Cold and blustery

Winter has definite come early and hard this year, and the weather has bounced from 40 degrees yesterday to twenties this AM and finally into single digits this afternoon. The turkeys came in for a quick snack and then headed back into the woods to get out of the wind.

The wood peckers have been cleaning out the suet feeders with as many as four pairs of Hairy Woodpeckers dining and several Downies and the Red Bellied waiting a turn.

Everytime I return from outside the deer move into the feeder area hoping to find a meal. The does and their yearlings are getting a bit protective of any fallen seed and work to keep others are bay. Even with the melt in yesterdays warmer temperatures, they seem to have become more determined to glean the easy pickings under the hanging feeders.