I'm grateful for my friends who are willing to take an existential risk just to brighten my day.

(Yes, I know, they're only here for the free food. But it still makes me happy to see them. There's a quite vocal nuthatch who's been over in the mornings as well, but he's been impossible to catch in a photo.)

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee #OakTitmouse

Well, this was weird.

Walking from my office to the garage, I noticed a juvenile chickadee sitting on my flower bench. And I do mean *sitting*: his little backside was resting flat against the bench. Weirder still, he seemed indifferent to my presence. I passed multiple times, less than two feet away, and when I stopped he'd turn and look at me after 30 seconds or so. But he was otherwise motionless.

Thinking he might be hurt, I brought him a cup of water. As soon as I set down the cup, he flew off to the nearest bush. where he perched and chittered like nothing at all had happened.

He was ever inch the model of a bored teenager.

Anyone have any guesses what was really happening? 🤔

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee

One moment, a National Geographic Award Winning Nature Photo; a millisecond later, bird butt.

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee

I've been talking down my “sports lens” as being less than my “birding lens,” and forget that the “sports lens” was my everything lens until a year ago. And it does a nice job.

The chickadee fledglings are repeating their annual drama of sitting up in the trees, making pathetic little baby bird noises, and waiting for the adults to bring them food. Over the past couple of weeks the parents have been basically telling them to grow up. 😄

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee

The house finches would try to yank whole seeds out, and end up in a tug of war with the feeder. Chickadees have to hold whole seeds in their feet to break them open, so instead they tried to break up the seeds right in the feeder, and then eat the broken bits. They still tired of it pretty quickly.

2/2

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee

The house finches would try to yank whole seeds out, and end up in a tug of war with the feeder. Chickadees have to hold whole seeds in their feet to break them open, so instead they tried to break up the seeds right in the feeder, and then eat the broken bits. They still tired of it pretty quickly.

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee

When I started watching the birds in our yard, I was captivated by these little black, brown, and white birds that I thought were “sparrows.” All I knew about sparrows was my mom hated them. She'd gush when she saw robins or jays or (especially) cardinals in the yard, but the sparrows were... meh. Not worthy of putting feed out.

But I loved these little guys. They chuckled to me, waited while I refilled the feeder, hassled me it when it was empty, and always seemed happy to see me when I walked by. So I spent a lot of time watching them. And took tons of pictures.

It was two years before I learned they're chickadees, and they are well known for being cheerful and engaging with people. Simultaneously I discovered the beautiful range of native and migratory sparrows in our yard, each with its own song and personality.

Glad for once I ignored my mom. 🤷‍♂️

#BackyardBirds #Birds #BirdPhotography #ChestnutBackedChickadee

More #birding pictures after a break for bad weather. We went out New Years Day to get a start on our yearlist. I got a great picture of a #ChestnutBackedChickadee, except for the cut-off tail, a #LesserScaup, a #BlackCappedChickadee and (maybe) a maculatus #SpottedTowhee in light rain.

Chickadee takes a dip. His buddy arrives, in comedic fashion (wait for it).

#Chickadee #ChestnutBackedChickadee #Titmouse #OakTitmouse #EastBayBirds #BirdCam #Birds #SFBABirds #BirdBath #BackyardBirds

Chickadee takes a dip. His buddy arrives, in comedic fashion (wait for it).

#Chickadee #ChestnutBackedChickadee #Titmouse #OakTitmouse #EastBayBirds #BirdCam #Birds #SFBABirds #BirdBath #BackyardBirds