Every winter I’m visited by quite a few ”snow birds”, some of which stay for the season and some of which are just passing through. One of the group(s) that tend to stay are the chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina). If you’re not familiar with these little bundles of energy, they are big personalities in little packages. They are nearly fearless and will fly in almost anywhere, yet they tend to get along well with the other birds. They usually arrive in small flocks sometimes on their own, sometimes in mixed flocks with tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees. They dive right into the groceries and chirp and talk to each other the entire time. It’s so much fun watching them interact with each other, the other birds, and even the squirrels. Unlike the other two small birds who are what I call “grab and go” eaters, they tend to find a spot with plenty of food and just stay there while they eat. It will be a little while longer before they start their long trek back to their summer range, but I will definitely miss them when they go.

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