Hard freeze

Our thermometer read 26° at 7:15am so the birds had to wait a while till I was willing to set foot outside.  But the sun was shining, the air was calm, and the blue sky paid no attention to the forecast. The birdbath and the ant moat were solid ice, but the creek was open water.  

Warblers puffed up like butterballs.  The red bellied woodpecker scraped the bottom of the barkbutter dish.  A hawk perched high in one of the pines across the creek.  I think the birds were aware of it because they disappeared.  There was a branch or something in front of it that messed up the camera focus but its big yellow talons were unmistakable.  

At lunch there were songbirds.  They'd mad quite a dent in the food so I put out more.  Bluebirds soon arrived.  The downy woodpecker got aggravated at the warblers eating suet and started chasing them away.  Orioles wanted their jelly as did that orange crowned warbler.  A blue jay went after fallen food.  The birdbath was still frozen.  Squirrels were busy and I caught one flying.