Chicadee from the hills

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This Mountain Chickadee is another winter visitor to the Canon City, CO but it comes not from afar. Like it's name implies, this species is a resident of our mountains (or at least the foothills). In fall and winter Mountain Chickadees engage in an attitudinal migration. Some find their way to the eastern plains with most seen in areas near the foothills like Canon City. In most winters I have at least one Mountain Chickadee that comes to my feeders and they seem to really like the raw peanut pieces I put out. There have been times when a Mountain Chickadee would repeatedly call until I put out more peanuts, seemingly telling me to bring more of their favorite food. Though some would consider this anthropomorphizing, I have experienced the same repeated calling by Blue Jays and being buzzed by hummingbirds when feeders were dry--and the behavior stopped when I brought out their food--hmmm. SeEtta
I photographed this chickadee at The Abbey. As noted on the pics, it has a seed in it's beak. In the bottom pic the bird was facing not only me but the sun so there is a shadow of it's beak on it' breast. SeEtta

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