, a pine warbler, a myrtle warbler, and a junco before the feral cat butted in.  I chased off the cat and got a better view of the creek, so I was able to count a pair of mallards,a cormorant, a pelican, and a great blue heron. When they were sure the cat was gone, a titmouse, a house finch, a cardinal, a chickadee, and an oriole came out to eat. 

After lunch, (44°) I counted a pied bill grebe, an egret, two pine warblers, a Carolina wren, a goldfinch, a pair of house finches, two male bluebirds that kept chasing each other away, downy and red bellied woodpeckers, two juncos, three orioles, a mockingbird, a white throated sparrow, a crow, a starling, and two brown headed nuthatches.  

Rainy 1st day of GBBC

The rainfall was light during the day and the temperature stayed in the upper 60s till dark, but the afternoon was breezy.  A few mallards and geese were all the waterbirds I saw.  A couple of turtles soaked up the last of the warm spell. The dwarf daffodils began blooming. 

Feeder birds finally appeared after lunch. I counted a pair of house finches, a blue jay, three female orioles, a pair of bluebirds, two yellow rumped warblers and a titmouse.  Later I saw a starling.  Just before dark, a band of hard rain pushed through and the temperature fell.  But by 8pm it was only half way to the predicted hard freeze.  

Still warm

Thermometers showed 76° but it wasn't quite a record.  That was 77° in 1990.  The butterbutts expended a ridiculous amount of energy chasing other warblers away from the food.  Even the bluebirds were a bit testy.  The orioles enforce their queuing order. 

A little flock of red-winged blackbirds poked around in the grass, mostly turned to straw in the last freeze.  One robin accompanied them.  It was a mostly overcast day.with a streaky orange sunset.  

Shirtsleeve weather

The turtles were back on their log.  Pelicans flew over the creek even though it must have been quite mild out on the bay.  The sky was streaky and hazy blue.  I was taking a picture of flying cormorants when a large flock of small birds bombed my photo.  I could not guess what they were.

There was still a bit of suet left for the downy woodpeckers.  Warblers weren't so sure about hanging upside down to eat.  Bluebirds stuck to barkbutter balls.  Juncos stuck to terra firma.  A robin watched from the far side of the mountain mint stalks.  The brown headed nuthatches were only interested in sunflower seeds and a drink from the ant moat.  Orioles liked everything in dishes.  

Daffodils blooming

The creek was as shiny as a metal mirror.  Orioles glowed in the sunlight as they snacked on jelly.  Blue jays got excited over the fresh barkbutter balls.  Then the birdwatching tux cat showed up.  

Bluebirds drifted in when the cat left. A Carolina wren arrived in the afternoon.  Warblers were around too.  Juncos came late to the party.  Brown headed nuthatches did too.  A song sparrow tucked into the barkbutter crumbs.  A starling had difficulty reaching the last bit of suet. 

The first daffodils buds opened also a couple of hyacinths.  Of course the Carolina jessamine was blooming and attracting honeybees and bumblebees.  I found tiny birdseye (speedwell, veronica) flowers in the grass. 

The turtles stayed out all afternoon.  Pelicans were fishing enthusiastically.  A flock of geese begin diving and splashing - I didn't know they could do that!  An osprey circled in the blue sky. 

 

Signs of Spring

I thought I had figured out winter weather - a North wind brought cold, clear skies and a South wind warmed the air but clouded the sun.  My algorithm isn't working any more.  Today was warm and sunny.  The creek was calm.  

Orioles were impatient for feeder refills. Red winged blackbirds and starlings joined the orioles on the ground, looking for what I spilled.  So did juncos.  The sun moved far enough from the solstice that the hanging dishes got some sun.  Warblers ate their fill anyway. 

The rain filled the birdbath but a bluebird chose to drink from the pool cover instead.  A female house finch took a bath.  The maple buds looked ready to pop.  Apparently the wind brought down and smashed a birdhouse.  A little flock of hooded mergansers paddled around our stretch of creek.  A few pelicans flew past.  And the turtles crowded their log.  

Rain and wind

The temperature was much the same as yesterday but the weather was much worse.  I admit we need the rain, but the weather service included us in a coastal flood advisory on account of the wind from the Northeast.  Bluebirds and orioles retreated in disgust when they discovered the feeder dishes were still capped.  Myrtle and pine warblers found other food and the brown headed and white breasted nuthatches were content with seeds and suet.  Downy woodpeckers weren't pleased to share the suet.  Juncos and a song sparrow found the millet I tossed out.  A Carolina wren lunched on suet. 

