Snowfall

The birdbath was frozen.  Blue jays stoked up on barkbutter balls.  I was generous because there was no telling when I'd be able to put out more.  A goldfinch visited the seeds.  A pine warbler worked on the suet.  A junco prowling the patio was joined by another.  A Carolina wren ate seeds.  A female oriole wanted suet but was puzzled by the plastic cover.  The male pileated wasn't happy either.  A great blue heron stalked along the bulkhead.  I saw a brown thrasher under the porch chair but it scooted away too fast.  Bluebirds slept in and arrived mid-morning.  So did the male oriole who figured out the suet right away.  A myrtle warbler ate a barkbutter ball.  Seeds were the only thing that interested a brown headed nuthatch.  Barkbutter balls lured a female red belly.  More juncos arrived including a female.  Then a red winged blackbird appeared. 

A pelican flew over the creek.  The snow began about 12:30pm with almost invisible flakes.  At 27°, the snow didn't wet the patio, but built up first on tables and chairs. Birds ignored the snow and kept eating.  A white breasted nuthatch came for seeds.  The male downy got suet and a myrtle warbler got a barkbutter ball.  So did a bluebird. 

Flakes got bigger as the afternoon went on and the ground became white.  The snow created a fog effect, obscuring distances.  Juncos and white throats continued their seed hunt on the ground.  Something flipped the suet upright pleasing a warbler and a downy.  A bluebird, house finches, and a wren ate seeds as the snow fell.  Even a junco moved up to the seed feeder.  The orioles kept the snow off the jelly.  The nuthatches came back.  Bluebirds extracted barkbutter balls from under the snow.  A patch of ice formed beside the dock.  Three hoodies were barely discernible paddling along its edge.  There were other dark shapes I couldn't identify, especially as the light was dropping.   

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.   

Gloomy gray

Because of the pesky starlings, we hung the suet horizontally with the plastic packaging still on the upper side.  A pine warbler soon figured it out.  A brown headed nuthatch only cared about seeds anyway.  I spotted the male red bellied woodpecker in the trees.  Expecting rain, I did not refill the barkbutter dish which disappointed a myrtle warbler.  A junco hopped around the patio.  Bluebirds ate seeds since there was nothing in the barkbutter dish.  The male red belly figured out the suet.  Alas, so did a starling.  A white breasted nuthatch was content with seeds.  The starling brought friends including a female cowbird and a red-winged blackbird.  A Carolina wren took a turn with the seeds.  A downy enjoyed the suet.  White throats hunted fallen seeds.  A goldfinch got a drink and then hung out on the seed feeder with another.  One of them was curious about the suet.  The other attempted to bully a titmouse but the titmouse just sneaked up behind.  A very little rain spattered the window.  There were ruddy ducks on the creek but the light was too bad and they just blended in with the gray water.  

Springlike

Creek reflections at breakfast shimmered with light bouncing off the trees before the sun was high enough to shine on the water.  The female red belly got an early helping of seeds.  A mockingbird arrived early enough to get some barkbutter balls.  A downy tucked into the suet.  The temperature rose into the low 70s though there was a definite windchill.  Despite the warmth, we had sunshine.  White throats foraged.  Titmice visited all the feeders but by then the suet cage was empty.  

I went outside but didn't stay long because of the wind.  A myrtle warbler posed on an oak limb.  I could hear a woodpecker scolding.  The crescent moon had risen above the trees.  I saw pelicans and a kingfisher, but only got pictures of ruddy ducks, one hoodie drake, and a cormorant.  Bluebirds  stayed in the trees till I went inside.  

A male red belly wanted barkbutter balls and displayed his red belly while hanging on the feeder.   A starling tried to dislodge him but failed.  A male oriole found the jelly.  A pine warbler got a turn with the barkbutter balls.  Red-winged blackbirds ate seeds and BB balls.  On the front patio, the hanging potted plant that blooms in the winter was covered with yellow flowers. 

Flicker

A red-winged blackbird visited with the starlings.   His back was still spotted so I suspect he was hatched last Spring.  I also saw a junco scurrying around among the white throats. A white wall of cloud stretched across the sky in the North.  It slowly slid North and disappeared.  There was enough periods of sunshine that if we had groundhogs and one had stuck its head above ground, It would probably have seen a shadow.   A few blue jays and warblers came for peanut suet nuggets, i.e. imitation barkbutter balls.

