Fledgling bluebird

The rain had stopped though everything was wet and the sky was gray.  Papa bluebird hit the seed feeder because the barkbutter was still covered.   Then his offspring showed up,  just as big as Dad but pretty clueless.  I imagined the fledgling thinking, "the world is so big and smells so good, after spending my whole life in a box."  But Papa still needed to feed the youngster.  

The cardinals were still courting.  A persistent brown headed nuthatch stuffed itself with seeds and threw rejects down for the squirrels.  I mostly got pictures of its rear end.  A Carolina wren worked on the diminishing suet.  Curiously, there haven't been any woodpeckers recently. The sky cleared at lunch and I spent some time outside. I saw a large dark butterfly, a small pale butterflu, a small brown skipper (I think), and the ubiquitous cabbage whites.  Dragonflies flew over, including one so big it had to have been a darner.  Polistes wasps roamed the vegetation.  Little red mites roamed on me.

The skink with the blue tail section crossed the patio.  Geese paddled downstream with goslings in tow.  I couldn't get a count through the screen of vegetation.  A dark object just below the water's surface was a turtle.  I'm afraid it was foiled by the goose excluder, though maybe it was following the geese in hopes of catching a gosling.  An egret flew downstream.  Clouds gathered as the afternoon went on and when it was fully dark we had a loud thunderstorm. 

Hot wind

So much for old folk weather sayings -- March went out roaring.  It was another hot day but so windy It didn't feel any warmer outside than in.  The showers failed to materialize so it was a mostly dry month.  Hickory buds swelled.  Azaleas began to bloom.  A black swallowtail joined the cabbage whites, bees and wasps.  A Carolina wren chattered.  I heard other birds I didn't recognize.  The mid day blue sky got covered by clouds in the afternoon.  I saw one turtle on the bank of the lake but with the log gone there's nowhere for them to gather.  

Migrating warbler

The day was warmer, but gray, which the creek mirrored.  A white breasted nuthatch hopped around the patio, a behavior I had not seen before.  However, I did not get a good photo.  The tan morph white throat was back.  The two mockingbirds hung around all day.  They didn't appear to be getting along.  A blue jay tackled the suet.  So did a bluebird, but then the bluebird changed to the seed feeder.  

A yellow rumped warbler in breeding plumage bathed on the pool cover.  Then a white throat took a turn.  The male red bellied woodpecker had so much red on his face chest, and belly, he looked sunburned.  The goldfinch pair showed up.  A pair of cardinals courted and disputed access to the feeder with another pair.  A brown headed nuthatch also wanted seeds.  The female pileated took a big helping of suet.  

One old turtle warmed up on the log on the lake.  A cormorant fished on the creek and an occasional mallard drake paddled past.  I startled a great blue heron and saw an egret landing.  Something big perched up in the neighbor's pine.  That's a spot osprey like.  

Squirrel fight

A white breasted nuthatch was the early bird, followed immediately by the female red bellied woodpecker, then a brown headed nuthatch.  They all wanted seeds.  The female downy stuffed each seed into a crack in the post to keep it still while she hammered.  I put out some barkbutter balls and attracted a blue jay.  By mid morning we had sunshine but it was still cold.  

Mockingbirds came after the blue jays had carried off most of the barkbutter balls. Both a mockingbird and a blue jay were thirsty.  Bluebirds returned to the seed feeder.  The male downy, with his red crest on end, checked out the seeds.  

The yellow flag irises bloomed and I saw buds on the yellow fleur-de-lis irises.  K hung another block of suet and the male downy was right on it, with his hair still on end.  He had competition from mockingbirds.  The two mockingbirds argued over the suet.  The feral cat showed up and I chased it off - too many birds were on the ground hunting suet crumbs.  Turtles were enjoying the sunshine.  

Two squirrels got into a serious fight.  They were rolling around the patio like a furry ball.  I snapped a picture but i should have made a movie.  The male red bellied woodpecker heard about the suet and came right away.  He was very red, not just on the tummy but his face looked sunburned.  The female downy was annoyed that the bigger bird was occupying the suet.  A white throated sparrow hunted seeds.  