I squeegeed the windows during a lull, but the rain came back and the wind pushed drops up the glass!  The wet windows ruined the camera focus.  Thus I missed a mockingbird and possibly others.  There were a few birds on the creek.  I think they were cormorants but I couldn't see them well enough to be sure.  The wind overturned a chair but I hope it didn't carry any furniture away. 

Back to winter

The temperature dropped back into the 40s under a gray sky.  A few pelicans followed the creek but the surface was rough.  I don't know if they can see fish under those circumstances.  Buffleheads weren't bothered because they dived.  Up on dry land, bluebirds, a mockingbird, doves, orioles, warblers, juncos, white throated sparrows, nuthatches, all came to lunch.

Hot!

An egret walked along below the bulkhead hunting breakfast.  I sat outside with the dog but nothing happened so I hurried off to an appointment.  In the afternoon, cormorants fished.  

At lunch, there were orioles, pine and myrtle warblers, and starlings.  A mockingbird came later.  Brown headed nuthatches followed.  A song sparrow explored the birdbath, but didn't bathe.  A downy woodpecker intimidated a starling.  Two red-winged blackbirds foraged among the mountain mint stalks. 

A squirrel was missing half its tail and couldn't balance because its right hip would give way.  I saw no actual injuries and thought it was too lively to catch for wildlife rehabbers.  I saw the thermometer touch 73°, though it didn't stay up there long.  The peppers have been ripening but the leaves withered. 

Even warmer

Bluebirds and orioles, and starlings, of course, came as soon as I got the dishes refilled.   Yellow rumped warblers and brown headed nuthatches weren't far behind.  The pileated woodpecker returned.  I saw a mockingbird just as the camera said it had no space left in memory.  Hooded mergansers and buffleheads fished. 

Balmy

There were fewer clouds than I expected and the temperature reached 62 in the back yard.  Bluebirds and orioles were hungry anyway.  Brown headed and white breasted nuthatches got their seeds though the white breasted also ate suet.  One of the pine warblers had no tail.  Myrtle warblers put more effort into chasing others away from food than they gained back from the food, I thought.  Starlings were both greedy and messy eaters.  Blue jays were also greedy but not messy. 

The downy woodpecker pair circled around each other in the trees. A pair of bluebirds worked on a hole in a sweet gum tree.  I thought I saw flickers working on that spot last year. 

Hoodies and buffleheads paddled around the creek.  There is much greater sexual dimorphism between male and female buffleheads than other ducks.

White throated and song sparrows and juncos foraged on the ground.  The song sparrow also sampled the barkbutter balls and sunflower seeds, and explored the birdbath.  In the afternoon, a Carolina wren joined the foragers.  Around that time, the pint-sized lion settled in under the lawn chair and most of the birds left. 

Sky drama

There was ice in the birdbath again and a skin of ice floating in patches on the creek.  Thin, high clouds covered much of the sky.  A white throated sparrow had queued up for breakfast so I hustled more food out to the hanging dishes.  That brought a bluebird and a blue jay.  A myrtle warbler wandered around.  The downy ignored everything but the suet.  A pine warbler wanted some suet too.  The butterbutt did its hummingbird imitation, hovering at the suet.  Finally the orioles arrived, and then the starlings.  

Buffleheads dived for fish while mallards snoozed on the dock.  In the dentist's new office on the 6th floor facing Mt. Trashmore I was entertain by at least ten egrets passing in flight higher than the building.  The smeary clouds produced a brilliant sundog.  The hygienist took photos with a phone and promised to send them to me, but they never arrived.  When it was too late, I recalled that I too had a phone capable of photos.  

Kingfisher

The mild weather continued and the sky clouded then cleared repeatedly.  Orioles enjoyed their jelly along with more nutritious food.  Pine and myrtle warblers were underfoot.  A song sparrow decided to find out what was in the feeder dishes. But a bluebird got there first.  A couple of red winged blackbirds foraged under the seed feeder and a white throated sparrow dis the same under the dish feeders.  Brown headed nuthatches relentlessly pursued a seat at the sunflower table.  . 

