Tag Archives: carolina chickadee

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Carolina Chickadees at Harris Lake Park, New Hill N.C.

While birding at Harris Lake Park earlier this week, I found a family of Carolina Chickadees foraging in the woods.
It was great to stand there for a few minutes watching their antics as they chattered and tweeted at one another while hopping from branch to branch.


Now that we’re getting into the heart of summertime, families of Chickadees are busy teaching the young ones how to find food.
As summer gives way to autumn, flocks of Carolina Chickadees will begin to form. Yearlings may join their parents’ group, or they may join nearby flocks.
When winter draws close, the young Chickadees and their parents will focus on building energy reserves, hiding seeds for later (caching), and fitting in with the flock as they go out as a group in search of a meal.
Today though, there’s plenty for the little ones to eat and time for learning how to survive on their own.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Chickadee spreads his wings

While on a short hike a few days ago I found a tiny Black capped Chickadee hopping around in the brush. I stopped to watch him as he quickly made his way through the tangle of briars, stopping every few seconds to snap up an unseen insect.
Then he flew up and out of the shadows onto a brightly sunlit branch and he spread his wings wide like an umbrella. He peered down below his feet onto the forest floor cocking his head from side to side. This went on for a few minutes before he dove to the ground to capture a beetle. In a split second he was back up into the dark thicket moving on to find more prey.

This interesting (and entertaining!) behavior is called sunning and the reason for sunning is to maintain feather health. Sunning can dislodge feather parasites because the excess heat will encourage insects to move to other places in a bird’s plumage. This will give the Chickadee easier access to get rid of those parasites when preening. It is essential to get rid of these parasites since the tiny insects that infect feathers can cause problems for the Chickadees flight abilities, insulation, and appearance, all of which can impact its survival.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds
#yourshotphotographer

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A backyard favorite: the Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadees are my constant companion in the woods.
Chirping their familiar calls, they always seem to make an appearance along every trail I’ve hiked here in North Carolina.
Often traveling with a Titmouse entourage, these energetic little birds have adapted well to a human’s presence and are commonly found dining at feeders in suburban backyards and parks.

Carolina Chickadees feed on insects, fruits, berries, seeds, and nuts.  During the summer, their diet consists mostly of insects, while in the winter they switch to eating mostly berries and seeds.
These small birds forage by moving quickly in and out of the foliage of trees, making quick flights as they search for insects and other food items.  They’ll even try to capture insects in mid-air, by hovering as they glean insects from the mid to upper canopy.

The Carolina Chickadee is a year round resident of North Carolina U.S.
They are similar looking to their northern cousin, the Black-capped Chickadee. The main visual difference in the species is that the Carolina species lacks white coloring in their wings and tends to have a shorter tail.
Another clue is the region in where your seeing them. The Carolina Chickadee may be found throughout most of the southeastern United States, while the Black-capped Chickadee is found further north.

Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds