March 19, 1992 - Everybody's Favorite: the Chickadee1'4A' • Th&Sti061k'tUnes - A44611 19',A'Sl k
Everybody's Favoriten.the .Chickadee
By Paul Stoutenburah
Let's take a vote. Of all the birds that
come to your feeder, which one ranks
No. 1 in your mind? We have a lot of
contenders and all have their favorite
supporters but the one that comes out on
top each year is that little bundle of
fluff, the chickadee. This energetic al-
ways -on -the -move, tiny, black -and-
white resident has probably given more
people more enjoyment than any other
bird.
I know there will be a stream of
protests to this No. 1 popularity from
the cardinal supporters for their most
colorful contender but then, as they say,
color is only skin deep, or should I say
only feather deep? What we are talking
about in our popularity contest is every
aspect of the bird and it is here the
chickadee pulls ahead. I'm sure there
are supporters for the little raspberry -
colored finches for they are always
about, enjoying the spoils of our feeders
but then they are a relatively new arrival
to the bird world and have not yet been
accepted by the majority of feeder
watchers.
Then there's the mourning dove that
is so trim. It usually travels in groups
and does most of its collecting not up on
our feeders but below on the ground.
They are nice to have around but fail on
many counts when compared to the
chickadee. Our house sparrows might
get a few votes for their being so persis-
tent and never failing to show up even
in the most congested situations.
White- Throats and Juncos
The white - throats and juncos are here
only during the winter months and be-
ing ground feeders are often missed by
those who have only above - ground
feeders. Right now, the male white -
throat is putting on his best plumage for
the coming mating season. Some are
striking with their white throat patches
and head stripes plus that bit of yellow
on the face that truly makes them hand-
some.
And so the tally is in and the chick-
adee wins hands down. Its cheery mood
and its acceptance of man has made it
the all -round favorite. In many instances
the chickadee can be easily tamed to
take food from your hands and if you
want to see your children's or your
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Focus on
Nature
grandchildren's eyes light up, spend a
little time enticing the chickadee to take
some sunflower seeds from your hand
and then let the little ones do the same.
The chickadee's main food in the
wild is insects. Right now, you'll see
this tiny little acrobat flitting about the
bare limbs right side up and upside
down after hibernating insects, their
eggs, the various plant scales and any-
thing they can pick out with their tiny,
sharp - pointed beak. Of course, they'll
eat seeds of a wide variety from the
sunflower seeds we put in our feeder to
the wild sumac, poison ivy, bayberry
and others. They'll glean during the dull
winter months what nature has pro-
vided. Studies have shown that insects
make up half their winter food and
probably 99 percent of their spring and
summer food.
At night, chickadees will seek shelter
in the cavity of a tree or perhaps in one
of your bird houses. There are reports
that they also use old nests of other
birds to spend the night in. Here, hud-
dled down, protected from the freezing
temperatures of winter, they stay warm
but because of their small size must be
up and around as soon as day breaks to
replenish their energy needs.
Squeak Out a Chickadee
Often chickadees travel in groups
through the woods and many's the time
I've seen them moving about from tree
to tree in the company of titmice and
kinglets and other winter foragers. Their
little notes bring a certain cheer to the
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
CHICKADEE —Of all the birds that
come to our feeders the always -
active chickadee ranks No. 1.
bare winter woodland scene. They're
easily brought forth by the use of bird
squeaking devices or just making a
squeaking sound with your lips. If kept
up long enough, they will hop about
above your head, their tiny, beady,
black eyes trying to detect what it is
making that strange noise in their serene
woods.
I —amO!m I_AA6 DAAL
78 Years Ago
March 21, 1914
Home of Good Sidewalks: A Riverhead man
drifted into Greenport last week within two hours after one
of the snowstorms had ceased, and he tells us that he was
pleasantly surprised to see spic and span sidewalks in every
direction.
Greenport, as you know, is incorporated. The people have
treated themselves to continuous cement walks throughout
nearly the whole village — it is not a piece here and there.
The village likewise has an ordinance that the walks must
be cleaned within two hours after snowstorms stop, and the
people live up to the mandate. That is why our Riverhead
friend was able to walk dryshod for miles.
The Fair Ones: Southold Republicans are getting the
women in line early. Each Wednesday afternoon is ladies'
day at the club where the fair ones learn the art of playing
pool, billiards and politics.
50 Years Ago
March 19, 1942
Swashbuckling Hero: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., one
of the screen's most popular personalities, returns as the
swashbuckling hero of Edward Small's lavish production of
Alexander Dumas' classic, "The Corsican Brothers," which
will have its local premiere at the Greenport Theatre on
RATTANS Pete Grattan, Jr. '
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Toward the end of March they'll pair
off and start looking for a nesting site,
which will be in a cavity of a tree, a
fence post and once I even saw one in
an opening in a telephone pole. If they
can't find an old abandoned hole they'll
often excavate one out of a soft, dead
limb or tree. I found one of these self -
made cavities once when I was collect-
ing wild asparagus. The chips on the
ground clued me in that something was
going on and with a little investigation,
a mere four feet up on a dead white oak,
I found the chickadee's nest with its
clutch of speckled white eggs.
Here's where birdhouses come in
handy and each year they will select one
of my houses scattered about the prop-
erty. They don't have to be placed high,
three to six feet is fine. In April or May
they have a brood from five to nine eggs
and after one hatch the pair will often
have another brood. The nest itself is
like so many other birds' nests, a won-
der to behold. It is made up of fine
twigs, thin strips of bark and grass and
often lined with animal fur. I've seen
them use rabbit fur and horse hair, the
latter collected from around our old
corral where the kids' horse used to rub
its winter coat off.
No wonder when I was just a small
boy walking with my dad, and we came
upon a group of young boys with an air
rifle who had just shot a chickadee, he
was so annoyed. He actually took the
gun away and told them to send their
parents to get it. The chickadee had held
a special place in his heart also and like
so many of us he would do almost any-
thing to protect it.
P.S. Funny thing. The parents never
came to collect the BB gun.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. "The Corsican Brothers" not
only brings Doug Jr. back to the screen after a 14 -month
absence, but stars him in a dual role.
Best - Seller at Mattitudk Theatre: "Son of
Fury," feature attraction for Sunday and Monday, is taken
from one of the greatest best- sellers of all times. Tyrone
Power, as Benjamin Blake, is treated like a servant by his
rascally uncle until he breaks away for adventure in the
South Seas. He amasses a fortune in pearls, but is torn
between two loves — one (Frances Farmer) an enchanting
siren, and another (Gene Tierney) an untamed native of his
paradise isle. A cartoon and newsreel will also be shown.
25 Years Ago
March 24, 1967
Ten Inches of Snow: Although Wednesday was
officially the second day of spring, it was in reality the
scene of a typical wintertime blizzard with over 10 inches
of heavy wet snow. It was the fourth and heaviest snow-
storm of the winter season.
New Firehouse Wins: At the annual municipal
election for the Incorporated Village of Greenport the
proposition for the demolition of Fire Station No. 1, the for-
mer high school building at Third and South streets, and the
construction of a new firehouse at a cost of $98,000 was
carried by 61 votes.
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