The very entertaining backyard bluejays put on quite a show.  I put a handful of mixed nuts into a tray feeder.  When the birds found the treat, there was a lot of squawking going on.  At least four different jays took turns flying in from the tree tops to grab and go.  They took their treats to the highest branches to hide them for later.  It was amazing to see how many nuts each one could transport in one visit.

The feeder was on the deck in front of the patio doors so it was easy to view.  The in-coming birds were different sizes and different hues.  Some of them were brighter in color than others and some had fluffier feathers.

I've observed them in the fall after the leaves have dropped from the trees.  The jays would grab a nut, fly down to the grass and cover the it with a leaf.  This time, it appeared that they were hiding the nuts in the bark crevices.

The grosbeaks and finches are gone but the year round birds are still emptying the feeders and putting on a daily show while I wait for the summer birds to arrive.  There have been some sightings of robins but I have not seen them yet.

The geese are flying over, heading for the lake.  They came back too early.  There is still a thick layer of ice on the lake surface so they are making do with the small pools of water accumulating from the snow melt.  

I'm watching everyday for the return of cranes and swans.  Their calls can be heard for miles and their migration looks like a magical dance in the sky.  All signs are pointing to spring having sprung.  I guess the groundhog was correct in his prediction.