Birds You Can Count

Some birds you have to chase. Some come right to you. Reminds me of the rule for counting Canada Geese when I lived in Marietta, Georgia. Most of the geese down there had been "planted." That is, people had brought them to parks because they thought they were fun to have around. That kind of a bird is not "countable" for birders.

The rule was if you spotted Canada Geese and they swam toward you wanting to be fed, you didn't count them. They had to be wild to be counted.

This week's bird is plenty wild, but Chickadees are very sociable with humans. Mine know that when I'm out working in the yard, the bigger birds that might compete with them lay low. The chickadees own the feeders when I'm out there. Sometimes they even get in the way when I'm trying to put in more seeds, scolding me with a staccato "chick" when I make them move.

So what about chickadees anyway? Ours are officially known as Black-capped Chickadees, Poecile atricapilla. They are Massachusetts' State Bird, part of the family that includes chickadees, tits, and titmice, with over 60 members worldwide. In Europe there are a dozen species of tits, five that look enough like Black-capped Chickadees to make you feel right at home. None of them actually say "Chickadee - dee - dee" though, the sound for which ours are named.

Chickadees are tiny, just over five inches from beak to tail, smaller than sparrows. They have a black cap and bib, contrasting sharply with white cheeks. Their backs are gray and they're buff to white underneath. Their black beaks are short and stubby. Now you have a mental picture. Turn it upside-down. Chickadees are clinging birds. Upside-down is all right with them. Bird feeders for them are built with this in mind, with the openings underneath. It's easy for chickadees to land upside-down and grab a sunflower seed. The Northern Cardinals and finches have a tough time with this and usually go to an easier feeder.

Chickadees are a yearround part of Nantucket's wildlife. It wasn't always this way. They used to be quite scarce here because the island was a lot less forested. Our earliest Christmas Bird Counts in the 50s and 60s sometimes had fewer than 10. It wasn't until 1976 that we broke 100. Last year we had almost 700. This reflects the fact that Nantucket now has huge pine forests and also that many more people feed birds.

Most people are just thrilled to death with this. Not only are these little birds quite pleasing to the eye, it's hard not to admire their cheerful personality. They are active even on the coldest days. Almost any trip outdoors brings you in contact with a chickadee. Bradford Torrey wrote in 1889, "It would be a breach of good manners, an inexcusable ingratitude, to write ever so briefly of the New England winter without noting the chickadee…the bird of the merry heart."

They also have a rather indomitable spirit. If you are lucky enough to hold one in your hand during a bird banding operation you are impressed with the fierce way their little eyes regard you. Often they'll grab the web between your fingers. They can only give you a tiny pinch but it doesn't slow them down a bit. Even when you open your hand to release them they'll sometimes hold on to make sure you learn your lesson.

But they are also trusting and tame. I have several that will land on my hand if I hold some sunflower seeds in my palm. You feel their little claws grasp your finger, then they'll rummage around, choosing just the right seed before heading off. But what can such a delicate bird do with something as tough as a sunflower seed?

I remember my friend Wendy describing chickadee behavior to me. "I see them on the feeder. Then they fly to a branch and pound on their feet with their bills." Without binoculars she couldn't see they were punishing a sunfl ower seed until it gave up its meat. So part of the time you see this seed bashing exercise. Other times they fly off and cache the seeds away for an icy winter day when they need extra energy. Many of the shingles on my house have sunflower seeds wedged under them.

Although our chickadees all look alike (even the boys and girls), some live with us year round, others migrate. Some years there are big seasonal movements. They've been observed flying across the Great Lakes, but I believe my little flock of a dozen or so doesn't range more than a mile from my house.

At any rate, chickadees are enjoyable little birds that will come to you with just a little encouragement. The good news is - you can count them! I

George C. West creates illustrations for these articles.

Find more about Birding Nantucket on the web at http://kblackshaw. com/BN/BN.htm

If you enjoy 'social' birding, join the Nantucket Bird Club for a walk any Sunday starting at 8 a.m. in the Nantucket High School parking lot. Dress for the weather. Plan to be out until about 10:30 and perhaps meet for breakfast afterwards.

To hear about rare birds, or to leave a bird report call the Massachusetts Audubon hot line at 781-259-8805.