Leap day

The sun was back and so was the female red bellied woodpecker.  A female oriole investigated the rather watery jelly.  Starlings hung around waiting for food to happen.  So did the feral cat.  The dog chased it away twice.  Doves foraged under the seed feeder and the cat pounced unsuccessfully.  A bluebird had seeds for lack of anything better.  (It was too cold to go outside with refills.)  A myrtle warbler ate jelly.  The mountain mint was all cut down, improving the view.  I spotted a white breasted nuthatch on the seed feeder.  A pine warbler got some suet. 

March wind

Apparently the weather didn't get the notice about leap year because the wind today definitely was "coming in like a lion."  It grounded a lot of birds, but not the woodpeckers.  I think I glimpsed a red belly but mainly it was pileated woodpeckers with the occasional downy.  The sky was mostly gray with a couple flickers of sun. 

Three varieties of daffodil were blooming, the early yellow ones, the dwarf yellows, and now the pale cream with yellow centers.  And I think I saw a bud on the fried eggs.  The Carolina jessamine has been confused by the up and down temperatures (way up today) and was just beginning cautiously to flower.  The sassanqua camellia finished last week but overlapped with the Spring camellias. 

Drizzle

Early morning was sunny and the brown headed nuthatches hurried to get seeds.  White throated sparrows looked for theirs in the mulch.  The feral cat tried to catch one and later went after a squirrel.  Warblers stayed out of its reach.  A mockingbird wanted barkbutter balls.  A crow landed as I was photographing the female pileated woodpecker.  The crow was definitely bigger.

The day was very warm - upper 60s.  Light rain began to fall around 3pm.  It did not discourage the pileateds or an intrepid cardinal. Toward evening the wind became very gusty. 

Clouding

The brown headed nuthatch was bright and early.  A pine warbler sought breakfast before the yellow rumped warbler arrived to police the suet.  The feral cat was early too.  A yellow rumped warbler took more interest in the up-tipped jelly dish than the suet.  Meanwhile the cat hid, sort of, on the pool cover.  Pelicans continued to fish.  Ring billed gulls joined them.  The dog went squirrel hunting.  Clouds began to congeal out of haze.  

I restocked the dishes.  A bluebird opened wide for a barkbutter ball.  Blue jays stuffed themselves.  Gradually the clouds covered the sky and after sunset began to drizzle.  

Cold and bright

The butterbutt was up before me, guarding the suet.  The female red bellied woodpecker was a frequent, if shy, visitor.  White throated sparrows were up earlier than usual.  And pelicans flew past throughout the sunny day.

After lunch, the temperature got warm enough that I refilled the barkbutter dish.  Blue jays arrived within five minutes.  Bluebirds were close behind.  And a mockingbird was on their heels, or rather, rear-facing toes.  White breasted nuthatches came for seeds though one tried a barkbutter ball.  Warblers were happy to supplement the suet with barkbutter.  A Carolina wren also showed up, then a starling.  Finally, two female orioles arrived.  The paler one chose suet while the darker ate jelly.  Frustrated by a cardinal, a house finch sampled rue seeds.  Haze thickened into cloud cover then cleared for the evening cormorant commute.  

Full of birds

The rain was over by breakfast though every surface was still wet and dark clouds hinted at more.  The creek shone like glass.  A pine warbler and a brown headed nuthatch were already at the seed feeder.  The pileated woodpecker worked on the nubbin of suet.  Meanwhile, the brown headed and white breasted nuthatches argued precedence at the seed feeder.  

I uncovered the jelly, dumped rainwater out of the other dish, and refilled it with barkbutter balls.  Word got around quickly to blue jays and a mockingbird.  The female red bellied woodpecker soon joined the queue.  Bluebirds didn't get much in between the others.  The female orioles took a little longer to find the jelly.  Warblers ate some of everything, although only the pine warblers wanted seeds. A Carolina wren decided to have some seeds too. 

The three crow-keteers perched in the trees to discuss strategy.  Then they did their best to obtain barkbutter balls from a dish that was much too small for them.  White throated sparrows foraged as usual.  A male oriole finally showed up.  K hung a fresh block of suet.  Pelicans flew past on the lookout for fish. 

All day rain

For some reason the weather found favor with the white throated sparrows.  Every time I looked, they were busy kicking mulch, hoping to find fallen seeds.  The warblers continued to war over the suet which had gotten quite small.  A starling showed up but there were no barkbutter balls because of the rain.  Brown headed nuthatches made many visits to the seeds, regardless of whether other, larger birds were already there.  