It's not uncommon to see a flicker out in the grass on in the trees, but today a female visited the feeders.  She landed on the bench, then clung to the post, eying the suet.  The starling on the suet cage refused to budge.  Then the flicker tried to land on the railing by the barkbutter dish but slid off.  So she settled for suet crumbs on the ground.  There she encountered a squirrel, but persisted.  

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.  

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.  

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!  

 

Ice

The birdbath water was frozen but I did not see any other signs of frost.  The creek shone with reflections and the sky was very blue.  White throats were up early today.  Pine warblers were very hungry.  I spotted the great blue heron that has been flying up into the pines across the creek.  After I refilled the barkbutter dish we had streaming blue jays.  I also poured water in the birdbath but it started to freeze again.  A dove plodded over the pool cover.  A couple brown headed nuthatches made repeated seed forays.  

At lunch, a lone red winged blackbird devoured suet.  I wonder if he got lost from a flock.  The bird's back was lightly speckled and the epaulette was ragged yellow so I speculated he was young. 

Four woodpeckers

Some fishing occurred at dawn.  I saw cormorants for sure.   The creek surface was roughened.  Up on the patio, a myrtle warbler wanted a drink from the drying birdbath.  The male pileated tackled the suet.  I got a glimpse of a white breasted nuthatch but it did not return. 

In the late morning, red winged blackbirds came back along with starlings and cowbirds.  By then the temperature had climbed enough that I refilled the dish feeders.  This time I put out barkbutter balls for a change.  A bluebird was watching.  A female yellow-shafted flicker landed in the dogwood but came no closer.  

A handful of hoodies paddled by on the far side of the creek.  A pine warbler studied the menu.  By this time the wind had grown very gusty and was waving whole pine trees.  The wind, or something, made birds cautious and easily spooked.  The red bellied woodpecker, for example, snatched a barkbutter ball and was gone.  I had to lie in wait for her.  Blue jays were even worse. 

A few white throats came to forage along with a song sparrow.  The male oriole finally settled in for some jelly.  A Carolina wren also poked through the mulch.  Downy woodpeckers squeezed in whenever the starlings left the suet.  That made four woodpecker species today.  Buds on the dogwood and the oak seemed to be swelling.  The newspaper started reporting on pollen last Friday. 

Windy

Because of the time change I was up earlier, before the day had shown what weather to expect.  A titmouse, a butterbutt, a song sparrow and two white throated sparrows were already seeking breakfast.  The creek was still and high with the new moon, but the trees it reflected were just gray.  Soon, though, there was sunlight and two brown headed nuthatches appeared.  Although only 20 minutes had passed, the creek surface had become rumpled.  Fierce-looking clouds boiled up from the horizon but they were all show and no storm.

The starlings arrived and began to argue about the food. The female pileated woodpecker scared them away.  Then a crow scared the woodpecker when it prospected for suet crumbs. 

Blue jays discovered that I'd put out mealworms.  Then the starlings had to have some.  The female red bellied woodpecker worked hard to extract seeds.  Bluebirds heard about the mealworms.  The male bluebird tried seeds as well.  He had one feather sticking out at an angle.  (I hope it drops somewhere I can find it.)  Orioles found the jelly. 

A flicker hunted in the pine needles and dried vegetation of the far side of the pool.   A dove joined a squirrel in rooting through the mulch under the feeder. 

Pelicans patrolled the creek and one floated downstream.  By this time the tide had dropped though the wind was affecting it.  Warblers were here and there at lunchtime.  A white breasted nuthatch escaped the camera while my hands were full of lunch. The orioles had another dispute over jelly.  The male pileated took a turn at the suet.  A small flock of red-winged blackbirds clustered around the birdbath.  Three brown headed cowbirds, one female, were with the half dozen blackbirds. 

The wind got stronger as the day progressed.  Dark clouds continued to blow over.  The late afternoon sun lit up the trees in front of the clouds, then turned the clouds yellow. 

Springlike weather

Today was warm and sunny and full of birds.  A squirrel tried to burglarize the seed feeder.  The jelly was popular with warblers and orioles and was all gone by late afternoon.  Blue jays were happy the barkbutter balls reappeared.  The red bellied woodpecker thought so too.  

Pileated woodpeckers stuck with suet.  A handful of white throated sparrows looked for windfalls.  I spotted a red winged blackbird in the dogwood but it came no closer.  At least one pelican flew along the creek.  A couple doves walked around the patio.  Starlings ate everything except seeds. 

The long haired yellow cat was back, but seemed fascinated by something along the far edge of the pool.  Then it came over to the feeders and I told it to depart.  

