Three cat day

The last day of the year was beautiful, though cold.  I could see ice crystals in the birdbath but not on the creek.  The fishing birds, mostly egrets and cormorants, came back at breakfast.  Shortly thereafter the feral tux cat tried to catch a bird but only succeeded in scaring them all away.  It then made itself at home on the bench, grooming in the sun.  (The dog was busy sleeping off an early night.)  

Warblers were hungry enough to come back to the feeders that were out of the cat's reach.  I believe there was a female blackpoll among the pine and myrtle warblers.  A mockingbird foraged on the ground briefly.  Brown headed nuthatches owned the seed feeder.  Even a cardinal thought twice about arguing.  A white breasted nuthatch made a brief visit.  A song sparrow foraged under the mountain mint then hid in the camellia.  The orange crowned warbler got into the fresh jelly.  The male downy stuck around and traded off with the female for time at the suet.  And the cat, that had pretended to be asleep on the bench, made another dash toward the birds. 

Blue jays got excited about the fresh dish of barkbutter balls.  A red bellied woodpecker worked on one of the dead limbs on a pine tree.  I glimpsed a hoodie drake.  Bluebirds finally heard about the fresh food and came for their share.  The blue jays were not in the mood to share.  A female oriole noticed that there was jelly.  The long haired yellow cat joined the tux cat, but the dog sorted them out.  Then the all-black cat showed up and I gave up.  

I copied yesterday's weather statistics because there was no additional rain today.  The rainfall for December was more than double the average but for the year it was just an inch and a half above average.  I've read that rain in the winter refills aquifers and raises the water table, so that's good. 

Chilly

A flock of birds descended on the feeders while it was still to dim for certain identification.  I think there were warblers.  Soon the sunshine was bright and the long haired yellow cat came to watch, which put an end to birds feeding.  Bluebirds arrived after they were certain the cat was gone.  A flock of pine warblers argued over precedence.  Myrtle warblers scouted around the edges.  A female oriole took over the dish feeders.  She lurked in the sakaki.  A titmouse scolded a pine warbler that refused to leave the barkbutter balls.  A bluebird was willing to share with the warbler. 

Apparently a cold and sunny morning was good for fishing, for birds anyway.  Cormorants, pelicans, and gulls thought so.  Egrets worked the shoreline.  In the afternoon, a great blue heron took up residence on the dock.  Clouds began to float across the sky.  A handful of hoodies appeared hours after the other birds stopped fishing.  A turtle soaked up the sunshine. 

While my back was turned, clouds covered the sky.  Cormorants and gulls and an egret commuted to their roosts.  Five birds that I think were ducks flew together as a group.  Cormorants and gulls don't coordinate their flights.  

Cooling off

Morning was sunny and a sunshine-yellow pine warbler perched on a rock right outside the window.  He may have been looking for more food.  Eventually he flew to the seed feeder.  The orange crowned warbler scraped up some jelly. 

At mid day the sky was crystalline blue.  Hoodies left wakes as they paddled downstream.  Courting squirrels played follow my lead.  A blue jay watched.  A female oriole also lurked in the trees.  A bufflehead drake fished. 

Later, clouds moved in and then cold wind and finally rain.  I dragged the peppers back into the garage.  

Gray and wet

The rain was over but the air was very wet.  Hoodies and buffleheads plied the gray creek.  Every so often a cormorant surfaced.  Up on the lake, a turtle hauled out on the log.  In the late afternoon, a great blue heron huddled on a dock piling.

I dumped out and refilled the barkbutter dish.  A song sparrow hunted for fallen seeds and flecks of barkbutter.  Pine warblers and a Carolina wren had some of everything.  Blue jays focused on the fresh barkbutter balls. I read in Sibley Birds East that Southern blue jays are paler than Northern, and lo, it is true! 

A very red sunset sneaked up on me.

More rain

The high temperature remained above 60° but the weather was not the least inviting.  The rain wasn't heavy and sometimes was more like mist, but it didn't let up.  Hopeful birds visited but the dishes were still covered.  Bluebirds gave up quickly.  Warblers fought over the suet.  A female oriole took a look and left.  White throated sparrows ignored them and stuck to foraging on the ground.  When I got home at lunch time, the birds had outsmarted us and, despite the rock holding it down, had pushed the lid off the barkbutter balls.  

