Spring continued to elude us today, with heavy snow showers this morning and temperatures that never made it above the low 40s. At Smith and Bybee Wetlands, Tree and Violet-green Swallows were hunting right at the surface of the water. This picture shows a squall of pea-sized hail moving over Bybee Lake. I don’t know how the birds found anything to eat in such weather.
The woods held good numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers; all those I saw well were of the Myrtle race. A few Lincoln’s Sparrows, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Bewick’s and Marsh Wrens, Bushtits, Black-capped Chickadees, and a Brown Creeper rounded out the songbird sightings. The sun did peek out between squalls, and this drew a few Western Painted Turtles out to bask briefly, despite the cold temps.
Ethical Birder 