Warm and wet

It was raining when I got up.  A downy mourned the lack of suet and ate a few seeds.  A couple of white throats ran around.  A myrtle warbler perched on a chair arm, maybe to remind me about empty feeders.  Mallards collected on the dock.

Sunshine appeared around lunch time so I refilled the barkbutter dish.  That brought bluebirds, blue jays, a myrtle warbler, and a female oriole. A pine warbler became interested in seeds.  The wind became very strong.  I noticed that the camellia buds had survived last week's freeze and were blooming.  A pair of ruddy ducks bobbed in the water beside the dock.  

Rain returned in the night.  According to the weather report, we were one degree shy of the record high for the last day of January.  However, the month was unusually dry. 

Quiet

A few ruddy ducks fished the creek and a handfull of mallard drakes paddled around.  I saw a mockingbird, warblers, and blue jays on the barkbutter dish.  White breasted and brown headed nuthatches got their seeds.  A warbler ate some jelly.  A junco popped up in the mulch.  Of course there were white throats and starlings.  

 

Pelicans & ruddy ducks

A mockingbird was not pleased to find only dust in the barkbutter dish.  White throats pecked through the mulch and leaf litter.  A Carolina wren joined the search. 

Most of the action, however, was on the creek as the weather continued warm and windy.  A raft of at least 15 ruddy ducks floated and dived.  An egret monitored the lake.  Toward evening, the tide was very low.  A pelican landed near a ruddy -- what a contrast in size.  I spotted one hooded merganser female among the ruddy ducks paddling away from the pelican. 

Hazy

The creek was at last free of ice.  Pelicans fished throughout the morning.  They may have been avoiding the wind over more open water.  I saw quite a few buffleheads on the water.  Titmice were up early.  A mockingbird checked the barkbutter dish but found only dust.  Starlings raided the suet and fought with each other.  A myrtle warbler noticed there was water in the birdbath.  The male red bellied woodpecker came back for suet and argued with the mockingbird.  

We had nuthatches at lunch, first the white breasted, then the brown headed.  A pine warbler noticed that I refilled the dishes.  A very determined squirrel tried to break into the seed feeder.  Two others chased each other.  The sky was blue but hazy.  A whole flock of ruddy ducks paddled downstream, diving along the way.  

Oriole & red-bellied woodpecker males

Morning was gray and, despite the higher temperatures, the creek was still half iced with frozen snow.  Around the birdbath a few clumps of snow remained.  Some white throats foraged there while a myrtle warbler ate barkbutter crumbs.  

By lunch time the sun was shining.  A female oriole enjoyed jelly.  K had acquired some different suet balls.  Since they weren't hot pepper flavored, K applied hot sauce to discourage squirrels.  The birds seemed cautious.  Starlings, bluebirds, and a male oriole gave them a try.  A junco briefly poked through the litter under the seed feeder.  

A male red bellied woodpecker wanted suet but there was a starling on it.  The woodpecker scolded furiously but the starling would not leave.  Finally the red belly moved to the barkbutter dish but I didn't see it it eat anything. 

Much warmer

The polar vortex was gone and melting was under way.  Blue jays and starlings visited but I think a lot of other birds were less hungry since it wasn't so cold.  Four squirrels ate together, mostly peacefully.  White throats came as usual.  A Carolina wren joined them.  A squirrel spilled most of the water in the ant moat.  

Seasonable

Finally, we had more normal winter temperatures, though the creek stayed frozen. A myrtle warbler nestled into the snow, looking forlorn.  White throats kicked snow in search of seeds. 

Enough snow on the patio had melted by lunch that I went outside with food for the birds.  Blue jays cleaned out the fresh barkbutter balls without announcing it to other birds.  By the time they caught on, the warblers and bluebirds got crumbs.  An oriole found the fresh jelly.  A mockingbird couldn't find anything to eat. Starlings found the suet that K hung up.  A Carolina wren got some suet too. 

I spotted a sapsucker on a distant tree.  

Warming

A gray sky promised a rise in temperature.  The birds ate all the food and left.  A cardinal and a white throat poked through the snow to see if any seeds had been missed.  Since the creek was still frozen there were no waterfowl except the evening cormorant commute.  