Out on the creek I spotted a hoodie drake and two bufflehead drakes.  A great blue heron flew upstream while I was focusing elsewhere.  There were, of course, mallards.  I saw no life on the lake, neither turtles nor birds.  

Wet

I wonder if this will be a record for the wettest December.  It might be the warmest as well.  The rain created a foggy mist.  The songbirds were unhappy because we did not uncover the dish feeders in the rain. The warblers turned to the suet which distressed the downy woodpeckers.  A bluebird mournfully examined the lid we put over the barkbutter balls.  Nothing bothered the white throats or the song sparrow.  They just kept kicking mulch looking for fallen seeds.  A hoodie drake passed by headed downstream.  

Christmas butterfly!

The sky was not nearly as cloudy as the prediction.  The temperature stuck at 59°, though that was warm enough for a butterfly.  It was only a cabbage white that flitted across the back yard, but it was outdoors, not sheltering in the garage.  It was also gone before I got a photo so you'll have to trust me.  Warblers and bluebirds were more cooperative. 

White throated sparrows were back foraging in the mulch.   A chipping sparrow discovered the barkbutter balls on the ground.  Two mockingbirds had the same idea.  Eventually a female oriole arrived at the jelly dish.  The orange crowned warbler also came back for jelly. 

A squirrel engaged in some energetic tail flapping while carrying a nut.  Higher up in the oak, a female red bellied woodpecker had something in its beak.  I finally saw a male downy on the suet.  Brown headed nuthatches returned to the seed feeder. A heron flew downstream and a few buffleheads fished.  Two female hoodies paddled swiftly upstream.  

Morning fog

The mist was soon gone and the temperature climbed from the 30s to 60°.  A lone hoodie drake paddled upstream.  And then we left too.

When we got home, bluebirds and warblers were having lunch.  A myrtle warbler posed by a violet that was deceived into blooming.  A thin, patchy cumulus blanket covered much of the sky.  A mockingbird watched me from a dogwood.  Blue jays also kept an eye on the feeders from a distance while I was outside.  

I discovered that one of the warblers up in the trees was a blackpoll warbler.  The clue was its yellow feet.  So there were at least four species of warblers hanging around: pine, yellow rumped (myrtle), orange crowned, and blackpoll.  A couple of buffleheads paddled upstream.  

Busy birds

Warblers showed up while the light was still fairly low.  Bluebirds came too, wanting barkbutter balls.  Then the blue jays emptied the dish.  Maybe that's why the other birds were so early?  The creek was so smooth reflections were sharper than the original scene.  Long crystals of ice floated on the birdbath.  

After the sun rose high enough to brighten the yard, a female oriole arrived for jelly.  The song sparrow began hunting for fallen seeds.  White throats were right behind.  One picked up a germinated seed and appeared to be smoking something.

At lunch, a mockingbird wanted me to refill the barkbutter dish.  Suet was just too much work.  The song sparrow had its head down, tending to business.  But it didn't hang around when the feral cat showed up.  A female (I assume) squirrel had been playing follow-my-lead for several days and today she led a suitor on the great Tarzan leap.  Her follower wasn't quite ready for that, but eventually leapt too.  

Once the cat was gone, bluebirds, warblers, sparrows, and the oriole came back.  At least two brown headed nuthatches took over the seed feeder and intimidated bigger birds.  The song sparrow got a germinated seed.  

Two turtles basked in the afternoon sun.  A small flock of hooded mergansers passed a handful of mallards and the hoodies split up. Only the females came on toward me.  A couple of gulls circled over the lake.  

Winter

There weren't any birds at breakfast and the barkbutter dish was empty.  I refilled it but couldn't stay to see results.  The first birds I saw were fishing.  At least five female hoodies and two drakes went paddling and diving downstream at lunch.  (It's hard to count birds that pop in and ought of sight.)  An egret stalked along the bulkhead and I never noticed that it was following a heron. 

By lunchtime, the barkbutter dish was empty again.  Warblers, both pine and myrtle, went for suet.  There they competed with bluebirds in addition to the resident downy.  One butterbutt decided on a bath.  A female oriole was displeased with the lack of barkbutter balls but had some jelly.  

