Overcast

Occasional sunshine and more frequent wind gusts punctuated a mostly overcast day.  I saw 78° on the thermometer again.  The pileated woodpeckers made repeated visits to the suet.  White throats polished off some barkbutter but there was plenty for a pale pine warbler.  

Daffodils were in full bloom, not just the dwarf clumps.  Other bulbs were sending up leaves.   A pelican flew upstream past the silent dredge equipment.  I noticed that the Argiope egg sack looked deflated so perhaps the spiderlings took advantage of the warm wind to spread out.  

The male red bellied woodpecker returned but spooked before he got any suet.  Then the female pileated showed up, so maybe that's why he left.  A cormorant paddled past the dredge barge.  Others flew to their roost under heavy clouds.  

 

Very warm

A mockingbird breakfasted on barkbutter and mealworms.  A white throat was next.  The song sparrow stayed on the ground.  Then a brown thrasher took over the glass dish.  A crow stalked around the patio.  I saw 73° on the outdoor thermometer so I went out to make some vitamin D.  Dwarf daffodil clumps were blooming.  A myrtle warbler kept an eye on me.  A squirrel got a drink from the ant moat.  A Carolina wren had some barkbutter.  

 

First daffodil

The last day of February was quite warm.  A Carolina wren worked on the suet while a myrtle warbler picked up crumbs.  The song sparrow blended in with the mulch and pine needles.  A brown headed nuthatch waited on the feeder hanger.  Bluebirds made a late entrance.   

A mockingbird arrived for lunch.  The myrtle warbler tried to hover like a hummingbird at the suet.  This was not a success and it retreated to the barkbutter.  When I refilled the dish, I saw a flower on one of the dwarf daffodil clumps.  A pine warbler came quickly for the fresh barkbutter balls.  

In the late afternoon, a kingfisher landed on a dock post.  I think it was a male.  It changed posts and then flew off.  

Very warm

A Carolina wren visited early and often.  A titmouse sampled the suet.  A myrtle warbler foraged with the white throats.  It was molting and looked disheveled.  The song sparrow visited again.  A dove hung around for much of the day. 

It would have been hot except for the wind.  More of the orange and white jonquils opened during the day.  Pollen left bathtub rings on the pool cover.  The dogwoods on the North edge of the patio started to open. 

Nuthatch

The creek perfectly reflected the sunlit bank.  Today's early bird was a brown headed nuthatch.  It hunted in the mulch, behavior I had not seen before.  Also in the mulch, a song sparrow joined the white throats during breakfast.  A Carolina wren methodically tried each feeder.  A mockingbird visited the jelly dish.  Blue jays concentrated on the barkbutter balls.  A male oriole took a turn with the jelly. 

 At lunch time a female red belly looked for suet but the cage was empty.  She settled for seeds.  The "fried egg" jonquils burst into bloom in the afternoon.  The outer ring of their petals is white and the central tube is yolk-orange.  Journey North shared their migration maps. Someone saw a hummer today around Knotts Island so I need to figure out where to hang a feeder.  

Vernal equinox

I notice the NWS said, "There are only two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes."  That "nearly" could explain why today's sunrise was 7:09am and sunset 7:17pm, 12 hours and 8 minutes.  The sky was hazy and streaky but the creek shone.  A male oriole spread orange gorgeousness as he ate suet.  A male bluebird flaunted both blue and orange.  A brown headed nuthatch took its seed to the roof to hatch.  Blue jays found the barkbutter balls.  One jay argued with a bigger bird, maybe the osprey?  

A heron groomed its feathers on a dock piling.  Signs of Spring included dogwood and oak flower buds opening.  Even blueberry flower buds got bigger.  Daffodils recovered from the storm.  The Carolina jessamine smelled lovely to me and the bumblebees. 

Chilly

Yesterday's rain continued through the morning. It flattened the taller daffodils.   As usual, there was more trash in the creek.  A Carolina wren was too hungry to care about the cold rain.  By late morning we were beginning to dry out though the sky remained gray with just a few flickers of sunlight.  The temperature was much lower and the wind was cold.  

Blue jays came hopefully but found only seeds.  The wren argued with cardinals over the seed feeder.  White throats reappeared.  Bluebirds also ate seeds.  The Carolina jessamine was finally blooming and making up for lost time..  Buds on the blueberry twigs were ready to open.  A mockingbird arrived in the late afternoon.  A myrtle warbler was starting to molt.  A white breasted nuthatch took some seeds to hatch.  

