Feathered Family

Day 62: I hope that you, dear readers, never tire of bird-in-the-hand, because I certainly won't. It has taken many years to come to this point, first to create enough enticing habitat in my yard to lure the Chickadees over from the brush line across the road, and second, to establish the degree of trust necessary to have them accept food from my hand. These days when I step off the back porch, it's not uncommon to have a Chestnut-backed Chickadee (left) skim my hair or land on my shoulder as I walk out to the feeders. The Black-capped Chickadees (right) are more wary and wait until I'm in position, standing as still as a statue with my pal outstretched. I can maintain the pose up to twenty minutes, as I often did when we were first becoming acquainted, but now neither species is particularly disturbed by slight motion. Talk about your "feathered friends" if you will. I have feathered family.