One of the reasons I like having wild birds around is that they are so much fun to watch. Each type has its own interesting habits and behaviors, and then certain individuals can distinguish themselves by making modifications to these behaviors and attitudes. The little Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) are one of the most interesting species that I see pretty regularly. They are very active, rarely holding still for long. They race in and out of the feeding station grabbing an item or two and taking it into the trees or the brush to eat it. The fact that they are constantly coming and going makes them ideal subjects for practicing taking in flight photos. They’re considerably faster than some of the larger birds, so catching them in flight is definitely a challenge. The fact that they can quickly stop or turn or suddenly start hovering makes it even more interesting. I was really pleased to catch this little one coasting the last couple of feet before landing at the feeding station. As you can see, the feet are down in a position for landing, but the wings are folded, and the power from the earlier part of the flight continues to propel the bird towards its goal. Watching them perform moves like this, make incredible turns and stops, and climb into all sorts of crazy positions to eat berries or catch insects makes them pretty amazing acrobats in my book!