Gray

In the early morning, sunlight made the creek glow.  A mockingbird visited the seed feeder.  A Carolina wren worked on the suet.  White throats clawed up the mulch.  The yellow cat put them all to flight.  But soon the male oriole came for jelly.  Then the mockingbird wanted jelly too.  A myrtle warbler coveted suet. 

The temperature climbed above 60° but there was a lot of cloud cover.  By low tide the creek was a muddy gray.  The male red belly showed up after I refilled the barkbutter dish.  A female bluebird picked out seeds.  Daffodils were bright despite the gray light. 

Kingfisher and eagle

Thin bars of cloud striped the blue sky.   A Carolina wren joined us for breakfast.  A mockingbird followed.  An egret perched on a post downstream while another waded.  Gulls patrolled the creek and cormorants dived.  Three pelicans sunbathed on the roof of the boathouse across the creek. 

Two mockingbirds came for lunch.  So did a pair of bluebirds.  The Carolina wren was back too, eating some of everything.  While morning was sunny, over lunch the sky clouded up.  Two egrets looked tor the best place to fish.  Bluebirds and the occasional white throat ate barkbutter crumbs.  The mockingbirds sampled the different offerings. Three daffodil varieties bloomed.  A light shower occurred around 2pm, then gradually the sky cleared again.

I was looking for pelicans in the late afternoon when I spotted a kingfisher. Cormorants, pelicans, a great blue heron, and a female hoodie passed, then I saw something swoop.  Crows came after it and finally I saw it between the goose fences.  I was afraid it was trapped but it flew out with no trouble.  Meanwhile, the kingfisher had teleported downstream.  

March wind

The mockingbirds came bright and early.  I wish I could get them both into a photo.  A Carolina wren sang in a dogwood.  White throats scampered about.  Blue jays came for barkbutter balls but seemed wary of something I could not see.  This time I did get a photo of the red belly.  But I missed getting a picture of a bluebird.  I also missed a pelican. 

K hung a fresh block of suet but more birds were interested in barkbutter balls.  This sunny day got up into the low 70s but the wind was strong enough to shake leafless trees.  More daffodil buds opened including on a dwarf plant.  The wren took a seat on the back of the chair by the jelly dish.  A myrtle warbler enjoyed the barkbutter balls.  So did one awkward white throat.  Several buzzards circled including one much higher than the others.  I wondered if it was a black vulture but no, enlarging showed it was another turkey vulture.  The Berkley's polypore under the oak was very weather-beaten. 

Spring-like

Apparently there was rain overnight because the birdbath was brim full.  White throats kicked mulch around it.  Daffodils bloomed.  I missed getting pictures of the blue jays and red belly but two mockingbirds came back for multiple visits.  The bossy myrtle warbler hung around.  A female brown headed cowbird joined house finches on the seed feeder.  A Carolina wren sat in a dogwood to groom itself. I think it was molting.  A titmouse was well fed.  A bluebird popped in for a barkbutter ball.  A starling lost its balance on the barkbutter hanger.  Even a white throat sampled the barkbutter balls.  Tiny puffs of cottony cumulus floated on a bright blue sky.  

The total rainfall for February was 5.87" versus a "normal" of 2.9".  But when added to the dry January, it looked less impressive, 7.51" versus a "normal" of 6.31". 

Daffodils

It was a lovely day to finish the GBBC, though a lot colder and still windy.  A female oriole greeted the dawn.  White throats got up on the furniture.  A pelican flew upstream over low tide.  A myrtle warbler was puffed up very round.  It came for a drink in the birdbath.  Bluebirds posed.  A solitary junco joined the white throats.  A squirrel tried to rob the seed feeder.  The female pileated woodpecker ignored a starling while eating suet. 

At lunch the suet was gone and the male pileated was disappointed.  A mockingbird wedged itself onto the seed feeder perch.  A wren poked into everything.  A ruddy duck floated by.  Then a small flock of hoodies went past in the opposite direction.  Nuthatches came for lunch, both kinds.  A downy woodpecker ate seeds but a red belly left in disgust.  Bluebirds ate seeds too.  A song sparrow showed up after months of not seeing one.  Then a red winged blackbird visited all by himself. 

