One of the most common visitors that come to my feeding station are the cute little Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis). They are very closely related to the black capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) that we encountered in Alaska. Carolina chickadees are year round residents in this area, although some of the birds of lesser status in the flock do migrate north to breed. They are outgoing little birds that tend to form mixed flocks with other small songbirds during the winter. The chickadees tend to call out when they come across food sources, and the rest of the flock can then follow them and also eat. It’s now the beginning of the breeding season, and the dominant pairs are finding nesting spots, which are cavities in the nearby trees that they line with bark and moss. It’s not uncommon for them to use old woodpecker holes.

Every morning when I put out the bird seed and fruit for the wild things, there are several of the chickadees and my pair of cardinals that greet me with their calls and usually they come in pretty close. I don’t encourage them to get too comfortable with people, but I do love seeing and hearing them each day.