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| Did you know? Eastern Bluebirds typically have two broods in the northern portions of their range while it is common for them to have three broods in the southern part of their range. In the case of a warm summer that lasts later than usual, three broods can be expected even in the Northeastern United States. The number of broods is mainly dependent on the weather and adequate availability of food (insects). Eastern Bluebirds are cavity nesters and build a tall nest made mainly from grasses. The female lays two to seven bluish eggs that are incubated primarily by her. The eggs hatch in 12 to 14 days. The hatchlings are fed by both parents and the young ones fledge in another 14 to 20 days. Blowfly larvae are commonly found in bluebird nests but it is rare for the infestation to cause death of the hatchlings (by blood loss). |
| Eastern Bluebird, (Sialia sialis) carved in 2004. Base made out of locust, chestnut and black walnut. Private Collection Purcellville, VA |
| The Black-capped Chickadee, Parus atricapillus or Poecile atricapillus, is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Adults have a black cap and bib with white sides to the face. Their underparts are white with rusty brown on the flanks; their back is grey. They have a short dark bill, short wings and a long tail. Their breeding habitat is mixed or deciduous woods in Canada, Alaska and the northern United States. They nest in a hole in a tree; the pair excavates the nest, using a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. They may interbreed with Carolina Chickadees or Mountain Chickadees where their ranges overlap. The Black-capped and Carolina chicadees are virtually impossible to tell apart visually, but they are readily distinguished by call. They are permanent residents, but sometimes move south within their range in winter. On cold winter nights, these birds reduce their body temperature to conserve energy. Black-capped Chickadee on spruce treeThese birds hop along tree branches searching for food, sometimes hanging upside down or hovering; they may make short flights to catch insects in the air. Insects form a large part of their diet, especially in summer; seeds and berries become important in winter. They sometimes hammer seeds on a tree or shrub to open them; they also will store seeds for later use. During the fall migration and winter, chickadees often flock together. Many other species of birds, including titmice, nuthatches, and warblers can often be found foraging in these flocks. Mixed flocks stay together because the chickadees call out whenever they find a good source of food. This calling out forms cohesion for the group, allowing the other birds to find food more |
| Black-capped Chickadee - (Parus atricapillus). In my opinion a sort of difficult bird to carve when relying solely on pictures. The black on the head tends to hide the true shape and size of the skull structure. Also, the bird strikes a great deal of body poses and shapes difficult to render in a wood carving. Private Collection Purcellville,VA 2005 |
| Black Capped Chickadee 2005 Carved out of Black Walnut on a Black Walnut base simulating a wooden box. Arizona |
| Chickadee pair and nest composition. The birds are carved out of black walnut and spruce. The cavity is made from a chestnut post knot and the branch from soldered copper wire and epoxy. For some time now I had wanted to do something with this unique chestnut knot I had laying around in my shop, but just couldn't figure what, until recently. Reading about the nesting and roosting habits of Chickadees, I visualized that same chestnut piece providing a safe nesting place to a pair of Chickadees. I started working on the concept right away and was happy with the result, so much, I really wanted to keep it. It seem like I am always looking for excuses to keep every one of these simple wooden birds. I just can't help it. At least I know it is well liked where it now resides. Private Collection Purcellville, VA |
| One of the lost Chickadees has gotten caught on a picture. Which number Chickadee is this one? I do not recall, but it is inscribed on the bottom of the base and chest. The base was made out of Chestnut and the growth rings are very pronounced. Private Collection Clearbrook, Virginia |
| Did you know? The vocalizations of Black-capped chickadees are highly complex; 13 distinct types of vocalizations have been classified, many of which are complex and can communicate different types of information. Chickadees' complex vocalizations are likely an evolutionary adaptation to their habitat: they live and feed in dense vegetation, and even when the flock is close together, individual birds tend to be out of each others' visual range. The song of the Black-capped is a simple, clear whistle of two notes, identical in rhythm, the first roughly a whole-step below the second. This is distinguished from the Carolina chickadee's four-note call fee-bee fee-bay; the lower notes are nearly identical but the higher fee notes are omitted, making the Black-capped song like "bee bay". The males only sing the song when in relative isolation from other chickadees (including their mates). In late summer, some young birds will sing only a single note. Both sexes sometimes make a faint version of the song, and this appears to be used when feeding young. The most familiar call is the familiar chick-a-dee-dee-dee which gave this bird its name. This call has been observed to consist of up to four distinct units which can be arranged in different patterns to communicate information about threats from predators and coordination of group movement. Recent study of the call shows that the number of dees indicates the level of threat from nearby predators. An analysis of over 5,000 alarm calls from chickadees, it was found that alarm calls by triggered small, dangerous raptors had a shorter interval between "chick" and "dee" and tended to have extra "dees", usually averaging four instead of two. In one case, a warning call about a pygmy owl, a prime threat to chickadees, contained 23 dees.[1] The Carolina Chickadee makes a similar call which is faster and higher-pitched. There are a number of other calls and sounds that these Chickadees make, such as a gargle noise which is usually used by males to indicate a threat of attacking another male, often when feeding. This call is also used in sexual contexts. This noise is among the most complex of the calls, containing 2-9 of 14 distinct notes in one population that was studied. |
| The sleepy eyes-bother me-not Chickadee Private Owner Green Bank, WV |
| The carving is made out of Yellow Pine and the base from a piece of old chestnut fence post. Private Owner Dunmore, WV |
| For comments about this web: birdofwood@yahoo.com contact |
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| Black Capped Chickadee No.5. This is the fifth Chickadee I have carved to date. Private Collection Green Bank, WV |
| This is the remaining Chickadee I had done a while ago and never got to photograph. It was the 4th or 5th. I like it's posture and simple setting. Private Collection Dublin, VA. |
One very curious Chickadee on top of a Chestnut wood box I designed and
crafted. It would make a nice mailing storage bin. The Chickadee was carved as if
was investigating the letter side compartment. The box measures 15" tall by 9-1/4"
wide by 5-3/4" deep. It was designed to be placed on a wall.
Personal Collection
crafted. It would make a nice mailing storage bin. The Chickadee was carved as if
was investigating the letter side compartment. The box measures 15" tall by 9-1/4"
wide by 5-3/4" deep. It was designed to be placed on a wall.
Personal Collection