Meteorology fail

We were promised day-long bright sunshine and instead got cold mist and a gray sky.  Not only was it overcast, the temperature was well below the prediction.  The cloud cover also guaranteed that there would be no viewing of the lunar eclipse last night (actually early this morning).  A Carolina wren came for suet, then a downy.  The male oriole sat on the dish feeder like he was incubating the jelly.  Then a myrtle warbler landed nearby but couldn't get past the oriole.  

A bluebird ate seeds.  White throats hunted what fell from the feeder.  A white breasted nuthatch squeezed between a finch and a wren to get seeds.  The nuthatch flew to the ground and the birdbath which was a behavior I had not seen before.  Toward evening, a pelican glided low over the flat water as mist gathered.  It would have made a great photo but the camera was at the other end of the house.

Fog

I like morning fog but this didn't burn off.  Instead it congealed into gray overcast.  A heron was almost invisible perched on a piling.  A cormorant blended into the gray water. Another tried to dry out on the piling where the heron had been.  A hoodie pair were easier to see, at least he was.  Later the piling held a ring-billed gull. 

A bluebird came for seeds and a red belly for barkbutter balls.  A blue jay didn't find much left in the dish and tried some seeds instead.  A white throat perched on a hickory twig.  A mockingbird watched from the roof before flying to the barkbutter dish.  A Carolina wren chose suet. 

Surprisingly sunny

Despite the "mostly cloudy" prediction, this was a sunny day.  A Carolina wren beat the sun to the feeders.  White throated sparrows liked the barkbutter balls enough to abandon terra firma.  Bluebirds and the male oriole showed off their colors in the sunlight.  

The maple tree started to bloom.  White throats and bluebirds flitted through the oak branches but the camera had a hard time with focus.  A brown headed nuthatch came to the seed feeder while I was sitting close.  A white throat contemplated a bath in the pool puddle. 

Courting season

Dawn was slow and clouds reflected pale orange light.  An egret monitored the creek from a dock post.  But I couldn't see anything -- the high tide had a dull, wrinkled surface.  Eventually a cormorant paddled past.  I saw a white breasted nuthatch but it was too fast for me. 

Two Carolina wrens checked each feeder between them.  Again a female bluebird wanted seeds.  A male house finch joined her.  White throats continued their mulch kicking.  A blue jay had to confirm that the barkbutter dish was really empty.  A mockingbird also inspected the empty dish.  Another mockingbird showed up and the two flew at each other.  I don't know if it was rivalry or true love.  A myrtle warbler watched from the bench back.

By lunchtime there was sunshine in a bright blue sky.  Geese were earning their reputation for foolishness, chasing each other.  I refilled the barkbutter dish so we would have entertainment at lunch.  Sure enough, blue jays wasted no time.  The bluebirds still preferred seeds.  So did a brown headed nuthatch.  

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. 

Brown thrasher

Daylight Saving Time meant I got up with the sun and saw the creek mirroring the light on the bank and trees.   The water was as smooth as if polished, and undisturbed.  Somewhat later I saw a great blue heron up in the pines.  Bluebirds arrived seeking seeds.  A Carolina wren made off with something and hid under the furniture to eat it.  A handful of white throats hunted edibles.

I restocked the jelly and barkbutter dishes before lunch.  Blue jays soon noticed.  So did myrtle warblers.  A female red belly hiked up and down tree trunks.  The myrtle warbler reluctantly gave way for a white breasted nuthatch that found the barkbutter balls.  A mockingbird was more interested in seeds.  Then the brown thrasher appeared among the white throats in the mulch.  That made two of the three local Mimidae and March is too early for catbirds.

Clouds came and went but seemed thicker toward evening.  Egrets and cormorants flew home. 

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.