January 24, 1980 - Chikadee FamilySECOND SECTION
CHICKADEE FA MIL Y
JANUARY 24, 1980
focus on nature
Paul Stoutenburgh
I think if the question were asked, "What
bird do you enjoy most during the winter
months ?" the one that would rank highest
on the list would be the busy little chickadee.
Almost every feeder has them. There's
something about their actions that makes
you feel good and cheerful. Whether they
are hanging upside down on my swinging
bag of suet or quickly dashing in to grab a
sunflower seed, they have the ability to
capture my attention no matter how many
times I've seen them.
Years ago I knew that small bird could
never eat all the sunflower seed it took from
my feeder, and so I followed it with my
binoculars and found out what he did with
his surplus. Behind the shutters, under the
shingles, in the crevices in the bark of the
trees and even in my wife's clothespin bag
that hung out on the line, they were tucking
away these seeds for future use. Nature has
taught them that while the food supply is
plentiful, one must store for the leaner days
ahead.
The first nest of a chickadee I ever found
was way back when I was a boy collecting
wild asparagus along our creek edge. It was
down in an area that is now called Mason
Development in Cutchogue where today a
house with its manicured lawn and bulkhead
replaces that open and wild woods I
remember as a child. I had reached into the
brambles to snap off a tender shoot of
asparagus when I inadvertently brushed
alongside the decayed stub of a small tree.
The disturbance caused a much - alarmed
chickadee to fly out of a tiny hole a mere
four feet up in the tree.
Sets Up Bayside Residence
When I investigated I found the tree to be
very soft and pulpy, with woodchips all
about its base. Not having a bill like the
woodpecker, this family of birds must find
very soft trees to enable them to excavate a
cavity for a nesting site. Otherwise old
crevices, discarded woodpecker holes and
occasionally bird boxes will be used. Inside
the cavity I could see four whitish eggs and
the most beautiful nest made of rabbit hair.
These birds always seem to use a soft fluffy
material. Another one I found once, nesting
in our woods near the stable, had made its
nest of horsehair that was meticulously
picked off an old hickory tree which Dusty,
our horse, had rubbed on to help remove his
winter coat. How that chickadee scolded me
for intruding on her maternity venture!
Since that early nest I have found
chickadees building their nests in old tree
crevices, cavities in telephone poles and
even out in the water in an old post. The
latter nest was found out in Orient State
Park on the bay side. Evidently there was
an old knot hole with an opening below. The
pole was about three feet out of the water
and here the chickadee had set up his
bayside residence.
Tufted Titmouse Moves North
Another member of the chickadee family
that we see more and more of late is that
trim looking gadabout, the tufted titmouse.
It has the same cheerful quick movements
of the chickadee and is often found in their
company.
Many times, when I've been out in the
woods, I've come across these birds, ac-
companied by other birds, such as nut-
hatches, kinglets, woodpeckers, etc. Birds,
I'm sure, keep a continual chattering
amongst themselves and, like people, enjoy
each other's company. Then again, this
might be a form of protection because four,
six, or eight pairs of eyes and ears are better
than just one.
We have had this busy gray and black
colored titmouse at our feeder this year for
the first time. We had not only one, but three
of them. And as fast as one would come and
grab a seed, another would be there to
replace him. The picture you see above is
one of those birds just alighting before his
quick exit with a sunflower seed.
The tufted titmouse is a native of the
South, but like the cardinal and the mocking
bird has slowly moved northward until we
now are counting them as permanent
residents. How welcome they are, for we are
losing many of the birds our parents once
knew as common. A classic example, of
course, is the lovely bluebird, which is
rarely ever seen here anymore.
Slowly Rise In Numbers
Just for fun I looked up in our Christmas
bird count through the past years and found
the titmouse slowly rising in numbers, until
this year, when they almost tripled in
abundance. Many people have seen this bird
for the first time this year, while others
were more fortunate to have had them in
previous years. Chickadees and titmice do
not migrate like other birds do, but merely
move a short distance to nest and therefore
we can look forward, we hope, to having
these birds even more common in the future
in our area.
The titmouse, like the chickadee, nests in
cavities and often can be found taking up
nesting sites in bird boxes about our homes.
This fact will act as an incentive for me to
get out this spring and clear all the nesting
boxes, so that perhaps I can lure a pair to
nest in my backyard. Just a word of caution
for those who are interested in bird boxes.
Remember the key factor is the size of the
opening. We all wear a particular size shoe
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TUFTED TITMOUSE - -This relative of our common chickadee is being
seen more and more at our local feeders. It, like the cardinal and
mockingbird, has slowly moved up from the South.
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
and would be uncomfortable in anything but
the right size. So it is with birds -- they too
must have the correct size opening, for if it
is too small they won't be able to get into
their box, or if too large their enemies will
come in and take over.
I'm sure when I go to clean out these nests
cak
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