A red bellied woodpecker landed on the dead, whittled branch I call the woodpeckers' toothpick.  She didn't stay but moved across the pine to living wood.  A mockingbird poked around under the mountain mint where I had dropped a few barkbutter balls.  White throats and a song sparrow hunted in the mulch under the seed feeder.  The sky hazed then clouded over. Crows came calling. 

Brown headed nuthatches made regular visits to the seed feeder.  I only saw one at a time but as soon as one left another appeared.  Pine warblers got interested in the seed feeder since K mixed some other seeds with the sunflower seeds.  Even the bluebirds investigated. 

I finally gave in and filled the barkbutter dish for the second time in one day.  It didn't take the blue jays long to notice.  The song sparrow hustled over to get a dropped (on purpose) barkbutter ball.  The clouds slid off to the North.  Cormorants and one turtle were visible on the lake.  The creek reflected afternoon-gilded tree trunks.  And then the short day was over. 

Sunny solstice

Long shadows reflected in the creek.  Pine warblers finished off the barkbutter balls.  That disappointed a female oriole.  She was also upset that the jelly dish was missing.  I blame the leaf blower.  A mockingbird foraged underneath.  

Blue jays came as soon as I replenished the supply.  Yellow rumped warblers were also interested.  A female bluebird stuffed her beak.  White throats foraged in the mulch, as usual.  

Still cold

It was a beautiful day, though cold, and full of too much running around when I could have been watching birds. There were a lot of clouds early in the day but the creek was brightly colored.  A cormorant periscoped, then took off.  A squirrel sat on a level limb to work on a pine cone.  Blue jays feasted on barkbutter balls.  Crows collected on the oak across the creek that  gives them a good view since it was pruned back.  

 

Cold

Warblers came before there was enough light to take pictures.  Blue jays helped empty the barkbutter ball dish.  White throated sparrows cleaned up the spills.  The sun got high enough to make everything glow.  

Baltimore orioles returned, both male and female.  A Carolina wren protested that the bigger birds had eaten all the barkbutter balls.   A bluebird was disappointed too.  

In the afternoon, dark, heavy clouds rimmed the horizon on the North and East.  A bufflehead swam with the geese.  Warblers, including the half blind one, discovered the new seed mix in the feeder.  The mockingbird came back.  I spotted an oriole in the sakaki bush.  A pale female oriole got some jelly.  

Butterfly!

It was very dark at breakfast and looked like the worst kind of day, windy and wet and cold.  Buffleheads were out on the creek.  The tide ran high from the wind.  Then before 9am, the sky cleared and transformed everything.  

When I returned from an appointment this morning and got out of the car, I saw something flutter by the peppers that were in the garage to keep from freezing.  It was a cloudless sulphur butterfly.  Another out of season sighting was a flower on the lantana.  

Pine warblers came for lunch.  Two male orioles showed up and perched around glaring at each other instead of sharing the jelly.  White throated sparrows prospected for fallen seeds.  Bluebirds went for the fresh barkbutter balls. 

A squirrel was determined to get into the bird food, but had no luck.  He found a good nibble on the ground.  Two more squirrels appeared and all three were wary of each other.  \

I went out after dark to see the moon but my photos were washed out.  

Rain

Heavy overcast dulled the creek reflections.  A female bluebird started today's barkbutter parade.  The male kept watch and examined the suet.  Pine warblers ate both, disturbing the downy.  White throats, as usual, stayed on the ground.  Blue jays packed in as many barkbutter balls as they could hold.  A myrtle warbler looked forlorn on the step railing.  

The mockingbird ran afoul of the blue jays.  The orange crowned warbler came after more jelly.  A mourning dove sauntered across the pool cover.  Two pine warblers fought over the suet.  Then a very orange female oriole took possession and dislodged the downy.  The bluebirds returned.  Then the long-haired yellow cat that rejoices in the name Chuck Norris raced across the lower patio.

A sizable gathering of mallards bathed together.  I counted seven drakes and at least five females - females were harder to see in the poor light.  Three bufflehead drakes and some females passed downstream and back up.  They mingled with several hoodie pairs doing the same thing. 

