Black-capped Chickadee

I had a close encounter with a Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) last weekend. Normally, I only get to hear them in the trees (“chick a dee dee dee”), but this time I followed the sound to a barren shrub near a back yard bird feeder. Ok, I admit it; I was stomping around in the mud near people’s backyards in search of the feathered ones. Boy did I luck out.


Chickadees are small songbirds that eat insects in summer but often rely on seeds and nuts during winter.