The predicted rain showers never showed and we had some sunshine. Both pileated woodpeckers were back for fresh suet. A hungry female bluebird scared off the female pileated. Blue jays found the fresh barkbutter balls. The mockingbirds were more interested in the suet. A male bluebird and a female downy woodpecker grudgingly shared the suet.
Two half-grown goslings and their parents paddled past without entering the yard.
Unfortunately, the birds finished off the suet so there was nothing left but sunflower seeds. Hopeful mockingbirds and bluebirds kept visiting during lulls in the gusty rain. The male bluebird was soaking wet. I suppose the female was staying dry inside the nest box.
The wind blew a black swallowtail butterfly against the window. At least one downy found the other suet feeder. K kindly refilled the suet cage during a lull. The birds quickly noticed. Both mockingbirds came back together.
Two downy woodpeckers arrived and one fed the other. Neither had a male's red mark on the back of the head. I think it was a parent teaching a fledgling. After the parent flew off, the youngster tried landing on the suet cage.
Two male cardinals showed up at the same time, but not for long. A brown headed nuthatch got some seeds. The volunteer sunflower was nearly as high as the sunflower seed feeder. The same Northeast wind that slammed rain against the windows pushed the tide up into the grass.
At last a seasonable day! A mockingbird wasted no time in getting to the barkbutter balls. Bluebirds were right behind. The blue jays took longer.
Something drew crows to the redwood. A mockingbird investigated. I couldn't tell if the mockingbird was trying to drive off the crows or shared their concern. I finally caught a mockingbird flashing, at the birdbath. Three downy woodpeckers landed on the post together but only one landed on the suet cage.
There was more sun than predicted and the temperature got into the upper 70s, but mainly that icy Northeast wind paused for the day. So I ventured into the 68° water. Afterward as I drip-dried, I watched the wasps on the rue. Both mud and paper species were feasting on the flowers. One wasp I had never seen before. It had distinctive, long, orange antennae which helped with identification as an Entypus wasp, a spider hunter. And under another rue flower a very small spider was lurking. I also saw a small, pale butterfly I'm guessing was a Spring azure.
At twilight, a bird perched at the top of the pine, then swooped out to hover in mid air, catching bugs I assume.
The rain and the Northeast wind made a mess of the windows but I took a bunch of pictures anyway. During a lull, I went outside and squeegeed the glass. But I never put any food in the dishes, figuring it would turn to mush. The pair of mockingbirds had to be content with suet. The same with the bluebirds. The poor birds looked drenched.
The plants were loving the weather. The sunflower seem to grow visibly taller. Daylilies bloomed all along the pool. The rain turned to mist at times.
The pileated pair came together and, as usual, he got the suet first. Her crest was up and stiff so I could tell she was mad at him. While they were arguing a mockingbird snatched a bite of suet. The female did finally get a turn at the suet.
The flock of mallards adopted the new sandy beach.
The pine warbler got up early to get ahead of the bullying bluebird. The female bluebird soon followed, then a mockingbird. The sand heap was much reduced and all the area shore-ward of the coir logs was filled in.
Blue jays kept coming around, hoping I'd put out more barkbutter balls. I didn't because rain was predicted. Nuthatches didn't care as long as there were seeds and water. (K refilled the ant moat.) Rain finally started around 6pm but it was very light and we really need a good soaking.
This morning, while rushing to find something else, I saw an adult yellow crowned night heron with a juvenile observing it. I did not have the camera at hand. Despite the wind, there were bees on the rue.
The male bluebird has become a complete bully, driving away pine warblers, cardinals and even mockingbirds, but not blue jays. For that matter, the male cardinal was rude to the female and so was the male pileated woodpecker. The mockingbirds and the bluebirds were still solicitous spouses. A brown headed nuthatch slipped past all the drama. And a pine warbler finally got fed. A red bellied woodpecker landed on the post but flew off without eating.
The flock of mallards wanted a swim, but K told them no. The dog limped up to help several minutes too late. At sunset, the horizon in the Northeast turned rosy.
The mostly gray day was still windy. A rash showed up on my left wrist and it was too cold to go soak it in the pool. The male bluebird developed quite an attitude. He chased off a cardinal as well as smaller birds. I guess he was annoyed at having to eat suet because I hadn't got the barkbutter balls out yet.