The creek was disturbed only by raindrops and the occasional pelican.  There were short lulls in the rainfall which was never heavy.  But the day remained gray and dim and dark came early.  

Quite warm

At breakfast we saw bright, sharp reflections of sunlit trees.  The birdbath was frozen.  Brown headed nuthatches spent a lot of time at the seed feeder.  White throated sparrows were joined by a song sparrow.  A starling performed acrobatics to get at the shrinking piece of suet.  The nuthatch tried the suet but went back to seeds.  It almost fell into the ant moat trying to get a drink.  

The short tailed squirrel returned.  A mockingbird and the female red bellied woodpecker wanted to know if I was ever going to refill the barkbutter dish.  Warblers, of course, continued to fight over suet.  A hoodie drake passed upstream.  The temperature touched 60° and the sky grew hazy, then cloudy.  A male downy worked on the suet despite the warblers.  

Pelicans continued

Again the creek was lovely with reflected early morning light.   The male pileated woodpecker wasted no time getting breakfast.  A great blue heron preened after breakfast.  Clouds passed across the sky all day. 

Both brown headed and white breasted nuthatches came for lunch.  Warblers (all three species) were still battling over the suet.  There was nothing besides seeds and suet because I didn't have time to put food in the dishes.  A Carolina wren settled for seeds.  The female pileated came after lunch. 

There were even more pelicans today.   I saw six at the same time.  Cormorants fished alongside.  A great blue heron few into the salt bushes.  A couple of turtles basked on the lake.  Hooded mergansers showed up late. 

Pelicans

A white throated sparrow was the first bird I saw, but soon there were pelicans.  Fish must have been schooling because I saw five pelicans at one time and I'm sure there were more.  They were making the plunge right in front of our shoreline.  Cormorants and hooded mergansers joined them at low tide.  An egret fished below the dam. 

A bluebird and a myrtle warbler perched in the trees.  A pine warbler ate suet. One lonesome turtle hauled out on a log to soak up the morning sun. By afternoon, there were at least five. 

The amaryllis K has been nurturing was in full bloom.  A spectacular sunset occurred while I was driving and without a camera.  

Final GBBC day

From 7:50 to 9:05am I counted 2 butterbutts, an orange crowned warbler, 2 pine warblers, 3 orioles, 2 blue jays, a female cardinal, 2 starlings, and then a rptor caused a lull.  After it soared away, I saw 2 crows, 4 house finches, the female red bellied woodpecker, 3 red winged blackbirds, a chickadee, a pelican, 2 white breasted nuthatches, a cormorant, and finally the female downy woodpecker.  The sky was blue except for contrails and the temperature was 41°.  

By noon, the temperature had risen to 48° under a cloudless sky.  I watched for an hour and a half and saw 2 pelicans, about five warblers (pine and yellow rumped), 2 white throated sparrows, a bluebird, a brown headed nuthatch, 3 house finches, an oriole, and 2 starlings. Then a big raptor, possibly an eagle, swooped behind the trees.

After a break, I started again at 2pm for another hour and a half.  This time a pileated woodpecker showed up. 3 orioles including a male, 2 white throats, 2 cardinals, a mockingbird, 2 mallards, 3 red winged blackbirds, 2 starlings, a female brown headed cowbird, a persistent brown headed nuthatch, and at least 5 warblers, some pine and some yellow rumped finished my count for the year.  

Apparently the afternoon was warm enough for a midge to fly and land on the window.  

Cursed cats

Bird count conditions 8-9am: sunny, 35^o, and a murderous cat that plowed up the mulch around the birdbath when it went after a warbler. Nevertheless, I counted 2 goldfinches eating rue seeds, 2 starlings, a white breasted nuthatch, a yellow rumped warbler, 2 white throated sparrows, a pine warbler, 2 chickadees, a crow, 2 house finches, a dove, a titmouse, a brown headed nuthatch, a pelican, and a blue jay.  A female oriole showed up too late to be counted.

While cooking I counted again from 10:45am to noon.  By then I had refilled the feeder dishes.  The sky was white but there was sunshine.  The temperature rose from 46^o to 49^o, and there were more cats.  Five orioles came for jelly - four females and one male.  A pair of house finches, two bluebirds, two pine warblers, four yellow rumped warblers, three crows, and an orange crowned warbler all wanted lunch.  So did the cats.  On the creek, I saw a pelican and a pair of mallards. 

The cats, and possibly my cooking, brought to mind verse five of the 23rd Psalm, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies..." One could view that from either the birds or the cats point of view.  The male pileated woodpecker arrived after lunch.  The warblers posed more nicely then as well.  

Wild weather

Gusting winds drove dark clouds down from the North, but in between sunshine transformed the morning.  Despite that, I accumulated a good list of birds: male and female pileated woodpeckers, three starlings, four pine warblers, two yellow rumped warblers, two blue jays, a mockingbird, two titmice, the female red bellied woodpecker, a pair of house finches, a dove, a chickadee, an orange crowned warbler, two pelicans, a white throated sparrow, a brown headed nuthatch, a cormorant, a pair of bluebirds, and two crows.  

By lunch time the temperature had risen a couple of degrees but was still in the middle 40s.  The wind still whipped the trees but there was a lot more sunshine.  I counted a female oriole, a pelican, two pine warblers, a chickadee, a titmouse, two starlings, a male cardinal, two yellow rumped warblers, two crows, two white throated sparrows, the red bellied woodpecker, a pair of hooded mergansers, a goldfinch, a mockingbird, a mallard drake, three cormorants, and two Canada geese.  

I decided that was enough.  One turtle basked on the lake log. 

Bird Count

At breakfast all I saw was a brown headed nuthatch, a pileated woodpecker and a great blue heron, so I didn't bother turning that in.  Lunch time fared better.  A pair of white breasted nuthatches spent time on the seed feeder.  Again there were too many cats.   I counted at least five delicious-looking white throated sparrows scurrying around.  Pine and yellow rumped warblers were counted.  A Carolina wren got a hearty meal but a female oriole was disappointed.  A mockingbird managed to get some suet.  

The dwarf daffodils started blooming along with the Spring camellias.  Fewer turtles basked under the overcast sky.  Pelicans flew past an itchy squirrel.  

The crow monster

The birdbath was frozen when I got up and the money plant leaves were frosted.   No ice marred the reflections on the creek and the sun made them glow.  Warblers competed with the downy for suet.  A bluebird decorated the top of the post.  Brown headed nuthatches rummaged through the seeds.  The red bellied woodpecker was particularly flighty.  Blue jays grabbed barkbutter balls.  A mockingbird foraged underneath.  A lone red-winged blackbird visited.  A Carolina wren found a fallen barkbutter ball and hammered it to bits.  But a white throated sparrow muscled in to get the bits. 

All three cats visited and had to be discouraged from birdwatching.  So when I heard the dog growling and carrying on like he saw a yard-invading abomination, I hustled to let him out.  Instead of a cat, a crow was walking around the patio.  The crow flew into the maple, maybe six feet up, but the dog thought it had gone invisible in addition to its other monstrous qualities.  The dog hunted around on the ground while the crow watched.  I don't know what the dog thinks is so objectionable about crows - their size?  That they walk on two legs?  Maybe he had a run-in with a crow once upon a time and carries a grudge?  

Meanwhile pelicans were flying and fishing.  A surfboard washed up on the dock during the high tides.   Turtles enjoyed the sun on their favorite logs while a Northern shoveler paddled by. 

Cold and bright

Sunshine made lovely reflections at breakfast.  The brown headed nuthatches were up early.  Pine warblers greeted the sun.  Blue jays and bluebirds soon noticed the fresh barkbutter balls.  A white throated sparrow watched from the bench.  A female oriole was eating jelly when a male arrived and demanded possession.  A white breasted nuthatch tried to get some seeds but the house finches weren't sharing.  The red bellied woodpecker sneaked in for barkbutter balls but finally I caught her on camera.  A chickadee tried to get nourishment from the empty suet cage.  

Pelicans passed over the creek and occasionally one plunged after a fish.  A surfboard appeared on our dock.  Great blue herons had a tiff over territory.  A pair of hooded mergansers paddled upstream.  The winning heron preened its ruffled feathers. 

After lunch, K installed a fresh block of suet.  A starling enjoyed a barkbutter ball.  So did the bluebirds.  A Carolina wren scavenged beneath.  

Gusty

A rambunctious wind rocketed out of the NNW, shoving clouds ahead, whipping the trees, and pushing the temperature down.  The wind discouraged birds while the temperature made them hungry, but I seemed to be in the wrong place whenever I saw any.  Pelicans, for example, did not fly past the window where I was waiting but later passed behind trees.  Between the wind and the recent new moon, the tide ran very high.  The sun flipped off and on like someone was playing with the switch.  And if all that wasn't enough, the feral cat decided to have a lie-down on the pool cover.  I saw the red bellied woodpecker, some warblers, and some sparrows.  The daffodil bud opened.  