At least three pelicans fished on the creek.  There was some disagreement over who was going to eat the fish.  A cormorant barely escaped.  A different-looking duck was only a brown blur in my photo.  But a female kingfisher was more visible.  A row of cormorants lined the fallen logs on the lake.  

Milder

It was still freezing when I got up but the day warmed rapidly.  I restocked the feeders and the orioles noticed right away.  So did starlings.  I also poured hot water in the birdbath.  White throats did their own thing, ignoring the feeders in favor of the fallen.  Warblers and wrens prowled around the bigger birds.  Bluebirds were late to the feast. 

In the morning the sky was streaky and there was sunshine, but by afternoon, it was mostly overcast.  The bulb shoots seemed to have survived the hard freeze.  The creek was placid and low tide was very low with the full moon. I saw geese, buffleheads, herons and a pelican.  

Frigid

The creek was half iced over and the birdbath was a rock. Fortunately there was no wind and the sun shone. Puffed up against the cold, birds were anxious to pack on some calories. Unfortunately, the cat was too.  Pine and myrtle warblers managed to avoid the predator.  Bluebirds stayed out of reach.  Even starlings avoided danger.  Orioles seemed oblivious.  A song sparrow hunted fallen seeds.  Two downy woodpeckers courted, I think.  They circled around a dogwood trunk, then one came to the feeder.  A junco discovered the birdbath had refrozen.  An odd red winged blackbird with white eyebrows showed up.  I guessed it was a youngster with some juvenile feathers remaining, or maybe female.  A blue jay went for barkbutter balls but a bluebird objected.  

At lunch, a Carolina wren hunted in the leaves, then flew to the suet.  Doves camped out by the frozen birdbath.  The orioles sampled everything.  A brown headed nuthatch  got a turn at the feeder.  Warblers and starlings argued over the suet.  Meanwhile, a red bellied woodpecker watched from the trees. 

Windy

The day grew steadily colder and the clouds made me think of snow. I was gone all morning.  In the afternoon, the wind gradually cleared the sky.  Brown headed nuthatches managed to get fed despite the bigger birds.  Blue jays and bluebirds were delighted when I finally restocked the dish feeders.  Orioles felt the same about the jelly.  An oriole with a beak full of grape jelly looked quite bloodthirsty. 

The warblers wanted some of everything, even jelly for one myrtle warbler.  A Carolina wren scavenged whatever fell.  Juncos and white throats also foraged on the ground.  A brown headed cowbird joined them.  Three robins flew over him.  A couple of red winged blackbirds stayed in the trees. 

A big raptor circled but my only photo was fuzzy.  I saw buffleheads on the creek.  

Chilly gray day

Rain dripped through the morning.  Moments of sunlight cut through the afternoon clouds.  Again, I waited to put out food in the dishes.  In addition to the regular birds, I saw a flicker, a cedar waxwing, and two red winged blackbirds. 

Hawk miscalculated

The morning was wet and gray but wind in the afternoon wind dried things out and eventually blew enough clouds away for sunshine.  I refused to put fresh food out till I was sure the rain was over.  A butterbutt was again first to appear - the silly warbler kept trying to hover in front of the suet.  For lack of anything better, orioles ate suet. So did bluebirds, the Carolina wren, and pine warblers, but they weren't all happy to share.  A mockingbird looked at the suet but refused to try balancing on it.  The downy woodpeckers were rather late to the party. 

White throated sparrows and juncos foraged on the ground and the chipping sparrow came back!  A blue jay took a look around for fallen food.  Brown headed and white breasted nuthatches returned for seeds, as did a goldfinch.  

I put out barkbutter balls in the upper dish and moved the jelly up into the blue dish to keep it from being blown away.  The orioles quickly found it.  Other birds were disappointed.  Then at a moment when I wasn't watching I heard a big thump.  I looked up and a Coopers hawk was sitting on the railing.  It didn't have any prey so I assume it missed and hit the window instead.  It appeared undamaged, balancing on the slippery railing and swiveling its head all around.  And soon it flew off.  Over ten minutes elapsed before the other birds ventured out. 

I went outside with the dog after dark and took a few moon pictures.  Wispy clouds were interesting but they kept the craters from being visible.  It was really cold but, thankfully, the wind had dropped.