Warm and wet

It was raining when I got up.  A downy mourned the lack of suet and ate a few seeds.  A couple of white throats ran around.  A myrtle warbler perched on a chair arm, maybe to remind me about empty feeders.  Mallards collected on the dock.

Sunshine appeared around lunch time so I refilled the barkbutter dish.  That brought bluebirds, blue jays, a myrtle warbler, and a female oriole. A pine warbler became interested in seeds.  The wind became very strong.  I noticed that the camellia buds had survived last week's freeze and were blooming.  A pair of ruddy ducks bobbed in the water beside the dock.  

Rain returned in the night.  According to the weather report, we were one degree shy of the record high for the last day of January.  However, the month was unusually dry. 

Quiet

A few ruddy ducks fished the creek and a handfull of mallard drakes paddled around.  I saw a mockingbird, warblers, and blue jays on the barkbutter dish.  White breasted and brown headed nuthatches got their seeds.  A warbler ate some jelly.  A junco popped up in the mulch.  Of course there were white throats and starlings.  

 

Pelicans & ruddy ducks

A mockingbird was not pleased to find only dust in the barkbutter dish.  White throats pecked through the mulch and leaf litter.  A Carolina wren joined the search. 

Most of the action, however, was on the creek as the weather continued warm and windy.  A raft of at least 15 ruddy ducks floated and dived.  An egret monitored the lake.  Toward evening, the tide was very low.  A pelican landed near a ruddy -- what a contrast in size.  I spotted one hooded merganser female among the ruddy ducks paddling away from the pelican. 

Hazy

The creek was at last free of ice.  Pelicans fished throughout the morning.  They may have been avoiding the wind over more open water.  I saw quite a few buffleheads on the water.  Titmice were up early.  A mockingbird checked the barkbutter dish but found only dust.  Starlings raided the suet and fought with each other.  A myrtle warbler noticed there was water in the birdbath.  The male red bellied woodpecker came back for suet and argued with the mockingbird.  

We had nuthatches at lunch, first the white breasted, then the brown headed.  A pine warbler noticed that I refilled the dishes.  A very determined squirrel tried to break into the seed feeder.  Two others chased each other.  The sky was blue but hazy.  A whole flock of ruddy ducks paddled downstream, diving along the way.  

Oriole & red-bellied woodpecker males

Morning was gray and, despite the higher temperatures, the creek was still half iced with frozen snow.  Around the birdbath a few clumps of snow remained.  Some white throats foraged there while a myrtle warbler ate barkbutter crumbs.  

By lunch time the sun was shining.  A female oriole enjoyed jelly.  K had acquired some different suet balls.  Since they weren't hot pepper flavored, K applied hot sauce to discourage squirrels.  The birds seemed cautious.  Starlings, bluebirds, and a male oriole gave them a try.  A junco briefly poked through the litter under the seed feeder.  

A male red bellied woodpecker wanted suet but there was a starling on it.  The woodpecker scolded furiously but the starling would not leave.  Finally the red belly moved to the barkbutter dish but I didn't see it it eat anything. 

Much warmer

The polar vortex was gone and melting was under way.  Blue jays and starlings visited but I think a lot of other birds were less hungry since it wasn't so cold.  Four squirrels ate together, mostly peacefully.  White throats came as usual.  A Carolina wren joined them.  A squirrel spilled most of the water in the ant moat.  

Seasonable

Finally, we had more normal winter temperatures, though the creek stayed frozen. A myrtle warbler nestled into the snow, looking forlorn.  White throats kicked snow in search of seeds. 

Enough snow on the patio had melted by lunch that I went outside with food for the birds.  Blue jays cleaned out the fresh barkbutter balls without announcing it to other birds.  By the time they caught on, the warblers and bluebirds got crumbs.  An oriole found the fresh jelly.  A mockingbird couldn't find anything to eat. Starlings found the suet that K hung up.  A Carolina wren got some suet too. 

I spotted a sapsucker on a distant tree.