Daffodil sprouts emerged from the mulch in several spots and one clump even had buds.  In the late afternoon, I saw two hoodies on the creek.  A large buff-colored bird flew past which I believe was a Cooper's hawk.  A great blue heron crossed the creek and four egrets flew North.  Cormorants began to head home.   

Temperature drop

The creek was lovely at breakfast with magenta azaleas in the foreground and a pair of wood ducks paddling by.  Even though the temperature dropped about 20° from yesterday, Spring clearly had arrived.  A few violets were blooming.  The yellow daffodils were about finished and the "fried eggs" narcissus were about to pop.  Still, there were pelicans fishing on the creek.  

The starlings and pileated woodpeckers tore through the suet.  Warblers hoped I would refill the dishes.  The female red bellied woodpecker dug seeds out of the feeder.  A couple of blue jays kept an eye on the barkbutter dish.  A cabbage white circled the pool aimlessly.  

Summer-like

The creek was exquisite at low tide in the early morning light.  The yellow long-haired cat tried to hunt birds under the feeders.  I need a Rube Goldberg device that would dump water on birdwatching cats.  A couple of brown headed nuthatches ignored the cat.  A white  throated sparrow perched in one of the dogwoods out of reach.  A pine warble landed on the feeder roof, then on the suet remnant. 

The temperature rose to 73°.  I emptied the bluebird house and, thankfully, found no eggs.  Carolina jessamine, daffodils, dandelions, and buttercups gilded the greenery. Hyacinths and a few azalea blossoms added other primary colors.  I don't know why people think Spring is pastel.  

An oriole perched in the maple, then visited the jelly.  A bluebird found the barkbutter balls.  So did a starling.  A white breasted nuthatch made it to the feeder.  A pileated woodpecker was disappointed because the suet cage was empty. 

Some buds burst on the oak and dogwood.  Buds on the blueberry bushes were close to opening and bees hovered around like it might happen any minute. I saw a cabbage white flitting around and after dark a tiny silver moth shaped like an isosceles triangle on the window.  Spider threads lurked on the jessamine. 

Wet day

The birdbath and the ant moat were brim full with rain.  Off-and-on rain kept everything wet all morning.  Despite the rain, white throated sparrows kicked the wet mulch looking for fallen seeds.  The creek was quiet and gray.  Daffodils bowed to keep water off their stamens.  The bossy butterbutt worked to get at the remnant of suet which was so small it was escaping from the cage.  The downy woodpecker took over.  The half-a-tail squirrel came to  look for seeds in the mulch.  It couldn't shelter under its tail like other squirrels.  A pine warbler went to the seed feeder since nothing else was available.  

Eventually the rain ended and the clouds broke up.  A female bufflehead floated on the creek.  A white breasted nuthatch helped itself to seeds.  

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. 

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.  

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.   

4 and 20 blackbirds

It was sunny and very cold.  Daffodil leaves emerged nevertheless.  I was not up early and the blue jays and the red bellied woodpecker were waiting.  Bluebirds were not far behind.  Warblers ate suet since the larger birds were eating barkbutter balls. 

A flock of red winged blackbirds visited the suet and foraged on the ground.  A blue jay was disappointed that the birdbath was frozen.  I took a distant photo of what I assumed was a downy but it was a yellow bellied sapsucker.  The mockingbird came looking for a handout.  A real downy raised his red topknot at a male bluebird on the suet.  A female bluebird ate seeds.  The song sparrow foraged below.  The orioles kept an eye on the jelly. 

It was Squirrel Appreciation Day and the dog appreciated them the only way he knew.  Apparently it was a good fishing day.  Egrets gathered along the sunny side of the creek.  A flock of red breasted mergansers worked their way up and down the creek repeatedly all afternoon.   A few hoodies joined in, then some buffleheads arrived.  A great blue heron stayed up on the lake.  There were pelicans but they didn't land where I could see. 

Two spring days

The wind blew cold on Tuesday.  Bluebirds and orioles came to the feeder early.  A dove and a starling wanted a drink.  A myrtle warbler foraged on the ground but a pine warbler insisted on barkbutter balls.  A brown headed nuthatch got a seed and a white breasted nuthatch.  A red bellied woodpecker was too shy to come to the feeder but not the pileated woodpecker.  

On Wednesday, the male oriole returned for a photo session.  A bluebird was rather put out by the oriole's greed.  The crows descended and ate every bit.  Even the suet block was almost gone, though I can't blame that on the crows.  The sunny-side narcissus began to open.