Feisty, is the word that has been used (overused) for this little fellow. If you hear scolding in the woods as you are taking your winter walk, but it is a gentle hissy fit or shushing and not the toothy angry snarling of a squirrel, then it is most likely this bird, dressed like a fancy butler or footman but even more formal in his black cap, dressed like maybe a French poet? It does look like "he" is wearing an unbuttoned gray waistcoat, does it not?
I have photos of him hanging upside down from branches covered in berries in the early fall and he stays around through the winter to brighten my bird bath and feeders. Because I live where Black-Capped Chickadees and Carolina Chickadees overlap in range, I am not expert enough to identify the one in the photo above. I have read that he can be trained to feed from the hand, which if the weather were a little warmer, I would attempt.
One of his songs is labeled as "Hey, Sweetie," in the spring(?). Other calls can be heard at this link.
What a delightful education of Chickadee voices in that YouTube video.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tit♥
ReplyDeleteNice little bird! I always admire people who can get film like on the link, when I think of the amount of patience needed to get a good image!
ReplyDeleteI love the little chickadees. ours don't have the reddish breast though, being all gray.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that call, yet never seen one. And, they will answer you if you answer them. Most fun.
ReplyDeleteI have an abundance of black capped chickadees. I could never call them feisty; they are such a delight. I call them cheeky--they tell me to back away from the bird feeder and yet eat the fallen seed around my feet.
ReplyDeleteI do love my little chickadees too. We have the Black-capped and the Chestnut-backed. I was not familiar with the "Hey, sweetie" call.
ReplyDeleteThose little black-capped Chickadees always make me smile. Great photo, Tabor
ReplyDeleteHe is a good looking fellow!
ReplyDeleteBlack capped n Nuthatch are dailies here for the stale bread throw- Both answer call repeats. They probably nest in MapleBeard's hollows.
ReplyDeleteha. at least he keeps you entertained eh? sounds like a fun one to watch....
ReplyDeleteChickadees are one of my absolute favs. They are so daring and spunky. And quick! They are hard to capture in a pic, I've noticed. You did a great job. Beautiful pics.
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