Love me some Chickadee!

How is your winter birding going so far? Have you seen a snowy owl? I've been over-run with Chickadees but I don't mind....

Not the best looking chickadees

To be fair, the rain this morning didn't help but my Chickadees are looking rough. I submit the following as evidence:

Can somebody say helmet head??




I can't explain this. I'm not even sure I want to.....

Fiddler on the Roof

If you've visited my blog before, then you know my Chickadees are pretty tame up at our log cabin. Some of them will land on my shoulders or head to scold me and a few will eat out of my hand.

Recently I have a chickadee that has the same M.O. He dive bombs me from the roof! I'll be filling the feeders and all the while he's watching me silently from his roof perch. Then when I least suspect it, he lands on my head scolding me (probably telling me to hurry up) and then heads to the feeder. Once he grabbed a seed and came back to try to eat it on my head. Lately he likes to perch on the roof and scold me. Here's a shot of my little Fiddler Chickadee......moments before the attack! (And yeah, I love it!)

Idea from the chicky poo.....

So I've been thinking....thinking a lot about my bird blogging friends. Thinking, wouldn't it be great if some of us could get together for a birding adventure? Maybe attend a birding festival this spring?

And depending on who was interested, we could pick a middle ground. Since I live in Michigan, I am thinking of a Mid-west state. What do you think? Would you come? Do you have any ideas? Have you done something like this before? Email me: shelleyupnorth at gmail dot com. (Hoping to hear from Kelly, Heather, Betsy, Hannibal, Eve, Dawn, Mildred, Jen, Richard, Lynne, Joan, Jayne and many more.....)

A winter favorite

I've mentioned before how our chickadees at the cabin are quite friendly. I love when they land on my shoulder while I'm filling the feeder. And of course my heart melts when they land in my hand to take that one perfect seed. The photo above is one I took of my husband feeding this angel when we were at Hartwick Pines State Park. They are such brave and nosey birds. I always laugh when I put out a new feeder and a chickadee will appear out of thin air to immediately investigate it.

P.S. Speaking of new bird feeders, where do you like to buy yours? I've been searching online for a good platform, fly through feeder that won't break the bank.

Winter Visitors

There are many reasons why I love winter but one of the biggest ones is the birding opportunities it brings. I see an increase of some of my regular visitors and I have some winter ones to look forward to. Hoping the Redpolls and Pine Siskins come back and eat out of my hand this year. I am also hoping to see the elusive Snowy Owl this winter.....a girl can dream....

Here are some of my feeder regulars. What are you seeing right now?

My nutty White-breasted nuthatch. I love watching him store suet on the trees around our cabin property.





My chickadees are much loved and are very sassy, I can't tell you how many times they scold me when the feeder is empty. Some of them will even land on my shoulder and head as I'm refilling the feeders as if to say hurry up!




My sweet goldfinches are so shy. I love listening to their pretty chirps.





The purple finches are starting to come around more and may rival the chickadees in being a feeder hog.

Sweet Chickadee

Is there anything more sweet than a little chickadee?





Oh yes....young children discovering the beauty of the chickadee and trying to feed them by hand.


(My friend's son did have one land in his hand, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera!)

A little visitor

My hubby opened the door to our cabin and a baby Chickadee flew in. He hit the window and was stunned. I put my fingers by him and he hopped right up. He clung to me for a while and kept panting, probably in shock. I checked him over and he looked okay. Of course you all know how much I enjoyed holding that little angel in my hand, I kept wanting to pet him like a dog, but I did refrain!





I took him outside and after about 5 minutes, he flew away. What was funny is earlier the adult chickadees kept landing on my shoulder while I was trying to fill the bird feeders. They really are cheeky little things!

From 2010_07_10

Nutty Birds

No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut.

~Channing Pollock

Birdy Questions of the day

Which one of these birdys is not like the other?





And which one has the biggest butt? :-)

Ghetto Bird Feeder

Okay, now I want you to admit it. Do you have a bird feeder that is in bad shape but you're still using it even though you know you should've put it in the trash long ago? Well that's my story...but I don't have the heart to throw this feeder away. True, it's missing the plastic plexi glass on one side. And a squirrel has chewed the wood to smithereens. But the birds still seem to like it....


Here's my feisty Cardinal enjoying the feeder....




My Red-breasted Nuthatch has no problem with it...





...okay, maybe not everyone likes my ghetto bird feeder!

Top Chick Model

I think my Chickadees know how beautiful they are. They seem to strike such perfect model poses.


"Nevermind the poop behind me. Aren't I cute?"






Check out my side profile!






I can even act shy and flutter my eyes at you!

My new boss - the Chickadee

I've come to realize that the Black-capped Chickadees have become the boss of me. We go to our log cabin most every weekend. As soon as I step out of the car, I swear they start lining up in the trees and start chortling at me. I imagine them to be saying "Fill those feeders lady! Hurry!" And even as I'm filling them, they start surrounding me, a few land on my head or shoulders. I'll put a few seeds in my hand, and the brave ones will land on my hand, clinging to the end of my fingers and grab the seed they like best.


Here is what morning is looking like at our cabin right now.





Here is one of my bossy chickadees! Sometimes I think they peek into my cabin windows and start making their "fee bee" calls even louder to get me out there.

Bird Drought

I am hoping the migratory birds make it my way. Seems like I've been in such a birding slump lately! I took some photos of the Downy woodpecker - but none were worth posting. At least I can always count on my little chickadees! How is autumn looking in your area? We're experiencing a late Autumn here in northern Michigan.

Birding by Kayak

It was a nice day to go kayaking...






I saw Lynne's Turkey Vulture friend in the sky...






..and a Blue Heron with an itch.






He looks so regal standing on that tree branch.




What's a lake without a gang of Mallard Ducks?





And who better to sing to me from the trees as I paddle by than my little Chickadee friend.

Look out below!

Chickadee Exercises

Look up!






Look down!





Look all around!

Welcome to the Loons' Nest

I think I told you I named my log cabin the Loons' Nest, right? Some of you already know I'm loony for those loons so did you doubt I would name my cabin anything different?! This past weekend was too cold to go kayaking so I had to settle for hearing them in the distance. There's always next weekend.....sigh.....
But let me share my weekend with you....

Here's my Loons' Nest sign. I had to have my hubby take photos of me in front of it cuz they are going to feature it in Log Home Living Magazine. I tried to make Greg get in the photo - but no luck!



Look inside this tulip....do you see what I see....?




Some of you noted how weak the Robin's nest looked last time I posted it. Well I'm glad to report that mama Robin tightened up the place and it's looking much better!




Here's my chickadee mooning me! By the way the funniest thing happened. My husband and I were standing on the deck talking, and this little chickadee landed on the log post within inches of me and was making a chortling sound and tilting his head at me. It was like he was speaking to me and was very happy. I said hello back and then after a few minutes he went to the feeder. My husband and I now count this as one of my best birding moments ever. Gosh I love these little guys!

Polite Chickadee

Just a little crumb for me please!

What wind does to a Chickadee

"It makes me upset!"