Squirrel's bad day

The wind was much cooler and waves muddied the creek surface.  A mockingbird wanted a refill on the barkbutter balls.  So did a blue jay.  A few turtles enjoyed the sunshine. The pileated woodpeckers got their share of the suet though the pesky starlings ate more. A tiger swallowtail flew across the yard.  A female bluebird worked on the dregs of the barkbutter balls.  The sycamore and the pecan leafed out and I saw flowers on the wild cherry.  . 

I noticed a courtship pursuit where the female squirrel stays just a couple of feet ahead of the male as he chases in slow motion.  A crow noticed too and began to harass the male squirrel, swooping down on him like a hawk but not actually touching the squirrel.  That broke up the courtship chase real fast.  The female abandoned her erstwhile pursuer.  Another crow watched so maybe the bully wanted to impress the other one?  Finally the crows had had enough fun and left.  The squirrels eventually reunited but then the dog demanded to go out and make them leave his territory.  I was glad to see him take an interest.  He chased the squirrels and treed them, but then one jumped down and dashed across the pool cover and the water from last night's storm.  The dog followed - the first time I've seen him set foot on the pool cover.  In the end, the squirrels took their courtship elsewhere and the dog was satisfied.  

Still blowing

The wind roared all night and the rain refilled feeders, birdbath, and ant moats.   Early morning was gray as the pair of mockingbirds.  But the sky began to clear as the wind shifted more to the West.  Small waves corrugated the creek.  Crows came looking for a handout.  

A tattered black swallowtail egged the rue.  I saw a small sulphur as well.  Blue jays were happy I'd put out barkbutter balls.  A pair of mallards enjoyed the pool cover puddle.  The pileated woodpeckers returned in the late afternoon.  Turtles basked on their log.  A female bluebird had barkbutter balls for supper.  

Wet and windy

The morning rainfall was very light but it seemed to be keeping the birds away.  I wasn't going to refill the dishes only to have rain make mush of them, but that left seeds and suet. More of the dogwood trees started to bloom.  I was surprised when a pelican plunged into the creek right in front of us.  Maybe it was avoiding the wind over open water because the wind grew increasingly strong during the day.  That helped dry things out.  

A white throated sparrow came out at lunchtime.  A cabbage white imitated a fluttering dogwood petal.  The white breasted nuthatch came back for more seeds.  A blue jay watched the creek.  The turtle log was loaded with at least six big ones.  The cardinals were courting again.  And the mockingbirds were still going in and out of the sakaki.  The female pileated woodpecker came back.  Toward evening, sunset colors leaked through the overcast.  

Nest?

Early morning was foggy, or misting.  It didn't dissipate so much as lift and become overcast.  Sometimes the sun was visible but veiled.  The nuthatches were busy feeder visitors.  As was the female red bellied woodpecker.  I saw one white throated sparrow. The female pileated woodpecker returned for suet.  I was beginning to fear they would not come back.  A fuzzy pine warbler wanted some but wasn't going to argue with the much bigger woodpecker. 

 

 

The two mockingbirds made regular forays for food.  I noticed they were entering the sakaki frequently at one particular spot.  Did they build a nest there?

There were flower buds on the rue.  The dark purple iris continued to bloom.  The money plant flowers made a sea of pink punctuated by bumblebees.  A couple of buffleheads paddled upstream in the late afternoon.   One big turtle basked on the log. According to the map, it's probably time to put a hummingbird feeder out. 

Hot day

Morning was windy so we had pelicans.  One azalea bush began blooming.  Oak, maple, and dogwood were blooming while the wild cherry put out leaves.  A couple of cabbage whites flitted around egging leaves.  A patch of leucojum bloomed.  I had hoped to be rid of it. 

The temperature was 79° at lunch.  I spotted a song sparrow on a branch, then a white throat on another.  A paper wasp gnawed on an old bamboo stake.  Starlings demolished the suet and fought with each other for the privilege.  A couple of turtles enjoyed the warmth.  I had expected more of them to be basking.  By 6pm rain had begun falling.

Oriole standoff

A female pileated woodpecker worked on what was left of the suet. Then she hunted for what she'd dropped.  And she found it!  The female red bellied woodpecker was only interested in seeds.  Warblers and white throated sparrows foraged.  The tide rain high and rough. 

