Chickadee | nichepoetryandprose

poetry and prose about place

Posts Tagged ‘Chickadee’

flutter song

A well-known space can be transformed in an instant.

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Every day I walk the path from our front door. Our bird feeders are right there, beside the path. Usually the opening door sends the birds scattering. They fly into the trees around our yard and twitter and chirp until I go.

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But last week, just after a new fall of snow, I had a magical experience of being in the midst of the feeding birds. And for whatever reason, they paid no attention to me at all.

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The birds, mostly chickadees and goldfinches, whistle and tweet as they feed. But the prevailing sound as I stood among them was the fluttering and whirring of wings all around me.

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We have other visitors at the feeders, mostly a couple of cat-sized grey squirrels and a family of red squirrels, the descendants of the squirrels that moved in to take advantage of the feeders when we first moved here 37 years ago. The spaces around the feeder vary, depending on whether birds or squirrels are the dominant visitors. It was fun, just for a moment, being part of all the activity!

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Written by jane tims

January 27, 2017 at 10:27 pm

Posted in competing for niche space, in the grey woods, strategies for winter

Tagged with bird feeder, Chickadee, familar spaces, flight, Goldfinch, winter

moment of beautiful – shadow on the snow

with 2 comments

under the snow

the shadow is a blue portal, a hidden way

to crocus places, sheltered where no drifting

snow or bitter wind comes howling

frost-brittle maples creak

and chickadees crack seeds

of sunflower stashed

in tunnels shaped

by squirrels

Written by jane tims

February 18, 2015 at 7:36 am

Posted in a moment of beautiful, strategies for winter, wild life

Tagged with Chickadee, poetry, snow, sound, squirrel, winter

at the bird feeder #6 – Purple Finch

with 17 comments

On Thursday, we had a Hairy Woodpecker and a large flock of male and female Purple Finches at the bird feeder. The Peterson Field Guide describes the Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) as ‘… a Sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.’ I can’t improve on that description! The other particularly noticeable feature is its large sturdy beak. My husband took a few photos since I was not home, just enough to give me one to draw.

I miss most of the feeder birds since I leave in the early light and come home after dark. Nevertheless, the Chickadees and Goldfinches are usually there to see me off. We have one Chickadee who always has his ‘hair’ ruffed up, like a rock star with a ‘do’.