Rain

The inch-and-a-half of rain Sunday washed my post away, so this will cover two days.  Sunday was very gray.  The rain obscured distances.  A mockingbird blended in.  The starling's iridescence nearly disappeared.  A white breasted nuthatch was lucky that the feeder provided a bit of shelter.  The warblers on the suet had none.  An oriole was disappointed but I wasn't going to put out food that would turn to soup.  The first daffodil but appeared.  

On Monday the rain was much lighter.  A red bellied woodpecker showed up briefly.  Then the pileated woodpeckers arrived.  The female waited impatiently till the male was full of suet.  We'll need to put out a fresh block of suet soon.   

Warm and a little wet

This was Lunar New Year in large parts of the world.  Here the new moon was invisible behind clouds. At lunchtime the outside thermometer read 71°.  The sky was mostly overcast but there were moments of sunshine.  The aggressive myrtle warbler flaunted its yellow rump.  Nevertheless, a pine warbler got plenty of suet.  A white breasted nuthatch collected seeds. 

The pileated woodpeckers were back.  An intrepid warbler tried to share the suet.  A bluebird watched from the wild cherry.  More warblers gathered.  A female oriole was disappointed in the empty dishes, but there was rain in the forecast. 

After lunch, I sat outside and startled a white breasted nuthatch on the seed feeder.  A pelican coasted over the creek.  The clouds looked ready to storm.  A female red bellied woodpecker explored the double trunk pine.  Buzzards circled over the creek below the dam.  

The sun returned for a short while as the Northeast grew dark.  Starlings hung around waiting for food to happen.  Brown headed nuthatches came for seeds.  The rain finally arrived after 4pm.  

Gray day

The creek was flat but its colors were muted by the overcast sky.  The territorial butterbutt was waiting on the barkbutter dish at breakfast.  Nobody stepped up to dispute possession.  Mid morning when I let the dog out, warblers were going at each other over the suet.  Bluebirds had taken over the barkbutter dish.  A female oriole relished the jelly.  Then the male arrived.  The starlings were spectators.  Three crows made a lot of noise.  The creek crinkled like used tissue paper.  

At lunch, the pileated woodpeckers worked on the suet.  Blue jays ate barkbutter balls.  The orange crowned warbler ate jelly.  The red bellied woodpecker spooked while eating and hit the window.  She flew off so I hope she's unhurt.  The clouds broke apart but not where the sun was hiding.  A breeze stirred the trees.  The tide was low and I finally spotted some ducks - a male and a female hooded merganser.  There were pelicans though the warmer air and lack of wind may have kept most of them out on the Bay.  

Warring warblers

The creek was placid and beautifully reflective.  Not so, the wildlife.  The three starlings squabbled over the food, but the warblers took to the air and chased round and round the yard.  Blue jays were intimidated by the starlings.  Despite her size, the red bellied woodpecker was spooked by many other birds.  

The sky grew cloudy but there were plenty of sunny moments.  Up in the trees, a squirrel appeared to be eating hackberry buds which are quite small.  The pileated woodpeckers returned to the suet.  And the cat returned too.  It lurked at the far end of the pool where it must have thought it couldn't be seen.  But it got bored and moved closer. 

Two brown headed nuthatches took over the seeds.  The warbler wars were caused by a territorial butterbutt.  It was hard to tell who was being chased but I think some were pine warblers.  Bluebirds visited the barkbutter dust.  A song sparrow foraged below.  A mockingbird monitored the scene.  So did the cat.  A Carolina wren hopped along the steps.  And the wretched cat tried to catch the sparrow.  

Cormorants and pelicans were busy fishing. A pelican landed right where a cormorant had just dived.  It lifted its wings to keep its head underwater.  Cormorants popped up around the bigger bird.  I think the pelican ate their lunch.  Its pouch was quite distended.  Watching it work the fish around to swallow and thinking of the fins and scales, I wonder how pelicans avoid a very sore throat.  A great egret fished downstream from the dam.  

A squirrel with short ears and reddish fur tried to break into the seed feeder.  It repeatedly fell off and climbed right back.  A white throated sparrow showed up in the afternoon.  

Busy morning

Warblers argued over breakfast which was scanty because I deemed it too cold to go out and refill the dishes.  Three starlings came to help eat.  A Carolina wren worked on the barkbutter crumbs.  A myrtle warbler thought it would have some crumbs too, but the wren said no.  The feral cat also wanted breakfast but  got a dog instead.  