The pine warbler was back, but not early enough to escape the bluebird. Mockingbirds and blue jays were too big for the bluebird to intimidate, but he tried. The yard crew found a black snake and were all in a tizzy about it.
The sand for the living shoreline has created an inviting path for waterfowl to mosey up into the back yard. A flock of eight mallards congregated there while a family of geese paddled past them.
More daylilies flowered. An early bird pine warbler got some quality time with the suet. A brown headed nuthatch was almost too short to get a drink. Blue jays were greedy as usual.
The day was very windy and not very warm, but there was enough sunshine to lure turtles out onto the basking log. A mockingbird was not pleased that the birdbath was empty. The mockingbird kept flashing (raising wings to show the white undersides) but I couldn't figure out what it meant. I think it's supposed to be a warning? Bluebirds made frequent fueling stops.
After dark, a firefly landed on the window. I waited for it to flash, but it flew first and all i saw was a receding spark.
A bit of early mist created an illusion of distant hills that were really just tall trees. More daylilies bloomed, a bi-color and a.classic orange. A goldfinch visited. A goose family thought they could get away with trespassing but I told them otherwise.
One of the rain lily bulbs popped up a bloom. The other lilies had buds. I went down to the dock to get a better view of the living shoreline. A spider had already made a snare connecting posts. Stormy looking clouds flowed out of the Northeast. I also saw one of the pileated woodpeckers, some kind of heron, and a mockingbird.
In the morning, blue jays carried off beak-fulls of barkbutter balls. (That would make a good tongue-twister.) Mockingbirds had the same desire but not the beak capacity. The mockingbird also appreciated the refilled birdbath, but for drinking not bathing. Next the bluebirds took their share of barkbutter balls.
The gladiolus leaves have been lush but finally flower buds appeared on one stalk. A lot of daylily buds looked about to pop open. The butterfly milkweed had clusters of buds, but they were still small and tight. The mountain mint looked about to make flowers. Buds like drops of white wax covered the sakaki but I think they won't open for a month. And there are still some buds on the yellow rose. I deadheaded both the yellow and the red in hopes of more flowers.
I saw a couple of skinks, one reg faced and ready for love, the other still with a blue tail. The juvenile skink got a drink from the birdbath. Soldier beetles mated on the bolted parsley. I got tired of waiting for the weather to warm up and got in the pool. The temperature of the air would have been ok if not for the wind, and the water was endurable. But the rest of the week is supposed to be cooler. This is the coldest May I can remember.
While I was reading outside, a wary white breasted nuthatch made several visits to the sunflower seeds. The pileated woodpeckers made several passes at the suet without landing. Apparently I was too close for comfort because not long after I went inside, the female landed and started consuming suet. A brown headed nuthatch ignored her and went straight to the sunflower seeds. So did chickadees.
The crew were back at dawn to spread more sand in a chilly drizzle. I missed this being asleep, dry and warm. I had stocked the feeders yesterday evening so I wouldn't have to rush out first thing and a bluebird was grateful. But his method of eating mealworms threw more on the ground than he got in his beak. A blue jay was neater, but then barkbutter balls are less flighty.
The sun emerged and warmed up the afternoon, but not enough that I felt like getting wet. A mockingbird investigated what was left of bird food. Toward evening, I saw a dark hummer at the feeder. I assume it was a male. I didn't get a photo and it didn't come back, alas. I also glimpsed a pine warbler.
In a very misty morning, volunteers carted sand down to spread behind the coir logs. A mockingbird watched. A wet male bluebird guarded while the female ate suet. A couple chickadees may have been courting.
By lunch time the mist finally began to thin and afternoon sunlight pushed the temperature up into the mid 70s. The yellow crowned night heron flew upstream. Something made a commotion under water on the creek side of a coir log. It seemed to be moving short distances. Very mysterious.
Blue jays and bluebirds sought barkbutter balls for breakfast. A male red bellied woodpecker wanted suet.
I was shocked to see an entire family of goslings squeezed into the birdbath like it was a kiddie wading pool. The parents were supervising this silliness but I sent the whole family scuttling.
