Gray

Under an overcast sky, leafless branches crisscrossed in shades of gray.  Reflections in the placid creek were sharp but muted. A female red bellied woodpecker feasted on suet.  She was followed by a male pine warbler.  Then a yellow rumped warbler landed on the suet.  A bufflehead popped up on the creek.

After lunch, the cat came back to watch for birds again.  I saw a yellow jacket hunting through the mulch.  White throats foraged and downy woodpeckers ate suet.  A male red bellied woodpecker probed bark all the way up a pine trunk.  It appeared to be listening for movement.  I hoped to see it pluck something out of the tree, but no joy for him or me.

Unleaving

Today trees today had lost half their leaves or more. It called to mind Hopkins' poem Spring and Fall to a young child.  In college the prof told me I had missed the point of the poem.  I thought it was about adults getting preoccupied and failing to see the world around them.  The prof insisted it was about mortality.  I'm still not convinced and changing seasons still make me sad.

Rain and a cold wind discouraged the birds.  Plus, something swooped at a downy woodpecker as she was about to hop onto the suet.  A butterbutt dropped in briefly.  Hoodies were out on the creek.

The cat was prowling through the backyard in the afternoon.  Rain returned after dark and became sleet around 9pm. 

Warm and wet

The air was humid and a little rain fell.  Leaves on the creek were sorted into long lines. Hooded mergansers were fishing today.  A few buffleheads joined them.

Carolina wrens poked around on the seed feeder.  White throats scurried below. Downy woodpeckers claimed the suet. A pine warbler begged to differ. And then rain fell but it didn't last long. 

A female junco took a bath as we were leaving for lunch.  Hoodies were still fishing. in the afternoon.  Mallards were feeding too, but presumably on something different. The heavy cloud cover made the light drop and soon it was too dark for the camera.

Mild

A heavy dew made the feeder appear to be sweating.  The hoodies were out in force on the creek but I didn't see much diving.  A bufflehead preened.  Up on the patio, white throats were busy.  Downy woodpeckers wanted suet. 

At lunch, I saw a mockingbird drinking from the birdbath and a junco in the cherry but both were camera-shy.  A pine warbler was more co-operative.  The morning's placid, reflective water gave way to rough water. 

An egret rested on a log in the lake.  Clouds moved in during the afternoon, just in time to enhance sunset.  Later the moon played its light across the clouds. 

Clearing

The white sky became blue during breakfast.  Geese, hoodies, and buffleheads mized on the shining water.  The tide was up into the grass.  Titmice and downy woodpeckers came to the feeders. A couple of blue jays showed up but spooked before getting anything to eat.

When we came out of church, the sky was clouded over again, and again it cleared during lunch.  The hoodies were still strutting more than fishing.  A female paddled with her head under water, looking dead except for her speed.  A few white throats were around.  Two goldfinches dropped in for a quick drink.  Three mourning doves gathered around the birdbath. 

In the late afternoon I walked around the yard.  A great blue heron stood below the dam watching the water.  The black swallowtail caterpillar was still alive, though shrunken and slow to react.  And a male downy squeaked as it probed the dogwood.  By then clouds to the West were picking up sunset tints and the air was chilly despite being nearly still.  The full moon was above the trees by 8:30pm. 

Cloudy

A day that began placid and sunny clouded over by noon.  I did not get much chance to observe, but did see titmice, downy woodpeckers, butterbutts, and juncos.

A brief rain fell in the late afternoon.  The light level fell too.  About a dozen cormorants perched on a log in the lake but there was not enough light.  Hooded mergansers and buffleheads fished on the creek.  After dark, the moon leaked through the clouds and back-lighted them and looked very spooky.

Windy

The creek was rough but I glimpsed a bufflehead twice. Some new birds visited in the morning, along with the ones that have been around.  A downy woodpecker started the parade.  Then a blue jay landed on the mealworm dish.  A titmouse was open to either suet or seeds for breakfast.  Only suet would do for a male pine warbler.  Squirrels were thirsty and white throats wanted a bath.  A brown headed nuthatch appeared briefly on the suet before being jostled aside by bigger birds.

Redwing blackbirds visited along with a robin.  A yellow rumped warbler finally showed up.  A female house finch that appeared to have only one foot had difficulty staying on the feeder perch.   Another house finch examined the suet and didn't like it.