It has been so cold.  I was looking outside and saw a little grey squirrel skitter across the yard, pausing at a frozen bit of ice checking to see if it was thawing.  I thought I’d better attend to my bird feeders and put out some bowls of warm water for everyone.

I had just finished filling the feeder, putting in fresh suet and setting out water when a big Steller’s Jay landed on the railing of the deck.  So I put out peanuts for him.  Two minutes later there were five jays squabbling over the peanuts, grabbing at each other, at the peanuts then flying about the yard to “hide” them under bits of moss and leaves.  I reached for my camera, not quite quick enough to catch a Northern Flicker swoop by.  Shortly after a couple of crows came to see what the commotion was. 

I love my backyard.

ps  the links above will take you to Bird Web, a great resource for birders in WA.