Coming to you tonight from Wichita, Kansas. Had to pause my Haunted Trail efforts in order to run out here for a family wedding. Could not have come at a more inconvenient time, but I have been working night and day to hopefully get far enough ahead on the trail work to compensate for the loss of 4 crucial days. I have to admit, it has given me a bit of a rest – was starting to get drained, especially with trying to finish off the rest of the pre-taper training runs. Quite fitting we ended up here as Wichita is a Choctaw Native American Indian word that means “Land of Tall Witches”. Just guessing that they were good witches or this place would have more likely been called Wicheville. Before this mountain gets any bigger, how about we turn our attention to another kind of mountain.
Hit the jump to see more shots of this tiny mountain of a bird – oh, and I should probably clear up some liberties as well.
This one is actually real hehehe. Tonight’s featured feathered friend is the Mountain Chickadee. The great thing about birding, at least on the photography front, is every outing is a chance to do one of two things. The first is the more exciting aspect of tinning a new bird for the life list. Admittedly, this is a prime directive for most of my time in the field. A secondary goal is getting a better shot of a bird that I already have on the list. Note, a third was added several years back – don’t step on any Alligators (link here) which is really more of a safety tenet than a goal.
Today’s post falls into the second category – improving on a past encounter – come to think of it, it also fits the third directive as I managed to avoid all the Alligators in the area – latter sounds like a noble accomplishment until I tell you there were exactly zero Gators hanging around Lake Tahoe where these shots were taken. Some of my tenets have more regional significance hehehe.
My past Mountain Chickadee tins left a lot of room for improvement. Part of that is due to having no clue at the time there was even such a thing as a Mountain Chickadee. The Black-Capped are abundant in my neck of the woods and I had already encountered the Carolina on my trips to the east. I have oodles and oodles of shots with both of those species over the years and these days just snap a few shots to assist in the end of day tally and move on – pretty much what I did when I saw a similar looking Chickadee on our previous trip west. It wasn’t until I got home from that trip when I saw the extra white stripe above the eye.
The Carolina and the Black-Capped look very similar, both having a solid dark cap. See the shot above to see how the Mountain’s cap is broken by the white line above the eyes. A handy field identifier vs having to differentiate the 4-note song of the Carolina from the 2-note Carolina. Easier outside their overlapping regions especially when it comes to distinguishing the slight difference in their wing piping – Carolina’s are duller (good luck with that one in the field). Long story short, I knew the Mountain hung out around Tahoe and made a point to make amends for my previous brush-off.
Much happier with these tins. Now I just need to remember to bring warmer clothes the next time I head out there in May – wasn’t expecting to be dealing with a coating of snow on the ground and ended up bringing new meaning to the word “layering” as I put on every shirt I could find in the suitcase – at one point there was consideration of cutting holes in the sides of the suitcase and simply wearing that as well. Linda gave me her standard “oh, hell no” look when I mentioned my idea…I’ve learned over the years that she is probably right (shhhhhh, don’t tell her).
Settled for borrowing a ball cap from my brother Dan which did the trick. Now sufficiently warm, we all drove to up the mountain to a trailhead and managed to spot the Mountain within minutes. Got the tins I wanted and crossed that mission off my list. Even managed to bring you all the perspectives of this petite bird. Since this is not a new bird, I’ll just leave you with a quick interesting fact from Cornell. These Chickadees are a godsend for the western forests as they will gobble up the culprits whenever they get hit by an outbreak of tree-damaging insects.
Hope you enjoyed this Mountain species and you should ignore that other mountain of BS I hit you with during the intro. Wichita is indeed a Choctaw word, but it really means “big arbor” in recognition of the platforms they constructed. The Wichita tribe was forced to flee to Kansas, settling at this site during the Civil War – at least that is the story the locals tell me – believe what you will, I’m sticking with giant witches, just saying.
Wildlife Intrigued 
Hummm… Witchita…. Been there done that, happy never to go there again!
Loved the pictures. Sure is cute and happy wherever you see these small ones.
Safe travels!
