Day 43: Two years ago, I was lamenting the perpetual lack of Chickadees of any sort in my yard. Oh, I saw them in the brush line just across the road, but they never came to my feeders. Then in January 2018, I spotted one in the contorted filbert, and it was soon followed by another. I kept my fingers crossed that they were a breeding pair, but with Chickadees, you can't tell. A third showed up somewhat later in the year. All three belonged to the same species: Black-Capped (Poecile atricapillus). They hung around throughout the year, apparently having deemed the habitat suitable for their needs. About two weeks ago, I was standing in my living room looking out the window and a 'dee-dee landed on the shepherd's hook closest to the glass. I did a classic double-take. "That's a chessie!" I said, and just that fast, Poecile rufescens (Chestnut-Backed) took off. Now it seems that consistent availability of choice food (black-oil sunflower seed) has made headlines in the Chickadee Times. I am suddenly besieged by 'dees! At times yesterday, there must have been at least a dozen darting between the feeders and the shrubbery. One chessie allowed me to get within inches of him when I filled the feeders. Species were split more or less equally, and although obviously I can't identify individual birds, I am simply overjoyed to have my very own flock of happy little 'dee-dees "dee-dee-dee-ing" when I step out onto the porch.
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