Melting

The temperature got a little above freezing and the icicles dripped, but the creak and the yard stayed white.  An oriole landed in the snow.   A goldfinch watched.  So did a mockingbird.  Warblers poked through the snow.  A red-winged blackbird came back.  A blue jay puffed feathers over its toes but then landed in the snow anyway.  A Carolina wren claimed the seed feeder.  Bluebirds chose barkbutter balls.  A myrtle warbler considered jelly.  A junco landed in the snow. Two brown headed nuthatches owned the feeder.  The white throats stayed earthbound and were joined by a squirrel. 

Snow

I was in Richmond yesterday and didn't see anything but humans.  It was very cold.  My return was sunny and dry until close to home.  The first snow I saw on roads, not just shoulders and ditches, was after I got off the highway.  And soon I saw flakes in the air.  K said it amounted to 2" by morning and not much during the day.  The creek was white with frozen slush.  Icicles hung from the eaves. 

K did well by the birds.  They were feasting when I got in.  I think I got pictures of all the different kinds except the oriole, but the snow turned many into silhouettes.  A Carolina wren perched on the seed feeder.  Pine and orange crowned warblers argued over the barkbutter balls.  White throats found the seeds scattered where the snow was scraped away.  A very fluffy myrtle warbler also ate seeds off the pavement.  Soon bluebirds joined them.  

The usual seed eaters were joined by a downy woodpecker and a couple of brown headed nuthatches.  A very brown house finch had me thinking it was something new.  Starlings found the party.  A mockingbird was late to the barkbutter balls.  A myrtle warbler nestled down into the snow which may have been warmer than the air.  It was 24°.  A wren did something similar on the seed perch.  A goldfinch in winter drab wanted a drink but the ant moat was frozen.  Then a few red-winged blackbirds landed.  

And cold again

Overnight, the temperature dropped back below freezing.  The sky cleared and the chill brought out birds.  A Carolina wren joined the white throats in the mulch.  The creek was still ice-free and a mixed flock of buffleheads and ruddy ducks paddled swiftly downstream.  I wonder if I missed a fish drive?  Bluebirds, blue jays, and warblers came for lunch. 

Crossing the HRBT, I saw a couple of gulls.  Further up the Peninsula, a hawk (I think) was perched in a tree.  It had a dark head and a cream chest and belly.  Another hawk-size bird flew across the road.  Several vultures soared on the road thermals.  

Drizzle

The rec bellied woodpecker appeared in the gray morning to sample barkbutter balls.  Pine warblers quickly followed. Blue jays got their share.  Even titmice and cardinals joined the parade.  A brown headed nuthatch only wanted seeds.  The orange crowned warbler was lured in by the barkbutter balls but then turned to seeds.  A Carolina wren left off scrounging with the white throats to have a barkbutter ball. 

The gray turned to drizzle mid day.  That didn't deter the bluebirds  or a myrtle warbler that flaunted its buttery topknot and wing pits.  The brown headed nuthatch booted a pine warbler twice its size off the seed feeder.  Out on the creek, pelicans and buffleheads appreciated the ice-free day.  

Gray day

The warmer temperature brought an overcast sky .  A Carolina wren ventured out in the dismal morning to snack on barkbutter balls.   White throats ate anything as long as it had fallen to the ground.  One examined the ice in the birdbath.  The orange crowned warbler came for jelly. 

The cloud cover produced some thin drizzle after lunch when the outdoor thermometer showed 55° and the birdbath finally melted.  A Carolina wren joined the white throats.  Warblers and at least four bluebirds squabbled over slim pickings because I didn't want to put out food and have rain ruin it.  A white breasted nuthatch and a red bellied woodpecker showed up around the time the drizzle began.  Herons and pelicans flew over the creek. 

Not so cold

Yesterday's clouds were gone and morning was chilly.  The creek was mostly iced.  A blue jay stared at the barkbutter dish before settling in to eat.  White throats kicked mulch throughout the day.  At lunch, a bluebird was disappointed to find the barkbutter balls gone.  A pine warbler pecked at the empty suet cage and a downy glared at it.  They were left to make do with seeds. 

Ice still covered a lot of the creek and I didn't see ducks or pelicans, just geese.  A great blue heron chased another.  At dusk, the cormorants and egrets flew to their roosts. 

