The birdbath was frozen solid and there was a definite skin of ice on parts of the creek this morning. The water was very still and mirror bright. A male cardinal was up early and soon pestered by house finches. A pine warbler and an orange crowned warbler got some bits of barkbutter. A cheeky Carolina wren peered into the kitchen in between foraging for barkbutter fragments.
Across the creek a neighbor wrapped bushes in holiday lights which reflected in the creek.
The birds got off to a slow start in the cold, but mid day was full of species once the dog scolded the feral cat and sent it away. A mockingbird paid multiple visits to the barkbutter balls. A pine warbler followed, then sampled the suet. I spotted a bufflehead drake on the creek.
A male Baltimore oriole popped up in the camellia, but before I could get a photo he flew to the barkbutter feeder. Then he moved over to the seed feeder hanger where his presence perturbed the female downy. He got a drink, then just posed for a while. To stay warm he was puffed up and much rounder than usual. The woodpecker needn't have worried as he showed no interest in the suet.
A white breasted nuthatch landed on the post but didn't stay. A myrtle warbler visited briefly. The orange crowned warbler came back. A Carolina wren had some barkbutter bits. A bluebird landed but didn't stay. A female junco scurried around the patio. And then a chipping sparrow landed on the seed feeder roof. It didn't stick around either. Chickadees and house finches kept the seed feeder busy. This was all within an hour and a half between 12:30 and 2pm!
I thought at first there was ice on the creek but it was just ruffled water. The birdbath had long, thin crystals. A Carolina wren came for barkbutter balls.
Toward evening, mallards became very busy on the creek. I could not see what inspired them to paddle from one spot to another so fast they left wakes. Cumulus clouds blushed orange as cormorants flew past.
I was running around most of the day. The tux cat made itself at home in the back so the birds stayed away. I went out front where I could hear a blue jay but I never saw it. There were birds in the cedar. I glimpsed one I thought was a bluebird but I "pish, pished" to no avail. The jessamine made a flower. A freeze was forecast so we brought in the peppers.
Cold drizzle didn't deter a hungry white throated sparrow from foraging under the feeder. House finches, cardinals, chickadees and titmice wanted their seeds. A mockingbird preferred suet, especially since the barkbutter balls were still covered to keep the rain out.
By afternoon, the drizzle turned into rain. Juncos joined the white throat and a Carolina wren foraging. I squeegeed the window several times but the camera still had trouble with focus. On the creek hoodies and mallards ignored the extra water.
We started the day with a blue jay. After that, they stayed up in the trees. The cat came back but the dog evicted it, at least for a couple of hours. A Northeast wind drove the tide up. Mid day the sky cleared and the temperature got all the way up to 46°.
A brown headed nuthatch joined the chickadees on the seed feeder. Some chickadees competed with the downy for suet. An orange crowned warbler also had a taste for suet, and for barkbutter balls. A very similar pine warbler did too. I saw a bluebird up in the hickory and then on the suet. Cormorants and Canada geese were all I saw on the creek.
Toward evening the sky grew threatening and the wind made waves on the creek.
The black & white cat basked for a while on the pool cover, but the birds were just too fascinating. Pretty soon, the cat was up on the steps There was a lot to see. A goldfinch in winter drab got a drink. A pine warbler streaked past on the way to the suet. A bluebird landed atop the post. Chickadees and house finches argued over seeds.
After K shooed the cat, twice, a Carolina wren helped itself to barkbutter balls. A mockingbird wanted some, but didn't hang around. Meanwhile, a brown headed nuthatch also came for seeds. A couple of doves paraded around the pool cover. The first junco of the Fall foraged under the sakaki.
The domestic cherry had lost almost all its leaves. The blueberry bushes were turning orange. One hickory was bare but the other, less exposed, retained its coppery foliage. The humongous fungus got mildewed from the rain. Mosses were still green from the rain. The odd thing I first saw weeks ago and thought was a puffball was unchanged. Clouds blocked the sun and the breeze felt chilly so I came inside. After 4pm the sun escaped the edge of the overcast and I hoped for migrant ducks floating through the reflections. No such luck, just a mallard.