The prediction was for high winds and heavy rains. A gentle drizzle began at 11am. Even after the rain started, birds continued to show up.  Alas so did the feral tux cat.  Despite all that, the mockingbird, an oriole, a Carolina wren, many warblers, chickadees, and the downy continued to visit the feeders.  The rain grew heavier in the afternoon which meant no more photos.  By evening wind gusts had replaced the rain and the temperature was still above 60°. 

Clouding over

Lovely reflections floated on the creek in the morning.  A song sparrow appeared on the patio, the first one I've seen in months.  A Carolina wren also hunted around the patio and under the mountain mint.  A mockingbird flew in for a barkbutter ball.  The orange crowned warbler had the same idea.  Then a male oriole arrived, sampled the barkbutter balls, and moved on to the jelly.  

White throated sparrows kicked mulch under the seed feeder.  The song sparrow watched and noticed that K had left some seeds on the patio.  It hustled over and started cracking one.  That brought a white throat that laid claim the the seeds and shoved the song sparrow away. It sulked over by the mountain mint. Alas, my photos were blurred.  

Meanwhile the sky had clouded and the creek roughened.  I saw some hoodies and buffleheads but had no luck with photos.  Later several cormorants fished.  A flock of crows swooped in, alighted, and took off.  The songbirds assumed there was danger.  After a while two male orioles came out.  They did not appear to get along.  

The orange crowned warbler returned after lunch.  So did greedy blue jays.  Pine warblers also had some barkbutter balls.  I spotted a flicker up in the hackberry tree but vegetation was in the way.  A female bluebird came for a drink from the birdbath.  

After dark, on our way out I saw the crescent moon in the West.  Alas I had no camera along.  And considering the predicted weather, the moon will be past first quarter before it reappears.  

Flock of orioles!

The birdbath had ice at breakfast and I could see a thin, flexible skin on the creek away from the current.  Pine warblers came for breakfast.  They tried to take over the suet but the downy clung tight.  Then they argued over the barkbutter dish.  I saw what I think was a myrtle warbler up in the trees.  A mockingbird also lurked in the trees. 

Then orioles of both sexes began to collect.  I think there were three of each but I know I counted five birds at one time.  They watched the feeders from the bare branches of the wild cherry.  I confess that at a distance I can mix up pine warblers and young female orioles.  The orioles are bigger but that only helps when they are near each other.  But there's no mistaking the males.  Finally, they all swooped down together, then fussed at each other. 

The birds emptied both dishes, jelly and barkbutter, so at lunchtime I put out refills.  That brought in the blue jays.  They're too greedy to bother with rain fragmented barkbutter.  They want to cram five balls in their crop and beak.  Makes me wonder what they do with them. 

The day grew warmer than earlier in the week.  A Carolina wren got into the barkbutter balls.  White throated sparrows looked for fallen seeds and a drink from the birdbath.  A red bellied woodpecker hiked up a pine trunk.  There were lots of leafbirds on the trees and in the water.  Canada geese gathered on the far bank of the creek.   Two big turtles basked next to a great blue heron.  I saw one bufflehead drake and many mallards. 

Sunny

The weather was much like yesterday.  A Carolina wren joined us at breakfast, soon followed by pine warblers, including the half-blind male.  They ate barkbutter porridge.  The orioles, male and female, were after jelly.  White throated sparrows stayed on the ground.  A second wren arrived and one ate suet while the other worked on the barkbutter.  The orange crowned warbler got some jelly while the male oriole was getting a drink.  The mockingbird was still displeased with the menu.  

I haven't seen any ducks on the lake.  A female hoodie paddled upstream faster than I could have swum.  She left a serious wake.  An egret flew over the dam.  

Female oriole

Apparently I went overboard with the camera today.  It all started with a pin warbler on the barkbutter dish.  Then pretty reflections caught my eye.  The sky was hazy, more white than blue, but the sun shone.  White lines reminded me that we live in the flyover state.  A Carolina wren also wanted barkbutter porridge.  The mockingbird was next.  It gave the barkbutter the "green eggs and ham" look.  

A handful of white throated sparrows showed up to forage under the feeder.  Later, juncos came too.  Still later, one of the sparrows took a bath. 