Two brown headed nuthatches were content with seeds.  They outfaced chickadees and house finches.  A mockingbird mooned me.  A blue jay was disappointed by the lack of nice, fat barkbutter balls.  A female oriole took a turn with the barkbutter crumbs.  A male bluebird scouted for anything that had fallen. 

The female red bellied woodpecker landed on the post but then so did the female pileated woodpecker so the red belly flew away.  A bold warbler tried to share the suet, but the woodpecker knocked it around too much.  Then a starling tried it.  I think it got seasick. 

The morning sun didn't last.  The tide was quite high as we're approaching the dark of the moon.  Pelicans continued to fish along with cormorants, but the only ducks I saw were mallards.  

Baltimore oriole

I didn't take time to observe till lunch when I finally put out more barkbutter balls.  A male oriole insisted on being noticed.  Blue jays were more sneaky.  I spooked the female red bellied woodpecker but eventually she returned.  Pine and myrtle warblers argued over suet.  The creek seemed high for the time of the month and very windblown.  Clouds gathered in the afternoon.  

The lion and the panther

Frost furred the money plant leaves and the top of the seed feeder.  .  The creek glittered with reflected sunlight.  A fine haze was visible in front of more distant trees.  Pileated woodpeckers are definitely early risers.  Brown headed nuthatches were close behind.  Soon warblers arrived.  A goldfinch landed on the hanger above the ant moat but was soon gone.    Bluebirds checked the barkbutter dish and orioles the jelly dish.  The orioles were in luck, but not the bluebirds.  

A pelican perched on a dock post again.  Another fished next to a cormorant.  The yellow long-haired cat sauntered through the yard.  I think it was more interested in rodents than birds.  At lunch, the black cat ventured out on the pool cover to get a drink from the puddle   It was not pleased when its footsteps filled with water.  

Hawk

The sky was clear and deeply blue.  The creek surface was too agitated to reflect more than color.  The red bellied and downy woodpeckers visited.  A mockingbird came to see whether I'd gotten around to refilling the dishes.  A great blue heron shot over the house and up the creek.  There was an abundance of warblers.  The dog had to chase a squirrel.  

A starling came by, but all it got was a drink of water.  Then a Cooper's hawk swooped through.  I heard a bird hit the window but I think it escaped.  The hawk landed in the maple.  I didn't have a good angle for pictures and there were a lot of branches in the way.  The hawk glided back my way but I missed the shot.  The birds were scarce after that.  

Bright and chilly

The tide was low and the creek surface was rumpled at breakfast.  It didn't seem to keep the pelicans from seeing the fish.  I was gone then until nearly 2pm.  When I got home, the birds were active even though I had not had time to put out food.  Warblers were everywhere.  Pelicans were still fishing though the tide had risen.  A blue jay perched on a twig stub and seemed to be watching the fishing.  A mockingbird poked around below the feeders.  I believe I saw an osprey soaring behind the trees.  Female orioles checked for jelly that I was too tired to put out for them. Despite bright sunshine, the wind made me cold.  

Going gray

At breakfast, the creek was a glowing mirror.  The pileated woodpeckers were up with the sun.  Soon the female red bellied woodpecker arrived.  Warblers and bluebirds were hungry too.  A mockingbird scurried around under the feeders.  Pelicans, geese, egrets, and cormorants flew past.  

A brown headed nuthatch feasted on seeds.  Orioles arrived for their favorite foods.  A white throated sparrow rummaged in the mulch.  It was joined by a female junco and a chipping sparrow.  Then the cat pounced out of nowhere.  I called the dog and he obliged.  

By lunch time the sky had clouded over.  An egret flew to land across the creek but didn't stay long.  A great blue heron watched the lake.  Two turtles sat on the log.  More pelicans flew by.  A myrtle warbler found the block of suet outside my window.  

Sunny and mild

The creek rippled with reflected colors under the bright sun. The female pileated noticed that the suet had been replaced.  Pine warblers glowed in the sunshine.  The cat was back.  Blue jays kept a wary eye on it but came for barkbutter balls anyway.  

Pelicans were still flocking to the creek.  One got a mouthful.  A mockingbird made a quick dash to grab something under the feeder.  The female red bellied woodpecker landed on the post as though it was going to have suet but instead it went for seeds and barkbutter balls.  Orioles, male and female, divided their time between jelly and barkbutter balls - a balanced diet.  Bluebirds also wanted those addictive barkbutter balls.