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Painted

1909

Published

1929

Volume

12

Plate

735-735a

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Chickadee

Penthestes atricapillus atricapillus

DESCRIPTION

WHEN history lifted a corner of the veil enshrouding man's past we found at the head of the tribes, magicians — dispensers of mystery. As humanity advanced, the sud of ignorance and superstition lightened a trifle and the path of magic separated into two roads — Science and Religion.

Wayfarers whose minds demanded facts for mental food trod the former; those still under the domination of old gods, who were satisfied with rations of superstitious miasma, traveled the latter. At first, Science Way held only a few stragglers, while on Religion Road uncounted billions swarmed and dust clouds raised by their shuffling feet obscured heaven and earth — still do.

But Science Way is no longer deserted; a thin column of cameo-minded beings is moving steadily thru a desert which is commencing to bloom. Religion Road is curving toward the straight — there are more deserters from that multitude. They are scurrying across and the distance is not as great as it was between them.

But the lure which keeps both columns moving is the same — mystery. The witchery of this world holds humanity under its spell as strongly as ever. Those who follow that old dame we call Mother Nature, hoping she will drop a key from her ring with which we can unlock one of her doors, seldom tire of the quest. Each step along a woodland path and who knows when or where a key may glint thru the grass?

We continue playing the game with rewards coming our way often enuf to hold interest at pitch and the "hoping" keeps us boys.

CHICKADEES have been intimate friends of mine for half a century and ever since I investigated the first nest, in a white birch stump, I have wondered how they collected such a quantity of fur which usually forms foundations of their homes. It did not seem possible to accumulate so much by picking bits from briars and ground.

Not until the Spring of 1926 was the mystery cleared. Some chestnut "tops" and dead trees still remained within hauling distance on the hill and the Scotch in me hated to think they would be wasted. It was too hot for vigorous ax work but the pile was slowly approaching cord size.

A Chickadee phee-beed. A patch of dead blackberry briars extended ledgeward and as I sat down a rabbit scurried thru the canes. "Blacktop" came to my answering call and the first things he spied were flecks of fur left by Cottontail. The bird gathered a billful; disappeared for a couple of minutes, returned and repeated the operation. The third trip brot the little midget right up to a rock cleft where the rabbit had "holed up." It was a blind alley for as I watched, the Chickadee went in out of sight — all but a vigorously wagging tail; then reappeared with a bundle of fur which almost obscured his head!

"And that ain't all!" He dropped his cargo outside the entrance and went back for more. "Make fur while the rabbit sets," was his sole thot and four bales were "hooked" before Bunny stamped angry hind feet, backed out and "beat it."

Instinct? My eye! Here was a cache that must be worked while the victim lay doggo (or rather, rabbo!) and Mr. Chickadee did just that. If that wasn't reason I'm the rabbit!

Old Dame Nature touched the ironic string of the harp when she fashioned the Titmouse family. In these fluffy atoms of dusk, gray and white are epitomized all the virtues man is still striving to acquire. Cheerful, valorous, healthy and loyal, they belong as Eaton says "to the limited company of immortals who are cheerful before breakfast and are still interested in life after dinner.

If you ever have had a flock come flitting toward you thru the snow in winter woods, I think you will admit all pleasant adjectives in the dictionary are theirs by right. Only facts endure, cold biologists say; but here adjectives are facts and therefore indelible.

It is rumored that the Golden Rule is inscribed over the pulpit in the Mormon Temple at Salt Lake City. Perhaps western relatives passed that sentiment to eastern Chickadees for they are all practising it. There are occasional lapses at the food tray but the scraps are harmless and brief.

To me, loyalty is their most alluring virtue. The plaintive "phee bee" is heard around our home thru every month of the year and during some winter storms they are the only birds abroad. When I come downstairs at dawn they are waiting for breakfast suet, scolding at the delay, chickadee-ee-ee-ee-ing when served.

"He knows that thru the hourglass
The frozen flakes will run
And bring the daffodils again
To dance with wind and sun.
And so upon the lilac tree
He pipes in merry minstrelsy
The optimistic Chickadee."

NEST in natural tree cavities (white birch stumps prefered), deserted Woodpecker holes or in fence posts. Constructed of leaves, moss, grass and bark strips snugly lined with hair, fur or feathers, sometimes entirely built of fur to a depth of six inches!

EGGS, 4 to 8, white quite thickly spotted with chestnut and lilac gray.

BREEDING

RANGE

Eastern North America. North to Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario and southern Keewatin; south to about latitude 40 as far west as Iowa. In Allegheny Mountains to spruce belt of North Carolina.

Long-Tailed Chickadee

Penthestes atricapillus septentrionalis

DESCRIPTION

Nest and eggs similar to those of Chickadee.

BREEDING

RANGE

Western North America. Breeds mainly in Canadian and Transition zones from Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, central Mackenzie and southwestern Keewatin south to northern New Mexico and eastern Kansas and from eastern Oregon east to western Minnesota and western Iowa. In winter, south to central Texas.

