Black-Capped Chickadees are the acrobatic clowns of North America. They frequent the bird feeders outside my window and bring joy on the dreariest of days with their cheerful call and comical antics.
Despite their small size, they are quite brave. Often I can stand very close while they pull seeds from the feeder. In years past, I have even had them land on my shoulder for a fleeting instant.
In addition to their entertainment value, Black-Capped Chickadees provide valuable pest control, eating many insects that are harmful to agriculture. A huge amount of their preferred habitat has been lost to suburban sprawl and deforestation, but we can give back what we have taken from them by providing feeders and nestboxes. Please consider eliminating the use of pesticides and instead welcome a natural and entertaining form of pest control to your property. For information about building nestboxes try visiting here or here.
(This image is from an older watercolor painting that had been damaged. I scanned a section of the original and did some minor touch-ups using digital software.)
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1 comment:
That painting certainly brings winter to my mind! It makes me think of walking through the snowy woods and listening to the chickadees calling back and forth.
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