A brown headed nuthatch, maybe more than one, kept the seed feeder busy.  Chickadees and house finches did not mess with the little nuthatch. A titmouse peered down from the hackberry. 

I replaced the completely empty jelly dish and within five minutes the male oriole was there.  A female oriole hung around the feeders, getting a drink, and waiting for a turn at the jelly.  She was fairly pale which I interpret as being young.  I've seen female orioles where the yellow was shading into orange.  Speaking of orange, the orange crowned warbler tried to get some jelly too. 

Two pairs of hooded mergansers and a handful of buffleheads fished on our stretch of the creek.  An odd mallard looked a bit like a wigeon.  An egret flew past but I missed it.  

Bright and chilly

Ms. Downy was pecking suet when I got up.  The shaded creek mirrored the sunlit trees.  Soon the  male oriole came for jelly.  He fended off competitors, then needed a drink from the ant moat.  Warblers wanted some of everything.  A blue jay alighted on the rim of the bird bath for a drink.  Next up was a mockingbird who turned up its beak at mushy barkbutter and went foraging along the pool edge.  A Carolina wren inspected everything.  

Bluebirds found the barkbutter mush and suet acceptable.  The orange crowned warbler returned and moved right in on the suet while the bluebird was already there.  A very round bluebird drank from the birdbath.  Pine warblers became very busy with the food.  White throated sparrows finally showed up to pick through the mulch.  

I believe there was a turtle basking on the lake log.  An egret flew away while a heron stood still and watched from the neighbor's dock.  Another heron lurked by the dam.  Tiny female buffleheads dived for fish.  A cormorant ran on water.  

Cold front

Overnight the temperature dropped back to normal for December and the rain ended. The birdbath and the ant moat were brim full and the newspaper claimed over an inch of rain fell.  My birdwatching began and ended with the cat.  Still, waves of hungry birds showed up.  Pine warblers competed with the downy for suet.  

A Carolina wren ate barkbutter mush.  A mockingbird also tried the soggy barkbutter but wasn't pleased.  A bluebird posed nicely up in a tree in the sun.  Then male and female came for barkbutter.  They weren't happy with it either.  

White throats and juncos foraged on the ground.  Two orioles argued over the grape jelly, chasing each other around the yard.  Meanwhile, a warbler enjoyed the orioles' treat.  A flock of birds flew out of the trees before I was sure what they were.  Maybe cedar waxwings? 

Stormy weather

There were strong wind gusts in the morning that threw leaves everywhere.  Sprinkles of rain fell at 10am, then sunshine returned, then around 11am a downpour blew through from the South.  From then on, we had rain, downpours in waves with steady rain in between, making a very dark day.  The thermometer appeared to be stuck at 65°.  Out on the creek, the bufflehead drake was accompanied by a female.  The cormorants flew their usual commute, 

A small flock of pine warblers seemed to be everywhere.  I saw the orange crowned warbler among them.  The male oriole was satisfied with my new arrangement for grape jelly.  Other birds were intrigued by it.  And a female oriole showed up wanting to share.  He pushed her off. 

Bluebirds made brief visits to the barkbutter balls.  White throated sparrows kicked mulch.  On examining my photos, I concluded that one of the sparrows was a young chipping sparrow.  The mockingbird was not happy about eating in the rain.  A brown headed nuthatch chose this miserable day to visit.  A Carolina wren was dragging its usually perky tail.  I spotted a blue jay up on a branch.  A junco came to forage for fallen seeds.  

Sunny and warm

Usually by this time of year  we can have either sun or warmth but not both.  Tomorrow the rain is predicted to catch up to the temperature.  A pelican cruised the creek at breakfast while it was still chilly. Later, two females accompanied the bufflehead drake. 

The cat came back.  A pine warbler visited the suet and the barkbutter balls.  A yellow rumped warbler investigated everything.  The oriole ate jelly then came to the window for a look inside.  A female bluebird also checked out the barkbutter balls.  A red bellied woodpecker hunted grubs under the bark on a pine tree.  

Insects took advantage of the warmth.  I saw yellow jackets feeding on the camellia blossoms.  A moth fluttered at the window.  