Red Cedar

Juniperus virginiana

DESCRIPTION

Averaging 40 feet, rarely attaining a height of 100, with a trunk diameter of 4 feet. Ranging from New Brunswick to Georgia; westward to eastern Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, south to eastern Texas. Not on mountains of New England, New York or high Alleghanies, but covering large areas with pure growth of small trees in low limestone regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

chickadee-long-tailed-chickadee
cactus-wren-bryant-cactus-wren-san-lucas-cactus-wren
Cactus Wren, Bryant Cactus Wren, San Lucas Cactus Wren
713-713a-713b
rock-wren-san-nicolas-rock-wren-guadalupe-rock-wren
Rock Wren, San Nicolas Rock Wren, Guadalupe Rock Wren
715-715a-715b
white-throated-wren-canyon-wren-dotted-canyon-wren
White-Throated Wren, Canyon Wren, Dotted Canyon Wren
717-717a-717b
carolina-wren-florida-wren-lomita-wren
Carolina Wren, Florida Wren, Lomita Wren
718-718a-718b
bewick-wren-vigor-wren-baird-wren
Bewick Wren, Vigor Wren, Baird Wren
719-719a-719b
san-clemente-wren-guadalupe-wren
San Clemente Wren, Guadalupe Wren
719.1-720
texas-wren-san-diego-wren-seattle-wren
Texas Wren, San Diego Wren, Seattle Wren
719c-719d-719e
house-wren-western-house-wren
House Wren, Western House Wren
721-721a
winter-wren-western-winter-wren-kadiak-winter-wren
Winter Wren, Western Winter Wren, Kadiak Winter Wren
722-722a-722b
alaska-wren-aleutain-wren
Alaska Wren, Aleutian Wren
723-723.1
short-billed-marsh-wren
Short-Billed Marsh Wren
724
long-billed-marsh-wren-tule-wren
Long-Billed Marsh Wren, Tule Wren
725-725a
worthington-marsh-wren-western-marsh-wren-prairie-marsh-wren-marian-marsh-wren
Worthington Marsh Wren, Western Marsh Wren, Prairie Marsh Wren, Marian Marsh Wren
725b-725c-725d-725e
brown-creeper-mexican-creeper
Brown Creeper, Mexican Creeper
726-726a
rocky-mountain-creeper-california-creepeer-sierra-creeper
Rocky Mountain Creeper, California Creeper, Sierra Creeper
726b-726c-726d
white-breasted-nuthatch-slender-billed-nuthatch-florida-white-breasted-nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch, Slender-Billed Nuthatch, Florida White-Breasted Nuthatch
727-727a-727b
rocky-mountain-nuthatch-san-lucas-nuthatch
Rocky Mountain Nuthatch, San Lucas Nuthatch
727c-727d
red-breasted-nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
728
brown-headed-nuthatch
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
729
pygmy-nuthatch-white-naped-nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch, White-Naped Nuthatch
730-730a
tufted-titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
731
black-crested-titmouse-sennett-titmouse
Black-Crested Titmouse, Sennett Titmouse
732-732a
plain-titmouse-gray-titmouse-ashy-titmouse
Plain Titmouse, Gray Titmouse, Ashy Titmouse
733-733a-733b
bridled-titmouse
Bridled Titmouse
734
chickadee-long-tailed-chickadee
Chickadee, Long-Tailed Chickadee
735-735a
oregon-chickadee-yukon-chickadee
Oregon Chickadee, Yukon Chickadee
735b-735c
carolina-chickadee-plumbeous-chickadee-florida-chickadee
Carolina Chickadee, Plumbeous Chickadee, Florida Chickadee
736-736a-736b
mexican-chickadee
Mexican Chickadee
737
mountain-chickadee-bailey-mountain-chickadee
Mountain Chickadee, Bailey Mountain Chickadee
738-738a
alaska-chickadee
Alaska Chickadee
739
hudsonian-chickadee-acadian-chickadee
Hudsonian Chickadee, Acadian Chickadee
740-740a
chestnut-backed-chickadee-california-chickadee-barlow-chickadee
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, California Chickadee, Barlow Chickadee
741-741a-741b
bushtit-california-bushtit-grinda-bushtit
Bushtit, California Bushtit, Grinda Bushtit
743-743a-743b
lead-colored-bushtit-lloyds-bushtit
Lead Colored Bushtit, Lloyd Bushtit
744–745
verdin-cape-verdin
Verdin, Cape Verdin
746-746a
wrentit-pallid-wrentit
Wrentit, Pallid Wrentit
747-747a
coast-wrentit-ruddy-wrentit
Coast Wrentit, Ruddy Wrentit
747b-747c
golden-crowned-kinglet
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748
western-goden-crowned-kinglet
Western Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748a
ruby-crowned-kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749
sitka-kinglet
Sitka Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749a
dusky-kinglet
Dusky Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749b
blue-gray-gnatcatcher-western-gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Western Gnatcatcher
751-751a
plumbeous-gnatcatcher-black-tailed-gnatcatcher
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher
752-753
townsends-solitaire
Townsend’s Solitaire
754
wood-thrush
Wood Thrush
755
veery
Veery
756
willow-thrush
Willow Thrush
756a
gray-cheeked-thrush-bicknells-thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush
757-757a
russet-backed-thrush
Russet-Backed Thrush
758
olive-backed-thrush
Olive-Backed Thrush
758a
alaska-hermit-thrush
Alaska Hermit Thrush
759
audubons-hermit-thrush
Audubon’s Hermit Thrush
759a
hermit-thrush
Hermit Thrush
759b
dwarf-hermit-thrush-monterey-hermit-thrush-sierra-hermit-thrush
Dwarf Hermit Thrush, Monterey Hermit Thrush, Sierra Hermit Thrush
759c-759d-759e
robin
Robin
761
western-robin-southern-robin
Western Robin, Southern Robin
761a-761b
san-lucas-robin
San Lucas Robin
762
varied-thrush
Varied Thrush
763
northern-varied-thrush
Northern Varied Thrush
763a
wheatear-greenland-wheatear
Wheatear, Greenland Wheatear
765-765a
bluebird
Bluebird
766
azure-bluebird
Azure Bluebird
766a
western-bluebird
Western Bluebird
767
chestnut-backed-bluebird
Chestnut-Backed Bluebird
767a
san-pedro-bluebird
San Pedro Bluebird
767b
mountain-bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
768