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I may have taken liberties with the city spelling hehehe. The 10 hr drive each way through the flatlands was brutal. We finally made it back late this afternoon after driving until 3am before stopping for the night at a Cracker Barrel – both really drained (and having to take off for an 8 mile training taper run the minute we hit home didn’t help at all). These Chickadees definitely have a way of cheering you up – although they will attack Ron the second they see him – no idea what he did to them in a past life. Bear with me as I fall behind on reading your posts – soooo much to get through this week and next.
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Don’t even pull my blog up as you haven’t missed what isn’t there. The virus struck here and we got it! No canoe vacation no blog.🫤
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Cute little bird. I saw one in my back yard once after a storm. I was filling the feeders when it flew over and landed on one while I was still carrying it. I thought it was bold for a black cap until I saw the white stripe above its eye. Once the feeders were placed I ran inside to look up this newcomer. It was a Mountain chickadee, a bit lost for its normal range, but cute nonetheless.
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Wow, your specimen was definitely off course! I highly recommend taking your phone or DSLR with you every time you go to your feeders – speaking of which, how do you handle vacations with your feeders, let them go, large enough to handle the gap (which would mean no Raccoons), screw ’em they can go back to earning it, auto-feeders, kind neighbors – inquiry minds want to know, especially since we definitely go on extended trips. I think I might have shown you my working model of a auto-feeder.
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I fill the feeders as much as physics will allow just prior to leaving. After that they have to revert to their natural feeding behavior. And it would have been hard to carry any cameras with feeders in both hands. I know, I know, if there’s no photo it didn’t happen.
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That first photo is phantasmtastic. It’s really a wonderful shot. I still have a few relatives living in Wichita. It’s been years since I’ve been to Kansas. I experienced major culture shock back in the days when I would visit my Kansas relatives. The last time I visited Witchita I had the epiphany that I am more of a dam wetback than a true blue American. I have to admit that I have waded across the Rio Grande many times in my lifetime. That is a lovely little chickadee. W.C. Fields would have loved it.
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Thank you Timothy! I might have a post on the whole ordeal, so I’ll hold my comments on the experience until then. There are definitely some differences over there…and with us even considering ourselves their “kin” being from the Midwest. I will say that drive is mind-numbing – I like corn and all, but one can only take soooooooo many miles of that hehehe. Love the Fields reference … think we are dating ourselves though! I’ve been to the Rio Grande many times now – haven’t gotten the nerve to get in it yet as I usually have to go through a sea of white and green vehicles to get there. Take care and thanks for dropping in – apologies for being behind on your posts – promise I will get caught up as soon as possible. Oh, and thought of you today when Linda mentioned there is a going to be a good Jupiter viewing tomorrow night.
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Jupiter will be in opposition tomorrow night. The problem is it’s so bright reflecting all that sunlight that it’s had to get detail. That’s okay. We need more opposition these days.
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Linda didn’t mention “opposition” … now I am really excited!!!!
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It’s always fun to see a previously known bird in a new environment – gives depth to my appreciation of their lives and habitat. Great photos this time around – love especially the one of him casting one eye to the sky, and the other of him on a weathered branch with the flowering mahogany (the weathered branch almost perfectly echoes the texture of his wing feathers). Great work!
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Appreciate it Sam, I always like coming back from an outing feeling the mission was accomplished. Glad you noticed the texture in that branch, that was something that caught my eye when I was processing it – I missed the match to the texture on the wings until you mentioned it – good eye, totally agree, now I like the shot even more. You also know your trees! As always, thanks for pointing your browser our way.
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Wonderful to linger on these lovely mountain chickadee photos, Brian. Fun to see the back side, too. I haven’t seen a whole lot of mountain chickadees in my many birding years. In No. Calif. we have the chestnut-backed which I find so very beautiful. I chuckled at the image of you wearing your suitcase. Lovely post, thanks.
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They are such cute little birds, Brian. I liked your second picture in particular. Mountain Chickadees are common in my yard and never stay still for long.
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Thank you SoyBend! I am jealous you have easy access to these little bundles of joy. I like our Black-Caps, but it is especially nice when we get to gander at their cousins. Appreciate your comments regarding the second picture – I am always intrigued by what images my readers favor which helps guide my work/choices the next time I am in the field. Take care and have a wonderful start to the week.
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Those are my two goals as well with birding, it is the most exciting part of bird photography. I never get tired of it. 🙂
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