Out like a lion

The first day of March was lovely.  The last day, though warm, grew windy and ended in rain.  Menacing clouds filled the sky at 5pm and an hour later melted together to rain.  I was driving, not taking pictures.    In the morning, the downy woodpeckers queued up for suet.  Orioles seemed confused after starlings ate up all the food.  Blue jays were disappointed too. 

Brown headed nuthatches continued their steady depletion of sunflower seeds.  A chipping sparrow wandered the patio looking for goodies.  A junco did the same, but in the mulch.  A bluebird foraged on the steps. 

The gladiolus bulbs sprouted!  A black swallowtail egged the rue.  Turtles basked.  

Woodpeckers

At breakfast, the female red bellied woodpecker was on the seed feeder at the same time the male pileated woodpecker was eating suet.  But before I could focus, the dog disturbed them and they didn't return.  Then both male and female downy woodpeckers shared the suet briefly, and again I missed the shot.  I did catch a female oriole.

Despite the chilly air, turtles enjoyed the sunshine.  

Another red-bellied woodpecker

Pollen streaked the creek and the overnight rain left drips.  A female red-bellied woodpecker visited today but only for sunflower seeds.  She ignored the suet that the male devoured yesterday.  At least two brown headed nuthatches were after the same seeds.  

Bluebirds hoped for barkbutter balls but I was waiting for things to dry out first.  A junco foraged.  The leonine cat prowled.  Buffleheads bobbed on the creek.  

After sunset I admired the first quarter moon overhead. 

Seeds

There were starlings hanging around every time I looked so I never put any food out.  Of course there was the suet and the sunflower seed feeder.  The brown headed nuthatch was happy with those.  Blue jays, titmice, warblers, a robin, and other birds appeared to be eating oak flowers or maybe catching bugs.  I saw a junco foraging under the seed feeder.  The day was cooler, cloudy, and not so breezy.  

A myrtle warbler preened in the dogwood while waiting to defend the suet.  The pileated woodpecker returned and the warbler decided to retreat.  A downy woodpecker felt the same.  When the pileated flew away, he landed on a tree trunk opposite a squirrel.  The downy hustled back to the suet only to find a starling had got there first.  

A couple of doves wandered around the patio.  Bluebirds were not pleased with the lack of barkbutter balls.  The dog was feeling enough recovered to wander around the yard.  A white throated sparrow emerged from under an azalea bush.  The one dogwood once again made puzzle boxes of its petals.  The domestic cherry burst into bloom!  I begain planting seeds because rain is predicted for overnight.  

Astronomy

Money plants began flowering.  Bluebirds kept an eye on the feeders.  A male red bellied woodpecker ate suet, followed by a pair of downy woodpeckers.  Blue jays flew around the trees.  A clump of tent caterpillars built an nest in the wild cherry.  A brown headed nuthatch was thirsty.  The azaleas were not waiting for April to bloom.  

The yellow cat prowled around the pool.  Brown headed nuthatches ignored it.   A rumpled, molting oriole ate barkbutter balls.  Turtles enjoyed the pleasant temperature and didn't mind the rain.  The redwood began to leaf out.  The dog was very sick and we feared for him but a vet was reassuring. 

By evening the sky was hazy and streaked with clouds but they formed a gorgeous sunset.  An egret or heron flew over head. As twilight darkened, I was able to find two of the five planets that were supposed to be lined up.  I think they were Venus and Mars.  A black cat with white feet dashed past me.  We are getting overrun with cats. 

Warm again

The temperature came back up again, but it was windy.  I was in Norfolk and on the way home, the temperature climbed to 81.  Then raindrops started falling but hardly enough to clean the windshield.  Afterward, the thermometer settled in the 70s and the sky gradually cleared.  The sweet gum began to leaf out. 

Fickle weather

The early bird was a bluebird.   Hooded mergansers preened on the water.  I found a rose bud. 

At noon the temperature was 81° and by 1:30pm it was 65°. Turtles were out basking in the sunshine.  A male kingfisher perched on a neighbor's dock piling. 

 A white throated sparrow scampered about the patio.