A Ping Pong Ball With Feathers

A week ago this little bird agreed to model for me and my camera. It and many of its friends know me well, waiting to hear me calling as I set out meal worms and sunflower seed hulls for them. And they come right away for their meals. This, a Chickadee (Poecile).

These Chickadees, that weigh less than half an ounce, make me think of ping pong balls covered with feathers, complete with a feathery tail, two little feet and a beak.

I’m only listing this bird as a Chickadee (Poecile), without going further, not listing its specific species. In North America, there are seven Chickadee species that regularly occur on the continent, and two of those species, the Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis), and the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) both live in my area, and also interbreed making it extremely difficult for me to know exactly what species one or the other is.

Whichever they might be, I love having them around. They are extremely friendly birds, making me feel quite welcome in their world of nature.

_____________________________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Eating Poison Ivy Berries

Seems mighty strange but Poison Ivy berries are quite popular with birds. Here, a Chickadee (Paridae) enjoys a snack of what else, Poison Ivy berries.

Chickadees, here at my location are just Chickadees. This area is where the range of two species of Chickadees overlap. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) and Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus). They are not only extremely similar in appearance but they also interbreed, so trying to decide which species one actually belongs to is useless. Whichever species, they’re often seen at the Poison Ivy vines.

___________________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts, sign up here!