A female oriole had jelly for breakfast.  I put out mealworms and a male oriole showed up.  The female oriole kept an eye on him from her perch on the jelly dish.  Soon he barged in and took over the jelly.  She sulked in the camellia. 

Meanwhile, a brown headed nuthatch was frustrated by finches hogging the seeds but eventually got a turn.   A female bluebird had some mealworms.  A blue jay watched from the oak.  The female oriole returned to the jelly. 

This time, when the male oriole tried to take over the feeder dish she was not intimidated and kept her beak between him and the jelly.  Eventually he gave up and waited till she was finished.  I took lots of pictures but I wish I'd thought to make a movie.  

A song sparrow hopped down the steps to look for suet crumbs.  Later it looked in the birdbath for seeds.  Bufflehead drakes paddled downstream.  Then female buffleheads headed upstream.  A white breasted nuthatch got seeds. 

There were buds ready to open on the azalea.  Turtles basked on every available surface.  Occasionally pelicans flew past.  

Dismal day

It rained all day and into the night.  A brown headed nuthatch grabbed a seed.  House finches and the occasional chickadee ate seeds too.  A male bluebird tried for some suet since the barkbutter dish was full of rain.  A female bluebird opted for seeds.  The seed trough was more sheltered than the suet but a yellow rumped warbler chose suet.  A female oriole was unhappy with all the choices.  Crows appeared to be unbothered by the weather.  A turtle hauled out on the log - perhaps the air was warmer than the water.  A bufflehead spent more time under water than in the rain.  

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.  

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. 

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.  

Food matters

The creek was quiet but the reflections were muted by the lack of sunshine.  The male pileated woodpecker started off the morning.  At lunch, two song sparrows foraged separately.  The female pileated got a turn at the suet nubbin.  Warblers took their disputes to the air.  Pelicans made passes all morning and early afternoon.

I finally replaced the barkbutter balls and jelly.  That brought bluebirds, a mockingbird, more warblers, orioles, and blue jays.  A white throated sparrow paid a brief visit to the mulch.  Finally the overcast departed.  But after that I saw no more pelicans.  Instead, turtles began to emerge.  But the clouds came back in the late afternoon.  

Damp

The day began gloomy and gray with a foggy mist.  Everything outside dripped.  Even a pine warbler looked gray.  The pileated woodpeckers came and went while my hands were occupied.  The female red bellied woodpecker tried to get her beak inside the seed feeder - it must have been close to empty.  The suet was nearly gone too, disappointing a bluebird.  The orioles weren't happy either.  The barkbutter dish was full of water and the jelly dish was covered, so their fans were looking elsewhere.  A mockingbird explored the mountain mint thicket.  

After it became clear that the rain was over, I took the lid of the jelly and put out some fresh barkbutter balls.  The orioles and blue jays were right there.  So was the orange crowned warbler.  The house finches started courting or, at least, he did.  She seemed a bit taken aback.  A white breasted nuthatch got seeds from the feeder.  A goldfinch prospected for mountain mint seeds. 

Some glimmers of sunlight emerged.  Pelicans made many passes over the creek.  Three turtles hauled out on their log.  

Really warm!

Everything was wet this morning, but whether there was rain overnight or just heavy dew, I could not tell.  The temperature was in the 60s at breakfast and the 70s at lunch.  The overcast broke apart in the afternoon and we got some sun.  The female pileated woodpecker came for breakfast.  

A clementine had started to rot so I put some of the un-rotten part in the dish with the jelly. Three female orioles came for that.  There's a definite pecking order among them, the darkest orange goes first.  The orange crowned warbler only wanted jelly.  A very dark myrtle warbler poked in the mulch.  Maybe it was wet?  Today, I was ready and caught the red bellied woodpecker.  

I saw pelicans, including on that crashed into the water in front of us at lunch, but no photos.  A great blue heron perched where the pelican was yesterday.  I counted ten turtles enjoying the heat on their log.  Two white birds (gulls?) chased each other around the sky.  A buzzard soared and circled.  

A song sparrow and a white throated sparrow and a cardinal hunted in the grass on the hillside below my window.  The pileated climbed trees.  I saw lots of the birds in the trees but most of the time twigs in the way messed up the camera focus.