I never thought that I would be grateful for the -38C temperature yesterday but I am; due to the fact that it made me stay home.  If I would not have been home, I would have missed all the action in the backyard.

The only time that I was outside was to fill the feeders for the deer and the birds throughout the day.  I didn't want them to be without food in such a frigid temperature.  The air was so cold that when I breathed in, it hurt the inside of my nose.  I was bundled up in layers and was warm as toast which made me wonder how the deer manage to stay warm with such short coats.

I set a tray of sunflower seeds out on the deck rail just outside the kitchen window.  I wanted to see how long it would take for the chickadees to find it.  It turned out to be less than 5 minutes.  They were not afraid to be so close to the house and they provided me with some entertainment.

A pair of pileated woodpeckers flew over the yard.  The blue jays squawked in a nearby tree.  The downy and hairy woodpeckers visited the suet feeders.  Black capped chickadees and nuthatches made countless trips from branches to feeders and back.

Earlier in the week, I noticed something unusual in the yard.  The little herd of 5 deer that visit my yard are neat eaters.  They eat everything in the tub and clean up anything that falls onto the ground.  I noticed that there has been a lot of grain on the ground so have been thinking that there may be new visitors.  I found the answer yesterday.

One doe and one fawn came into the yard at about 2pm.  They were very hesitant and skittish; looking around and standing on guard with every little sound.  They fed at the tub and made no attempt to eat from the bird feeders.  This was unlike the 5 musketeers that come regularly.  They don't pay any attention to movement in the window or me on the deck for that matter.  

Something scared the 2 newbies before they were finished eating.  I did not realize how fluffy their white tails get when they are scared.  I've never been close enough to see this.

The usual bunch came around 6 pm.  They cleaned up what the previous two dropped on the ground.  They emptied the bird feeders.  One doe that has been aggressive to the fawns was in a very bad mood yesterday.  She kicked at the young ones and lifted her front leg to stomp on them.

The temperature dipped below -40C again last night.  I went out to refill feeders.  The wood on the deck creaked and the neighborhood sounds were amplified in the cold.

The forecast is beginning to look decent for the end of the week.  Yesterday was the coldest March 1st since I moved out here almost 12 years ago.