Snowy Day at the Aerie

We got between six and eight inches of fresh snow during the night at the Aerie. Enough that I cranked up the snow thrower to clear the driveway instead of using the shovel. It took me close to two hours to get the driveway and parking area in front of the garage cleared. While I did that, Terry used the snow shovel to clear the deck.

I couldn't help but notice that sometime early this morning...probably about the time that Chester was waking us up at 6:30 AM...a deer helped itself to the cracked corn I had in the bird feeder. It then went around the back of the house and moseyed on down the driveway and across the road. Of course, I never saw the deer, just its tracks in the snow. I know they were from early this morning because there was very little fresh snow in the imprints.

It's still overcast with the temperature hovering around 28 to 30 degrees and a small flurry occurs now and then but nothing serious is predicted. The radio even mentions that we might have temperatures rising to around 40 degrees in a couple of days. That won't be enough to get rid of all the snow, especially where I've now piled it and packed it, but the driveway could well be cleared down to bare ground come Monday.

With the fresh snow comes an influx of birds. There are dozens of Dark-eyed Juncos, Goldfinches and Black-capped Chickadees hitting the feeders along with a few Pine Siskins, White-breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Morning Doves, Tufted Titmice, one or two Purple Finches and Downy Woodpeckers. The Ravens are having fun flying over head chattering to one another. I really am amazed at the variety of calls, clicks, chortles and warbles the Raven can make. And I thought I heard a Red-tailed Hawk and Piliated Woodpecker earlier while I was clearing snow.