The foggy night made for a beautiful white frosty morning.  Hoar frost crystals covered every tree branch with a sparkling coat.  The scene was Christmas-card perfect.

When I got home from my travels today, I was entertained by the backyard wildlife.  The deer had emptied all the feeders so I refilled them.  The birds were 'waiting in the wings' for more food.  They began swooping in from the tree branches before I had the garage door closed.

The magpies were the most comical.  Instead of eating from the tray feeders, they tried jumping up to grab suet from the feeders or they flew up and grabbed hold of the suet holder.  While they tried to eat, they flapped their wings as their grip loosened from the suet cage.

Downy and hairy woodpeckers visited the deck feeders alongside the black capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches.  What fun to watch them peck at the peanut bell!

In the mid-afternoon, the deer began filing into the yard from the forest.  The first to arrive were two bucks and a runty fawn. The bucks shared the food dish but did not allow the little one to come close.  As it tried to feed, the big guys reared up and stomped on it or head-butted it.  When the bucks moved to another feeder, the fawn tried sneaking to eat the grain that fell to the ground around the dish.  The larger of the two bucks charged back to chase the fawn from the yard.

A couple of does and three fawns showed up an hour later.  I had filled the dish when the bucks left so the next group had a good feed.  It's interesting to witness the hierarchy in the herd; the leaders and the followers.  One doe controls them.  She eats first and the others eat what is left.  The second doe and one fawn are skittish and cower when the bossy doe approaches.  If they don't move, she will rear up and try stomping on them.

There is so much daily action in my yard that I am having a difficult time getting my daily chores done.  I love watching the wildlife that visits my yard!