Overcast

24° the thermometer read!  The creak was almost completely ice covered.  The ant moat was frozen as well as the birdbath.  White throats busily hunted calories to keep warm.  I was not willing to venture outside at breakfast to feed the birds.  Starlings and warblers hoped anyway.  At lunch, a Carolina wren joined the white throats foraging.  Bluebirds chose seeds.   So did a red belly and a downy, both female.  The ice remained, though by then the temperature was up in the 40s.  A female oriole couldn't even get a drink.  

Since it was warmer, I restocked the jelly and barkbutter, but left the suet for another day.  Brown headed nuthatches came for seeds in the afternoon.  Blue jays, warblers, and bluebirds were happy to see the barkbutter balls.   The sky remained overcast all day as it tends to do when winter air gets warmer.  

 

Arctic air persisted

This morning's creek ice was not a solid sheet as it has been for a week. Patches a few feet across were separated by threads of water.  A bufflehead took advantage to start fishing early.  The birdbath was unchanged.  A Carolina wren hunted suet crumbs.  A warbler went to work on the new block of suet.  White throats as usual poked through litter on the ground.  

At lunch there were brown headed nuthatches.  Three doves foraged under the seed feeder.  Too many starlings were everywhere.  Warblers fought over the suet which disappeared rapidly.  A mockingbird was too late for any barkbutter balls.  I chased off the starlings but they left sentinels that kept testing me.  I saw pelicans plunge into the creek but the only picture was a blur.  

Refills

An orange crowned warbler had jelly for breakfast.  Both suet and barkbutter were empty and I didn't refill them till after lunch.  In the meanwhile, birds closely checked both as though they hoped their view from further away had somehow missed something.  The sun shone and the wind was gentle but the thermometer stuck in the 30s.  Ice on the creek melted but the birdbath was still a dihydrogen monoxide rock.  After I refilled the two feeders, warblers, a bluebird, a starling, a blue jay, and even a downy woodpecker came for those delicious barkbutter balls.  There was an overhead heron chase.  

Melting

When I awoke, the rising sun had freckled the sky with pink clouds but by the time I had the camera, the light show was over.  A couple of hours of overcast ensued before the sky cleared.  The creek had re-iced overnight.  White throats searched for edibles on the ground.  They have no trouble flying and perching up in the trees but they want to eat on the ground.  Myrtle and pine warblers joined the hunt because the suet was nearly gone and so were the barkbutter balls.  Starlings claimed the last of the suet. 

At lunch I found the tux cat taking its leisure on the pool cover, soaking up the sun.   It was much warmer and the suet was gone so I replenished the barkbutter balls.  That caused the cat to make a quick exit.  It didn't take long for the blue jays to arrive.  Warblers got their share.  An oriole kept watch over her jelly from a perch in the trees.  The temperature nearly reached 50° and the birds were correspondingly less famished.  Snow lingered around and in the birdbath but the creek quickly melted.  

Warmer

The sun shone on the refrozen creek.  Up early were a starling, a bluebird, and a pine warbler.  The oriole made a beeline for the jelly.  Then an orange crowned warbler had jelly too.  Other warblers congregated on the suet.  Egrets flew over the creek. 

The male pileated wanted suet for lunch.  The oriole was back at the jelly.  A brown headed nuthatch lunched on seeds.  Warblers fought over the suet.  A mockingbird watched from the top of the post.  One pine warbler came to the window.  Perhaps it wanted me to drive off the starlings.  Despite the temperature rising to 40°, not all the ice melted.  A couple of egrets gathered at the lake. 

Some snow

There wasn't much snow and it turned to rain before I got up.  The white throats ran around trying to decide where the seeds were hidden.  Little was left of the suet and the dishes were still covered to keep the rain out.  The creek was iced with an odd crosswise break.  During a morning meeting online the clouds broke apart and sunshine melted more slush.  

By lunch, the suet was gone.  I took the lids off the dish feeders and K replaced the suet.  Warblers were right on it.  The yellow cat scared the birds away.   Soon a brown headed nuthatch was back at the seeds.  A starling noticed the suet.  Blue jays heard the call of the barkbutter balls.  

