This has been the strangest winter yet.  There was freezing rain again last night.  The deck is covered in a layer of ice.  My vehicle is coated and sits like a popsicle on the driveway.  The doors are frozen shut.  It should be a treat to get around later today when the forecasted snow begins to fall.

The one thing that I don't mind about this winter is the abundance of grosbeaks in the yard.  The 'pines' come in daily to forage at the tray feeder.  The brightly colored males add some color to the white blanket of snow.  The females don't sport the same brightness but their color is beautiful none the less.  Their calls are a welcome addition to the usual morning choir that I hear when I open the back door.

As I sat at the kitchen table, one woodpecker after the other took turns feeding at the station set up on my deck.  A large male hairy woodpecker arrived first, followed by the female.  She left and a small female downy arrived.  The woodpeckers 'owned' the feed today.  While they were feeding, the little black capped chickadees flew in and sat on the deck rail with the hopes of grabbing a bite.  The woodpeckers didn't allow visitors.  They 'ruled the roost' so to speak.  I guess there's a 'pecking order' at the birdie breakfast table.