Kitchen / Garden / Sanctuary - Urban Homesteading to Nourish Body + Spirit

My Chickadee

Remember how I was telling you about our backyard birds? (Clickie!) Well, a very special Chickadee Encounter has transpired that I have to share with you. I was lounging on the back porch, resting, and my eyes drifted to a particular branch on our apple tree upon which sat a sleeping chickadee! It must have been there longer than I had, since I hadn’t seen it arrive. I watched it sleep, and then tiptoed into the house to get my camera — although I figured this would be futile since it would likely just fly away. But it was still there, unmoved, when I returned, and so as surreptitiously as I could I approached the apple tree. Animals are highly alert so I’m sure it sensed me, especially when a leaf crunched underfoot, but it remained unaffected even as I inched my camera ever nearer to its branch. I couldn’t believe how close this dear little bird allowed me to get; perhaps within twelve inches of it. It opened its eyes a few times to assess, but closed them again and continued resting. I got my pictures and went back to my own business of resting, in awe of what had just taken place.

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It opened its eyes in this one…

A while later, the chickadee was gone from its branch, but a small hawk landed in one of our trees, and a group of chickadees in the lilac bushes near the bird feeder began their chick-a-dee-dee-dee alarm call. I spooked the hawk so it would leave, and went to the bushes to see about the little chickadees. They really are such cheeky little things, and not nearly as flighty as other birds. Again I grabbed my camera and one, perhaps the same one, allowed me to approach quite closely and capture its beauty on camera so that I might share it with you all. What an experience, to be so close to these endearing creatures.

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I love this one especially…

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Do you have a special bird story? Please share!

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5 Comments

  1. Mary Ann Cauthen

    I have a hummingbird (I think the same one every day) who sits on a bird feeder pole & looks in my kitchen window. He turns his head from side to side as if he is watching me. Sometimes he fluffs his feathers out & shakes. This makes him look twice his size. I feel like he is looking straight at me when I am at the sink just under the window. Awesome pictures from you! Thanks. Mary Ann

  2. snowpeas

    Positively precious!!!

  3. Jane

    I was taking a moment to breathe in a beautiful, late summer’s day a couple of weeks ago on a back deck chair, when I heard the distinct “thrum” of a hummer close by. Looked out to their favorite stand of deep fuchsia monarda at the edge of the garden, but didn’t see any, yet that “thrum” was even louder….so I slowly looked down over my left arm and there it was, about a foot under my elbow, enjoying a sip of the intense, red-orange geranium there.

  4. Trish

    Gorgeous xxx

  5. Taryn Kae Wilson

    What amazing pictures! What a sweet experience.

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