At last, a yellow crowned night heron arrived to prowl the shoreline. I wonder if it missed the fallen pine tree? Or if it wondered about the strange "logs" paralleling the shore?
The male pileated woodpecker wanted suet for lunch. A bluebird disapproved. Two blue jays foraged around the birdbath. A mockingbird dived onto the barkbutter balls.
In the mid afternoon, the night heron preened on a post. A few turtles and a young cormorant rested on the lake logs. Later. a brown headed nuthatch took over the seed feeder from house finches twice its size. A mockingbird tried acrobatics for food.
We were late getting the suet replaced and both pileated woodpeckers came to share their distress. The female found dried crumbs where I dumped the soggy barkbutter balls yesterday. The male decided he was entitled to some crumbs as well.
A mockingbird was holding out for fresh barkbutter balls. A blue jay surveyed the aforementioned dried crumbs and gave me a puppydog look. Another blue jay joined the crumb pecking. At lunch, a little skink ventured out to soak up some sun.
Later, the dog and I went out front for a while. I wanted to watch the bluebird house. Unfortunately, there was mowing next door. The bluebirds were unwilling to come to the nest, whether because of me, the dog, or the mower, I don't know. They perched in the pecan tree with beaks full of food for their offspring.
When we finally got the suet replaced, the woodpeckers came back. Then a pine warbler swooped in to have some suet too. A blue jay insisted on barkbutter balls.
Overnight rain left sparkles on the rue leaves and filled the birdbath. The male pileated woodpecker worked hard to reach the last lump of suet. Meanwhile a brown headed nuthatch, tiny by comparison, dined on sunflower seeds. Since I had not yet dealt with the flooded dishes of barkbutter balls and mealworms, a female bluebird grabbed a few bites of suet.
A red headed skink sought a good spot to bask in the noon sunshine. A mockingbird arrived for the barkbutter balls that I'd finally put out. Bluebirds followed. The cardinals were disturbed by an interloper that required much chasing to discourage. Blue jays finally noticed that there were fresh barkbutter balls.
A great blue heron preened while perched atop the dock bench. A house finch foraged in the saltbush. Sunset dyed cloud streaks a pastel peach that slowly deepened to rose.
Overnight rain left drips and wetness but not much water. The sky was still white, that is overcast but bright. The yellow cat seemed to be fishing in the pool or perhaps just admiring its reflection. A scruffy mockingbird showed up, then a brown headed nuthatch. The nuthatch fearlessly shoved bigger birds out of the way to get a seed. Bluebirds nagged till I got fresh food for them. Blue jays showed up right away.
The female pileated woodpecker came as usual for breakfast. Later, I was glad to see the male pileated woodpecker since it has been only the female visiting for at least a month. He let out an impressive whoop when he saw me. I suppose I may have just missed his visits.
Low tide was quite low and lasted longer than usual thanks to the wind from the Southwest. The wind also brought down strings of flowers from the pecan tree. They're thicker than the oak strings and look more like caterpillars. It is supposed to rain again tonight followed by several cool days. The bluebirds were still bring food to the nestbox.
Birds flitted around the saltbush. One looked like a common yellowthroat warbler. Another turned out to be a pair of goldfinches. I wondered what they were finding to eat. Vegetation nearly blocked the view, but I could see turtles basking on the lake. A yellow crowned night heron flew downstream. One pair of geese were down to a single gosling.
The birds were impatient for refilled dishes, but my lateness may have saved them from a cat. Instead, the long-haired yellow cat tried to catch a squirrel. (The dog was oblivious to all the drama.) After the squirrel got away, the black cat appeared and the two felines seemed to have a conversation. Finally they left and I refilled the barkbutter balls and mealworms.
It didn't take long for a mockingbird appear, then a blue jay. Brown headed nuthatches ignored those delicacies and stuck with sunflower seeds. But the bluebirds were happy to feast on mealworms with a side of barkbutter.
The pileated woodpecker visited while I was outside. She let out a screech and veered off to the dogwood. Humpf. The dog was outside too but I'm fairly sure it was my looks that sent her off.
A pine warbler dug into the mealworms. A rather frazzled bluebird followed. Two mockingbirds came for lunch together one to the barkbutter balls dish, the other to the birdbath.
