The deer emptied their grain dish and all the bird feeders overnight.  When the birds began stirring in the morning, they were in for a surprise.  I filled all the stations and put out some extra suet.  Before I could get in the backdoor, the feeding frenzy began.

Six magpies flew into the yard; fighting for the last kernels of grain in the grass and hopping to try and reach a suet block.  Four blue jays swooped in to the tray feeders; scaring the little chickadees.  The number of chickadees could not be counted.  They flitted from the spruce boughs in all directions to the feeders at all the stations.

The temperature dipped last night and the chickadees were extra fluffy today.  As I watched them fly back and forth, I marveled at how much energy they expend while flying to the feeders for the lone seed that they are able to carry back to the branch.