One of my favorite little birds is the Chickadee, and in my region, it is the “Chestnut-backed” varietal.
Part clown, part acrobat, they are the first to come to your hand for some seed. I have had them land on the hood of my lens numerous times, exuding curiosity, and even once had one fly towards me and land directly and trustingly on my head. Feeling its miniscule talons making the tiniest purchase on my scalp was a feeling that was an amazing connection with a “wild” creature, and one which I will never forget.
Part of their charm is their manner of flight. Lacking the graceful soaring characteristics of many other birds, they make their way through the air in a vivacious, bouncing manner like a stunt pilot, announcing their arrival with a sprightly “chick-a-dee-dee-dee”, as if to say “I’m here”, and like a child at play, will pertly cock their head as if listening for applause, then flit away in the same care-free style, as if dancing through space.
You only get a true appreciation of their miniscule size when they are perched on your hand. At a weight seemingly no more than a piece of popcorn, and a beak no bigger than a pencil lead, they hammer feverishly on each sunflower seed, and then move on to the next without pause. Seemingly unaware of their tininess, they have an unmatched charisma. A trusting creature chalked full of personality, they are impossible not to like, and our world would be poorer without them.
The complete package here...pretty little bird, great perches and backgrounds and your love/respect for the bird comes through in your narrative. Well done all around.
stanparker wrote:
The complete package here...pretty little bird, great perches and backgrounds and your love/respect for the bird comes through in your narrative. Well done all around.
Your collection of chickadee images is superb and your description makes the images even more enjoyable. As is often the case, the images are much stronger as a set than any image alone. The different poses and perches are an essential part of the pleasure of seeing them.
dclark wrote:
Your collection of chickadee images is superb and your description makes the images even more enjoyable. As is often the case, the images are much stronger as a set than any image alone. The different poses and perches are an essential part of the pleasure of seeing them.
