These gregarious little birds- Black Capped Chickadees- seem to be almost universally considered 'cute'.... partly b/c of their tiny body w/ oversized round head and partly b/c of their natural curiosity about everything, including humans. I have noticed at my own feeders that while most birds quickly fly off when Comanche barks or investigates the feeder that the little Chickadees seem not to notice her and NEVER fly away w/o first grabbing a seed.

These are fascinating little birds. In addition to exhibiting superior spatial memory allowing them to relocate stored caches of food they are also one of only a couple of bird species capable of torpor- the ability to reduce body temperature in order to conserve energy on a cold winter night. Additionally, their seemingly simple vocalizations ('chick-a-dee-dee-dee' or a whistled 'fee-bee') are astonishingly complex. A recent study of their calls, for example, showed that the number of 'dees' indicates the level of threat from nearby predators....more dangerous get more 'dees'

I have been listening to these little guys for years at my place. In fact, I hear them way more often than I see them and yesterday was the very first time I was able to photograph one. Sitting on a tree branch right next to the wood shed I was delighted when I noticed that despite all the criss-crossing branches I had a clear and unobstructed view of the Chickadee seen in this image. It was mid-morning, slightly overcast and I decided I actually liked the natural setting made by all the small branches surrounding her.