Buffleheads fished on the creek though the ice wasn't all gone till late afternoon.  A Carolina wren sunned on a dogwood branch.  A myrtle warbler did the same on a higher perch.  Near sunset, a kingfisher used the dock bench to tenderize her supper.  Certainly that was hard on the fish.  

Snowbirds

The creek was iced again.  Finally a couple of juncos showed up, albeit very briefly.  They must have heard the weather prediction.  White throats may have made them unwelcome.  A white breasted nuthatch got well fed today in repeated visits.  The tux cat, fortunately, did not get fed.  

Blue jays dug into the barkbutter balls and I saw the tailless blue jay again.  A myrtle warbler flaunted its butterbutt.  The mockingbird puffed up against the cold.  A bluebird observed from atop the post.  Starlings, warblers, and a Carolina wren ate suet which was rapidly shrinking.  Warblers also took barkbutter balls.  A great blue heron flew upstream.  The sky clouded over in the afternoon, maybe getting ready to snow.  

4 & 20 blackbirds

A pine warbler caught the light at dawn on this icy cold day.  A myrtle warbler sat on a chair soaking up rays.  A Carolina wren stayed in the shadows to eat suet.  Then starlings began to arrive.  Blue jays found the barkbutter balls left from yesterday.  A handful of robins stayed up in the trees.  Three or four white throats rushed around.  

The creek was well iced except where the current runs under the bulkhead.  The female downy had seeds.  Bluebirds argued with a female oriole over the barkbutter balls.  She won and the bluebirds decided to eat seeds.  She moved on to the jelly.  Back at the barkbutter dish, it was bluebird versus pine warbler.  Other warblers focused on suet.  

The female red belly opted for barkbutter balls instead of her usual.  Or maybe it was a different bird?  The male downy wanted suet.  Meanwhile egrets and perhaps other birds flew over the creek.  Brown headed nuthatches  were thirsty and hungry for seeds.  I glimpsed a white breasted nuthatch making off with a barkbutter ball.  

Red winged blackbirds and brown headed cowbirds added to the blackbird count.  They ornamented the trees and then spooked.  The wind grew gusty and the tux cat showed up.  Starlings didn't care.  An oriole gleaned barkbutter dust from the emptied dish.  The red belly went back to seeds.  A mockingbird made a late visit.  A mourning dove wanted a drink but the birdbath was still a solid block.  

Eagle landed

Ice gave the creek a matte finish that reflected colors but not shapes.  Blue jays came early for barkbutter balls.  One had no tail feathers.  White throats foraged on the ground.  The female pileated stretched to get suet which was nearly gone.  Starlings butted in and ate too much.  A warbler was sad about the state of the suet. 

The tide was out and lunchtime.  Across the creek a great blue heron fished under the bulkhead.  Brown headed nuthatches showed up, then a female red bellied woodpecker took over the seeds.  A mockingbird struggled to get a bite of suet.  And then it was gone.  The pileated was hair-on-fire shocked! 

K said, Look, an osprey, so I went to the window and it was a bald eagle on a dock piling.  The yellow cat came birdwatching but the birds left.  Eventually bluebirds showed up.  An oriole ate jelly.  A white breasted nuthatch was frustrated by bigger birds but finally got a seed.  K hung another block of suet and a Carolina wren started in on it.  In the late afternoon a dozen egrets gathered around the lake.  A great blue heron occupied the boathouse roof where the pelicans like to sun themselves.  There was still some unmelted ice by sunset. 

Cold wind

The clouds cleared but the sun failed to warm and the wind was harsh.  Birds were so hungry they came anyway.  Blue jays, then an oriole and a mockingbird were first.  In a flurry about 9am I saw bluebirds, warblers, too many starlings, a female pileated, and a Carolina wren.  One warbler defied the much bigger pileated. 

I waited till the temperature got above freezing to refill the barkbutter and jelly dishes.   A Carolina wren came around to forage with white throats.  Then the mockingbird, warblers, bluebirds, starlings, and even the pileated returned.  A pine warbler tried to share the suet with the pileated.  A pair of buffleheads paddled upstream.  The crows chased a hawk away.  

