Strong winds early. Bah! The past several days have at least had still (or only slightly breezy) mornings, so that this time of day was very sweet outside. Not today! Today we’re being blown to bits, at least since dawn.
All days recently have been enhanced breezy through windy in the afternoons. The most recent precipitation I know of was 10 days ago, a drizzly day with occasional rain showers. (I’ve really got to put out my rain gauge.) I wasn’t here that Friday, either, so that’s Alan’s description of the day.
Birds have been fantastic. We have so many black-headed grosbeaks that the yard is always full of color. We had our first Western Tanager in the yard a couple of days ago! They could be around all the time, I just have never seen them before. We have a couple of mockingbirds who occasionally battle it out in song 100 feet from the house. We have red-winged blackbirds! Also never saw them this close to the house before. Several sets of phoebes, scrub jays, hummingbirds, canyon towhees, spotted towhees, doves — all our usual guests have stayed on.
With any luck, they’ll still be here when the wind let up!