A bluebird brought a worm to the nestbox. The false indigo was in bloom. So was Japanese honeysuckle I need to chop down. Two Carolina wrens played tag around the base of the redwood. Either they were courting or one was a juvenile.
The overnight rain left everything wet and clean. Bright sunshine and wind soon dried the outdoor furniture. The temperature only reached the low 70s, unlike last week. A mockingbird was making display gestures all over the yard. Brown headed nuthatches came for seeds in a steady stream. Bluebirds picked through the barkbutter mush left by last night's rain. A red bellied woodpecker came for suet lunch.
The yellow roses were coming on just as the red roses faded. Between the roses, the rue, and the daylilies, the yard was dominated by yellow. But the magnolias were also starting to bloom. Bluebirds were definitely feeding nestlings in the bluebird house. And it looked like mockingbirds were nesting in the witch hazel bush by the sidewalk.
I looked up cavity-nesting birds that might use a birdhouse:
wrens: Carolina, house
woodpeckers: downy, pileated, flicker, red bellied
titmice, chickadees
bluebirds
brown headed & white breasted nuthatch,
great crested flycatcher
prothonotary warbler
tree swallow, purple martin
wood duck
house sparrow, house finch, starling
barred owl, barn owl, screech owl
kestrel
While I haven't participated in this before, the "Global Big Day" is another bird count event. So today I submitted 5 checklists covering a little less than four hours with a total of 16 species. As I informed eBird, it was a hot and windy day that went from sunny to hazy to overcast, and finally to evening rain. I also saw some skinks, cabbage whites, and wasps.
There were bluebirds and blue jays at the dish feeders. The mockingbird was everywhere but I never saw more than one at a time. Three kinds of woodpecker showed up.
I was delighted to see both brown headed and white breasted nuthatches on the same day. The best visitor of the day was a chipping sparrow, but another bird was rude and it flew off.
Bluebirds worked in shifts to carry off the freeze-dried mealworms and barkbutter balls. The pileated woodpecker ate more suet. Brown headed nuthatches carried away sunflower seeds. A mockingbird has strong opinions about something. A pine warbler answered the lure of the barkbutter.
Toward mid day I started seeing a dragonfly patrolling the air above the pool. The body appeared reddish but the camera only caught an orange blur. My guess is Needham's skimmer. It drove off another dragonfly that I glimpsed in even less detail. The dragonfly never perched but a jumping spider posed on the chrome railing. A brown skipper landed on a daffodil leaf. I rescued some wasps and bees and a ladybird beetle from the pool.
Of all the seeds I planted this year, the first to show up was a yellow coreopsis. The butterfly milkweed emerged from the mass of mountain mint. Wind gusts ripped young leaves off the trees.
Early bird bluebirds wanted breakfast before I was ready. A blue jay ate crumbs. A mockingbird had some as well.
I caught two cabbage whites in an aerial dance. I think it's territorial, not courting because they separated after. There were others that looked yellowish, but I'm not sure they were sulphurs. And a small brown butterfly was probably a duskywing. Two skinks went tearing across the bottom step and I'm pretty sure that wasn't friendly.
Crows tried to get some of those good barkbutter balls but the little swinging dish made it difficult. I caught glimpses of a red bellied woodpecker up in the oak. It didn't look like a nest to me.
I immersed my quivering body in the pool today. The sun was hot and the UV strong but the water was almost numbing. The tide rose and fell over the coir logs. On the lake, a few turtles basked in the hot sun.
The coir logs were set in place today. A white breasted nuthatch scuttled around the redwood trunk as though looking for something. The other feeder birds got what they needed, titmice included. A mockingbird that waited too long was displeased at finding crumbs.
A sulphur and a cabbage white did not pause or pose. A red faced five lined skink crossed the step. Turtles covered every surface on the lake. A crane fly got into the house.
The mockingbird got a meal. I think they are nesting somewhere in the front yard. A brown headed nuthatch carried off sunflower seeds, one at a time.
Turtles enjoyed the sunshine. Geese paddled downstream with a two-gosling train. Another goose pair had four goslings. Bluebirds cleaned up the food dishes. A blue jay and a Carolina wren foraged. On the way to the school board, I saw a rabbit.
