Thursday, January 30, 2014

A Winter Finish and a New Winter Bird

Design - "Let it Snow" (6 Fat Men)
Designer - Lizzie Kate
Fabric - 28 count Amber linen
Fibers - Crescent Colours, GAST, & WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 20 January 2014
Completed - 27 January 2014

Another opportunity!  
The Bushtits came back in the early afternoon just after lunch time.

A bit better light and I got some better photos.

As you can see, I need to refill this feeder with more Bark Butter. 

I hope they stick around for the February Great Backyard Bird Count!

All winter long the Black-capped Chickadees have been 'regulars' at my feeders.  The birds grab a single sunflower seed, or quickly peck at the peanuts - flitting away to the safety of a tree or thicket with small bit of food. The birds hide seeds to eat later.  Each item is placed in its own spot, and the birds can remember thousands of unique hiding places! They are named for the call they make: chicka-dee-dee-dee. Their numbers have slowly and steadily grown as winter has progressed.  I now often count 5,6, 7 or even 8 at a time.  

In the Pacific NW however, we have not one, but two kinds of Chickadees.


So I was really pleased to have a Chestnut-backed Chickadee show up at the peanut feeder.  It's easy to see why the bird has the name it does - the milk chocolate back and shoulders are its most prominent feature. The Chestnut-backed Chickadee dwells in tall conifer forests.  They use lots of fur in making a nest, with fur or hair accounting for up to half the material in the hole. Rabbit, coyote, and deer hair are most common, but hair from skunks, cats, horses, or cows appears in nests as well. The adults make a layer of fur about a half-inch thick that they use to cover the eggs when they leave the nest.

Chickadees are named for the call they make: chicka-dee-dee-dee. Interestingly the two kinds of Chickadees have very different songs.  You can compare the two at Birdnote.

18 comments:

Maggee said...

Ooh--a NEW birdie! They do have a distinctly different call--bookmarked that site now! I should also start a few smalls in between all the large WIPs and SALs I am doing! You always inspire me! Hugs!

Chris said...

Love the snowman and beautiful pics of birds
Chris x

Melissa said...

Beth, thanks for sharing the info on the different chickadee calls. That was interesting and I didn't know about the chestnut chickadee. I learned something new today!

Love the snowman finish!

Lovely photos of the birdies!

Anna van Schurman said...

Love how bright and cheerful all your finishes have been lately. We all need a little color in our lives right now, I think. :)

Margaret said...

Love the finish! So cool about the chickadees too. I haven't seen the second kind before.

Carol said...

I had no idea there were different kinds of chickadees! How nice that you had a new visitor, Beth...

Love your latest finish :)

Mouse said...

love the snow man and how cute is that bird feeder .. and wow love the wee chestnut chickadee ... so nice to see :) love mouse xxxxx

Wanda said...

I was so thrilled to learn there is another kind of chickadee! He's just adorable. Love the 6 Fat Men!

krayolakris said...

Oh gosh I love your bird photos..dear little birds. I didn't know that chickadees stow the seeds away for later! Amazing! Congrats on your colorful finish,

Melody said...

What a cute, cheerful finish! Nice colors for these dull winter days.

Barb said...

I love Chickadees! Your finish looks great too!

Pam in IL said...

Another cute snowman, but maybe it's time to stop saying let it snow, lol. The prediction for us for this weekend into next week is now 18-24 inches of fresh snow! I put my snowmen and snowflake decorations away in the hopes that it would make the snow stop.

Love seeing the chickadees!

Chris said...

Ooh Beth! I love it when you have new visitors. I hope that they show up for your count. I am looking forward to this years results. Lovely stitching!!

Sherry said...

We have had lots of chickadees this winter! When is the backyard bird count this year? I usually do it but have not checked on it yet.

Andrea said...

Another lovely finish, loving all of the snowmen. The new chickadee has beautiful marking and that chocolate brown colour is just divine.

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

A very sweet finish and some sweet little visitors too!

Melanie said...

I just love chickadees. Can't get enough of them.
Super cute new finish too. :)

Cindy's Stitching said...

really pretty pictures. The colors in the lizzy kate snowman is very pretty.