Dismal day

Elsewhere there were exciting snow storms but we got cold rain.  K pointed out a trace of overnight white stuff, maybe snow, maybe ice pellets.  It looked like less than a tablespoon and rain soon erased it.  The birdbath was ice-free but rippled by rain.  Suet and seeds were the birds' only choices.  

Pine warblers and a downy went to work on the suet.  Cardinals and chickadees ate seeds.  A mockingbird didn't like the choices.  White throats were untroubled by the short menu but didn't like the wet.  A few egrets gathered around the lake.  

Freezing

The thermometer read 28° and the creek was iced over except very close to the far edge.  Low tide exposed mud and sunken branches.Naturally that kept the waterfowl away.  The feeder birds were hungry again but I didn't replenish the barkbutter till the temperature climbed up to 40°.  The female pileated tucked into the suet.  

The female red bellied woodpecker reappeared and ate seeds.  Starlings made their usual mess of the suet.  The mockingbird was around but today it was a warbler that got up on the chair to peer in through the window.  Bluebirds ate seeds too since the barkbutter dish was empty.  White throats scurried around.  The two female orioles argued again and emptied the jelly.  

A white breasted nuthatch also got a share of seeds.  Blue jays were late noticing when I refilled the barkbutter dish.  The creek slowly melted but not the birdbath. 

Cold and windy

The thermometer said 31° and the birdbath was frozen.  Songbirds were hungry and there was no suet.  Barkbutter balls disappeared quickly.  Pine and myrtle warblers and titmice wanted calories fast.  Blue jays were afraid the barkbutter balls would run out.  Starlings intended to make that happen.  White throats avoided the competition by foraging on the ground.  Two female orioles did compete and burned energy chasing each other.  A mockingbird was not pleased to find the birdbath solid ice.  I wondered if the ant moat was frozen too, but at least it was in the sun. 

Egrets lined up below the dam to catch the rising sun. A great blue heron perched in a pine tree in the sun.  In the afternoon, I saw a female bufflehead on the wind-roughened creek   Then a pied bill grebe paddled downstream.  It paused for a good scratch.  A cormorant surfaced and a pelican landed.  Then a whole flock of hoodies came swimming and diving up the creek.  In the late afternoon, egrets gathered along the sunny side of the lake. 

I poured hot water in the birdbath and it froze again.  That disappointed a bluebird.and a couple of goldfinches.  I also refilled the barkbutter dish.  A brown headed and then a white breasted nuthatch collected some seeds.  K hung a fresh block of suet which immediately attracted a warbler.  Then a red winged blackbird showed up and tried the barkbutter balls and the suet.  One of the orioles got a drink right above the blackbird.  (They are cousins, but I don't think there's much family feeling.)  Warblers and then a downy got some suet. 

Three doves foraged under the seed feeder.  Several starlings returned for suet.  One warbler boldly ate suet right beside a much bigger starling.  I spotted a flicker up in a pine but mistook it for a red belly till I saw the photos.  A downy found the second suet feeder.  A Carolina wren hopped around the trees. A little bird flitting among the saltbushes was a ruby crowned kinglet!  

 

Chilly

The tide was quite low at breakfast.  The first bird I saw was a Carolina wren, soon followed by a pine warbler.  Starlings tore at the suet.  A mockingbird was unhappy with the lack of barkbutter balls.  It tried to eat suet but the remnant was too low in the cage for it to easily reach.  Bluebirds contented themselves with seeds.  House finches, as usual, stuck to seeds.  A male downy was concerned about the shrinking suet. He would have settled for seeds but for the bluebirds.  A white throat posed on the back of the bench. 

When I got home, I refilled the dishes and sat outside but the windchill drove me back indoors.   Blue jays, starlings, pine warblers, and a chickadee feasted on the barkbutter balls.  I glimpsed an oriole but didn't see any eating jelly.  A Carolina wren inspected the gutters, don't ask me why.  The pair of pileated woodpeckers came for suet and the male seized the high spot on the post while the female fussed.  Then they both froze for a long time while no other birds were in sight.  I wondered if there was a hawk around. 

Pelicans flew up and down the creek.  The heron was back on its piling perch, preening in the wind.  A pelican was back on the boathouse roof.  Cloud cover alternated with sunshine but toward evening the overcast was winning.  Tonight is predicted to drop below freezing and next week is supposed to get really cold.