Solstice

 

The first day of winter awoke to a balmy 66 degrees. While we've had a few nights in the 30's most days are "shorts" weather. While the fronts typically bring high winds and cool temperatures, they also bring in migrant birds, some of which are not common to our area.

I've had a couple of rufous hummingbirds hanging around for the past month. They are the first ones that I've seen. They are very aggressive and will get in your face! Good thing they're not any bigger.

The cold fronts push many water fowl into the bays. These hooded mergansers also been infiltrated by an alien horned grebe.

A pair of northern shovlers.

A  young red shouldered hawk has also been hanging around this week. That's only a small sample of the migrants that we're seeing.