The first bird, and the last, of the day was the pileated woodpecker. A frazzled downy woodpecker followed her on the suet. Bluebirds soon arrived. I also saw a blue jay, a mockingbird, and a brown headed nuthatch.
The roses were bowed by the rain. I saw the first hibiscus sprout. Wild cherries and money pods were filling out. Wasps feasted on the rue. I startled a couple of skinks.
The sight of 87° on the thermometer persuaded me to try wading in the pool. I believe I could have worn a swimsuit and gone all the way in. Instead, I rescued a honeybee and a couple of wasps.
A great blue heron surveyed the creek from atop one of the dock posts.
A blue jay poked around in the mulch. Others went for barkbutter balls. Bluebirds worked on mealworms. Swallowtails and cabbage whites flitted by. The female pileated woodpecker came back. So did the brown thrasher and brown headed nuthatches. The sky became overcast and the wind strengthened toward evening. Two birds circled overhead but I only got one fuzzy silhouette. A mockingbird was more cooperative.
A lovely warm sunny day. The yellow cat was back lurking among the yellow irises. The brown headed nuthatches needed a lot of sunflower seeds. One female cardinal has taken to ferrying sunflower seeds down to the patio to peck them open. A female red bellied woodpecker fueled up on suet. The mockingbird found the fresh block of suet easier to eat. Blue jays and bluebirds preferred barkbutter balls and mealworms, but when those were gone, the bluebirds ate suet too. K found the missing suet cage but no proof whether it was the wind or a critter that carried it off.
I served the birds breakfast before my own. The bluebirds noticed right away. Two yellow-rumped warblers took to the birdbath. The mockingbird appreciated the fresh block of suet. A white breasted nuthatch visited the seed feeder. Swallowtails and cabbage whites were still the only butterflies.
The brown thrasher was back, checking out the menu. It kept an eye on something overhead that I could not see. A red faced skink prowled the patio. This one had a complete tail. A red bellied woodpecker wanted suet but thought I was too close.
Clouds persisted to the South but we were in the sun. I was warm enough to sit outside and try to catch the bluebirds entering their house. The front portico also had a resident skink which sauntered right under the chair where I was sitting. I got it on camera, but not the bluebirds.
I didn't see the pileated wodpecker till supper time. But I was busy elsewhere and could have missed her.
This week has been colder than average for this time of year. The female pileated worked on the remains of the suet. I must put a fresh block out tomorrow. A blue jay surveyed the yard from atop the feeder post. A male bluebird surveyed the empty mealworm dish. The mockingbird was puffed up against the chill. But eventually I got fresh food set out and happiness was restored.
At lunch, I saw a swallowtail of some sort fluttering around the cherry and a cabbage white feeding on the money plant. At supper, I saw the female pileated, the hovering mockingbird, bluebirds, and a brown headed nuthatch. Of course, the camera was at the other end of the house.
Threatening skies didn't actually result in much precipitation. The mockingbird continued its fly-by attacks on the suet. Bluebirds were more sedate but they too wanted breakfast. I was a bit late with the refills today. Blue jays stuffed their beaks with barkbutter balls.
A skink with a very long blue tail showed startling dexterity with it. I should have taken a movie. The lizard curled the tail back and forth in loops and squiggles. I was amazed it had never lost any of that enticingly wriggling tail. A cabbage white flitted around.
The brown thrasher was back to hunt for spills from the feeders. A pair of geese brought six goslings to eat grass. One of the six was an explorer who has to run to catch up when the rest of them moved on. Myrtle warblers found something in the saltbush.
At breakfast, a slug descending the window caught the sunlight. Bluebirds reminded me to get their breakfast ready. The roses were bent by yesterday's rain and wind. Today's wind was just as strong but we had sun instead of rain. Still, the air was chilly even in lulls in the wind. Judging by the ant moat and other containers, we got a lot of rain to finish off April.
A brown thrasher came to prospect for food, but it insisted on staying on the ground. No dangling, swinging food dishes for the thrasher, which left more for the bluebirds. The female pileated woodpecker was back for more suet. Blue jays cleaned out the barkbutter balls while bluebirds preferred mealworms.
In the afternoon I planted seeds I had germinated. When I came back inside, a mockingbird visited.
