Blackbirds and woodpeckers

The sun shone all day while small clouds flowed rapidly East. It didn't seem windy at ground level though it was colder.  Pelicans continued to fish but the other birds were fewer and less frequent so I think that the fish they were after must have dispersed. (I was wrong!) A few buffleheads paddled after the bigger birds. 

I paid more attention to the song and feeder birds.  Woodpeckers stayed fairly distant.  I saw a red bellied woodpecker hiking up a pine trunk.  A flicker preened on the hackberry trunk.  I think the downy finished off the suet.  Three red winged blackbirds and a female cowbird foraged under the seed feeder.  And a male oriole enjoyed some jelly.  

Bluebirds, warblers, a Carolina wren, brown headed nuthatches, and a mockingbird visited feeders while juncos, white throated sparrows, and a song sparrow hunted on the ground.  Of course the cardinals, house finches, chickadees, and titmice come every day.  

More fishing

It was mostly egrets from sun up to sun down, but pelicans came through repeatedly.  The egrets practiced social distancing and punished any who encroached.  I also saw egrets leap into the water after fish.  That probably explains yesterday's dirty bird.  

A few buffleheads pursued fish under the water.  I only saw one heron.  While I didn't see them fishing, flocks of comorants commuted to their roosts at twilight as clouds moved in.  

Up on the patio, bluebirds enjoyed the barkbutter balls. 

Fishing spree

Ducks and egrets and cormorants and pelicans and gulls patrolled the creek all day.   A grebe and a few buffleheads joined the hooded mergansers.  A snowy egret landed on the dock - the first time I've seen one come this far upstream.  

A great egret dried out on a post downstream.  It looked dingy and wet like it had fallen in.  I'd never seen a dirty egret before.  Rings of ripples kept popping to the surface of the creek but whether they were caused by fish or fishing ducks or methane wasn't clear.  The lake, however, was empty of action. 

The feeders also did lively business.  Pine and myrtle warblers, brown headed and white breasted nuthatches, bluebirds, and a Carolina wren joined the regulars.  Once again, goldfinches looked around for something to their liking. 

Juncos and white throats foraged on the ground beneath.  Doves seemed to be thinking romantically.  While outside, I spotted a male towhee.  It was harassed by a blue jay. 

Warm and wet

Despite the temperature and the lack of wind, a pelican fished on the creek.   A little flock of buffleheads roamed the creek, paddling and diving.   A lone hoodie drake joined them.  Several egrets hung around and disputed territorial claims.  The kingfisher waited atop a post for a fins to swim into range.  A mid day rain fell earlier than expected and caught the yard crew. 

Pine warblers were disappointed that I only opened one dish of bark butterballs. A downy booted one warbler off the suet.  White throats, a song sparrow, and juncos found plenty to eat on the ground.  Nuthatches, both brown headed and white breasted, cane for sunflower seeds.  A blue jay shot out of a tree and disappeared.  Bluebirds were more cooperative.  And I saw the first brown thrasher in months.  A mockingbird also showed up. 

Balmy

The sky was gray but the air was warm.  In the morning a boat disturbed a kingfisher but I wasn't ready with the camera.  A pelican soared overhead.  A strange long-haired cat hustled across the yard like a miniature lion.  A bufflehead drake surfaced followed by a female.  Another drake joined them.  A great blue heron watched everything from a perch high up in a pine.  

Sunset was a spectacle.  

Lovely warm day

The early morning reflections in the creek were brilliantly colored though the sky was hazy.   There were pelicans in the morning but as the day grew warmer they left for more adventurous places.  Then the cat came and lurked behind the bench back.  The birds have grown more daring despite the cat.  Bluebirds, blue jays, warblers, and juncos were lured by the barkbutter balls.  Even the white throated sparrows sampled the fallen fragments.   

The suet block was almost finished.  The oriole was disappointed to find the grape jelly empty.  I put more out but he didn't return. 

A brown headed nuthatch stole a seed from under a house finch's beak.  Two chickadees got into a pecking order fight.

A couple of squirrels were courting and the dog had a fine time chasing them.  They resumed as soon as he came indoors.  Later, the dog and I sat outdoors, he in the shade and me in the sun.  I startled a heron.  Bluebirds sat with finches on cherry branches, waiting for me to leave.  One turtle enjoyed the warmth on the lake log. 

The haze thickened as the afternoon went on.  By sunset, there were bars of pink cloud against the blue.   Cormorants commuted to roost against that backdrop.  

A New Year

And a new camera that does what I want!  I finally got rid of the spot that was showing up on the sky or other featureless areas.  It turned out to be on the camera body, not the lens - a speck of dust that got in when I was switching lenses.  

Morning was still wet from overnight rain and not quite as warm as yesterday.  There were brown headed nuthatches but I didn't get a picture.  Pine warblers wanted to know if I planned to uncap the barkbutter balls.  The goldfinch wondered too.  

Blue jays stole the show, and the barkbutter balls.  But bluebirds got some too.  The white throated sparrows only cared about what fell on the ground.