First pelican

The creek was mostly unruffled under a hazy blue sky.  By the time I realized I was seeing a pelican over the creek, it had passed behind vegetation and I was too late to get a picture.  Then I thought I saw a duck, but it was a beer can.  Toward dusk, a real duck paddled through the reflected Christmas lights across the creek.  It was a pintail drake.  I wish it had showed up when the light was stronger. 

The cat soaked up sun on the bench and the dog was oblivious.  Birds, however, were very aware of the cat.  Still, we had visits from pine warblers, a greedy blue jay, titmice, the male oriole, a brown headed nuthatch, and a bluebird.  The female downy demanded her suet back from a pine warbler.  He just moved over to the barkbutter balls.  

Bright and birdfull

Two blue jays came for breakfast.  At lunch, the orange crowned warbler was back.It was puzzled by the ant moat.  The half-blind pine warbler showed up next.  Then the male Baltimore oriole discovered the jelly dish. 

A squirrel  prepared to leap from the redwood to the hickory, then panicked.  It tried branches at several heights then retired to the trunk to think.  Finally it ran out the branch and jumped and landed without difficulty.  

Out on the creek, a great blue heron kept watch on a hoodie drake.  The rippled water looked very metallic today.  Floating oak leaves resembled small ducks but I finally spotted the real bufflehhead.  So of course he dived.  Three female hoodies came downstream fishing as they came.  They seemed very light in color but that may have been the sun. 

Fluctuating weather

At breakfast, a hoodie drake paddled down the creek.  He was the only color in an expanse of gray water.  An egret used a dock post to keep an eye on the mallards and to preen.  A great blue heron lurked beside the neighbors' dock.  Gusts of wind sprinkled the water with gold leaf. 

After a wet morning there was sun in the early afternoon.  Right around noon birds showed up.  I saw a bluebird a Carolina wren, and a white throated sparrow for certain.  Then they all flew off so I don't know what the other birds were.  It happened too fast for pictures.  A pine warbler took advantage to get some suet. 

Later, a bufflehead fished near the end of the dock.  Around 3pm a menacing cloud rolled out of the Northeast.  It didn't do anything and was gone in an hour but by then sunset was near.  In the twilight, at least three white throats and a pair of cardinals foraged around the birdbath.  I dragged the peppers back into the garage because the temperature was dropping. 

Sunny

Crows flew around but didn't pose.  I saw diving ducks but they dived before I could get an ID.  Toward sunset, cormorants flew past interesting clouds.

Clearing

Today was cooler, sunnier, and less humid.  Diving ducks reappeared, both buffleheads and hooded mergansers.  A Carolina wren poked through the barkbutter dust on the ground.  A mockingbird preferred the dish.  A white throated sparrow foraged for fallen sunflower seeds.  

Gray

The day was warm and humid and very dull.  The overnight wetness did not evaporate and the gray sky threatened more precipitation.  Fittingly, the only bird I saw was also gray, a mockingbird.  

Rain

A wet, gloomy, warm day with not much activity.  The temperature got up into the 60s and stayed there. The Weather Service claimed a high of 70°, one degree below the record.  I'm pleased I moved the peppers back outside to enjoy the warmth and the rain.  I think we got more rain than the Weather Service measured.  In the morning the egrets came back, but I didn't see any fishing.  The feeders were quiet like the creek. 

Fish frenzy

Great egrets and cormorants and a few gulls flocked to the creek to feast.  I also saw one great blue heron but no fishing ducks.  Mallards hung around the egrets as did a crow in the shadows.  The dog objected to the invasion of big white birds. 

I caught another squirrel leap.  A mockingbird was back for more barkbutter balls.  The downy was back at the suet.  The cat came back but the dog was MIA.  A cloud blanket rolled out of the West around mid morning.  A great blue heron perched on one dock post and a gull on the other.  Geese joined the mallards. 

At lunch, two Carolina wrens joined us.  Soon a pine warbler showed up.  I think it had lost an eye but it seemed to be coping.  The heron relocated to the back of the bench. 

When I pulled into the driveway after a library run, lots of birds were flitting through the pecan.  A red bellied woodpecker was working on the trunk.  Then a hawk streaked across pursued by crows and other birds.  Of course I didn't have the camera.