Black-capped Chickadee: "Trail Companions"
Can I get this to go please?
(Black-capped Chickadee - photo by Neil Barker - December 31, 2023)
A quiet forest in winter, listen carefully for sounds.
Soft chirping and calling surround you from the trees near the trail.
Your companions have returned in their constant search for a meal.
I took the first photo on December 31, 2023 and the second, third, and fourth photos on January 1, 2024. I wanted to give a hat-tip again to the Black-capped Chickadees. These small birds have created so many memorable experiences on my Nature hikes.
They are usually the first birds to greet me on the trails. Also, the Nuthatches, Woodpeckers, and Northern Cardinals will follow them searching for food. In the local conservation area, I have regular stopping points where I will drop sunflower seeds and peanut chips for the birds. Often I will stop and listen for the light chirping of the Black-capped Chickadees and wait for them to fly in and do their dine and dash.
I am continually amazed by the resilience of these little birds. They remain in the Ottawa area year-round. The winter temperatures sometimes in the -20°C/-4°F ranges.
I intend to spend more of time on my hikes in 2024 appreciating these little birds. I have too often passed by and overlooked Black-capped Chickadees while searching for less common birds like owls, hawks, and warblers.
You are certainly a man of many talents. I love your poems and your charming bird photography! I try to steer my fellow Oregon bird fanciers to this site. Mammals are okay, but birds, the smaller ones especially, are really fine!
Great poem and nice photos of these beautiful little birds. Their resilience is indeed impressive, as is their willingness to engage with humans--on walks or at feeders.