I went outside to enjoy the day.  Two female orioles and a brown thrasher hung out in the budding red maple tree.  A mockingbird that I had been chasing with the camera finally held still in the tree.  Then I saw two flickers in the oak.  They displayed a white patch on the back at the base of the tail which I had not seen a flicker do before.  

I put out mealworms instead of more barkbutter balls that had been gobbled up so fast.  After I went back inside, a Carolina wren and then a bluebird showed up.  Clouds gathered.  A white breasted nuthatch came for seeds.  The short tailed squirrel got into something unpleasant that it tried to wipe off its face.  I wonder if it was a fragment of hot pepper suet.  Who knew a squirrel could be accident-prone?  The clouds made a colorful sunset.  

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.  

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. 

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. 

More birds

Lovely sunshine didn't manage to contribute enough warmth though it made fine reflections.  I caught a squirrel in mid leap.  More ducks arrived from the North, including female hoodies and a bufflehead drake.  Mallards and geese stayed around. 

The sky was a brilliant blue.  Two red winged blackbirds wanted a drink.  I think they might have been youngsters.  A dove poked around and a Carolina wren investigated under the mountain mint.  Of course there were chickadees and the downy. 

Strong, cold wind

The pileated woodpecker was back for breakfast.  Then I moved to the back room to run Zoom and noticed some activity on the creek.  A great egret prowled the shoreline while a herring gull floated further out.  Its wings were darker than the one yesterday, unless it was a trick of the light.  A pelican landed to see if the gull had anything good to catch.  Later two egrets hung out together by the dock.  The wind nearly pulled their feathers off.  The water surface was churned till it looked like pea soup.

At lunch time, I was joined by bluebirds, juncos, titmice, orioles, a Carolina wren,  and of course warblers, both pine and myrtle.  A blue jay ate barkbutter crumbs because that was all that was left.   A female red-winged blackbird enjoyed suet then posed for me.  The feral cat curled up in the sun until I went out to prune.  I didn't work long because the wind was too cold.  

March wind

The wind was stronger a couple of days ago, but I really felt it today.  It didn't seem to bother the pileated woodpecker.  After he left the suet, he interacted with a flicker up in the oak.  Bluebirds wanted fresh barkbutter balls.  As soon as I put out more the orioles came back, then blue jays. 

A robin just wanted water.  A female house finch puffed up so much I thought I was looking at a different bird.  A handful of red-winged blackbirds came to forage.  A white breasted nuthatch wanted a turn at the seeds.  A brown headed nuthatch had an easier time of it. 

Something small floated on the creek, keeping the same spot despite wind and current, but I couldn't get it in focus.  The feral black and white cat made itself comfortable on my chair.  Fortunately, the dog was ready to go outside.  It took him a minute to home in on the cat but then he was off like a rabbit. 

The wind was really fierce on Tuesday.  I hardly saw any birds.  Toward evening as the light was failing, a white breasted nuthatch was frustrated by a cardinal that had taken over the seed feeder.  

Spring fever

This early Spring has made me lazy.  Yesterday slipped away without a post and it wasn't for lack of photos or interest.  Both days were sunny with a nippy breeze, especially Saturday.  The oak, peach, and redbuds flowered, the wild cherry began to leaf out, and buds burst on a dogwood.  Sweet gum buds looked ready to pop and I found fig leaves!  Buds were visible on the blueberries but not yet open.  Fortunately there were early bumblebees. 

The female orioles remained and a male showed up.  At least two bluebird pairs visited the feeders.  Myrtle warblers fussed over pecking order.  Blue jays stuffed their beaks.  Downy woodpeckers were faithful to their suet.  Starlings scattered food everywhere.  Red-winged blackbirds were much better behaved.  A few robins remained from the flock in the pecan. 

Pelicans fished on the creek but I never got a good shot. The sun reached a lot more of the patio and flowerbeds.  The moon was well up and looking fat by the time I took my library books back on Saturday.  

A mockingbird greeted the Sunday sun.  Then a blue jay wanted breakfast.  Orioles started arriving, then bluebirds.  Robins came back to drink.  The female orioles were much more assertive with the male than they were a month ago.  He definitely ate last.  Red-winged blackbirds briefly returned.  And of course there were starlings.  

I saw a junco.  A white breasted nuthatch was more interested in suet than seeds. The first grackle I've seen in years popped up but didn't stay long.  And a cedar waxwing accompanied a robin to the birdbath!