I'm beginning to feel like a cat in a cage.  I haven't been out on the trails for a number of days due to the cold/windchill.  My outings have been limited to the backyard for brief periods of time.  Even with the layering of winter clothing, the wind was so biting that it chilled me to the core.

When I went outside this morning I noticed an increased number of hoof paths coming from the back fence.  There must have been a party in the backyard over night.  Every food tub was empty and tipped over.  Every bird feeder was empty. 

Shortly after refilling everything, the birds went into a feeding frenzy.  I watched as they flew back and forth and back and forth.  One hanging feeder is almost empty after 6 hours of activity.  Considering that the chickadees take only one seed at a time, that's a lot of flights back and forth.

I'm glad that I set some feeders close to the house.  It gives me a prime location to truly observe it's visitors.  Today for example, the chickadees that visited, were 'fluffed' up more than usual.  They too, were keeping warm in the cold. 

One of the young deer stopped by for a snack.  She kept glancing back at the bush which made me think that she probably ditched mama for a short time.  When she came to the feeder in front of the window, I took only a couple of close up photos.  Instead, I chose to watch her.  

I didn't know that those big brown eyes had such long eyelashes and that there were such a number of 'beard hairs' at the end of her muzzle.  When she was listening to the sounds that the neighbors were making, I could see how hairy the inside of her ears were.

With so many deer coming into the yard, I'm beginning to notice their differences so I can tell who is new and who is a returnee.  One has scars close to the hooves on its back legs making me think that she got caught up in a fence.  The one visiting today has a scar on her neck.  Then there's the one that doesn't care if there is grain in the tub.  She goes straight for the peanut butter.  The two does that show up at the same time don't like each other yet their offspring could care less about who is at the food tub.  They just want to eat.

When I decided to nature scape my yard, I knew that I would be able to entice a few small creatures; more tiger salamanders or more frogs.  I had no idea how big the impact would be with only a few small changes.  

The twig pile at the back of the yard is shelter to small birds and family of tiger salamanders.  The decaying tree stump that the arborists left in place is a bug buffet for the pileated woodpeckers.  The mulch that I laid down and the cut up tree stumps that I placed in groups, provided shelter for the garter snakes.  The tall grasses are sticking up through the snow.  Small birds land on them to collect seeds from the grass heads.  The foot tall spruce trees that I planted 10 years ago are beginning to provide some hiding spots for the chickadees when it is -40C outside. The trees are also providing a sense of security for the deer.  They are planted around the perimeter of the yard so the neighbors dogs are not likely to notice the deer as quickly.

I don't know how the deer 'knew' that there was food in my yard but they have been coming regularly since November 21.  The $65 that I left at the feed store for rolled grain and sunflower seeds is allowing me an up close and personal view of these beautiful creatures.  I cannot put a dollar value on that experience.