Windy, cold, and short.

Well the "windy" and "cold" has been for days. Tomorrow is the first afternoon we hope the temps to peak above freezing in over 3 full days.

Windy, cold, and short was our drive to Post Park, about 5 miles s. of Marathon.

We received word around noon of a "gull" appearing at the Marathon Motel on the western edge of town. However, by the time we arrived it had flown westward. We went several miles west on Hwy 90, to no avail.

The strange weather systems have a tendency to bring some odd avians with them. We've had 15-mph winds from the NNE for three days now. I wonder what species that "gull" may have been?

Anyhow, this prompted us to swing down to Post Park after eating lunch at Guzzi Pizza in town.

Single digits shorten time spent and lists described. Here's ours for about 15 minutes at "Post" :

21	Ring-necked Duck
4	American Coot
1	Killdeer
1	Greater Yellowlegs
2	Golden-fronted Woodpecker
2	Say's Phoebe
2	Cactus Wren
8	Canyon Towhee
16	White-crowned Sparrow
1	Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
1	House Finch

And on the road down:

4	Mallard (Mexican)
1	Red-tailed Hawk
8	Mourning Dove
1	Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
4	Northern Mockingbird
4	Canyon Towhee
12	Black-throated Sparrow
4	Pyrrhuloxia
X	meadowlark sp.

Almost all birds where down on the ground, with these biting winds and frigid temps. Any hope of forage was likely on the ground as well.

Well, the Sun has just come out, and the Weather Channel says its 14 degrees F.
Small steps.