Chickadees

Chickadees and I have a special relationship. When I was young, I used to perch on top of the radiator with the cat and watch the Chickadees feeding.

Yesterday I brought more sunflower seeds outside to put in the feeder; the birds were eagerly awaiting their feast. They flew over to feed despite my presence.

That gave me an idea. I put some sunflower seeds in an outstretched palm and waited, still, as one by one, the Chickadees perched on nearby branches inches away, and looked at me quizzically before flying off. After a couple of minutes of this, one brave bird swooped down and perched on the end of my fingertips, without taking a seed.

He flew off again, and then returned, this time taking a seed. Others soon joined until several birds had fed from my hand.
A couple of feet away, one of the resident red squirrels stared at the scene, clucking away, as if to say – hey where’s my share? I almost thought he was going to climb my leg and join the feasting.