Chickadee and sweetgum

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Chickadee and sweetgum

February 5, 2018 by Mike Powell

This Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) was working hard this past Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to get to the seeds inside the spiky pods of a sweetgum tree. I was amazed that the stem of the seedpods was able to support the weight of the little bird, particularly because it had to peck away vigorously to get to the seeds. Eventually the chickadee’s persistence would pay off and it would sit on a branch and really seemed to enjoy the seeds.

It makes me wonder what the seeds taste like.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Canon 50D, Carolina Chickadee, chickadee, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Poecile carolinensis, Sweetgum, Sweetgum Tree, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 5 Comments

5 Responses

on February 5, 2018 at 8:47 am | Reply Jodi

so beautiful, but I oddly see a witch’s fingernail in the one long branch – LOL!
on February 5, 2018 at 8:57 am | Reply Ellen Jennings

Nice image, I like how the blue mottled background sets off the bird and seed pods. I expect birds must get a surprise occasionally when something like this lets go.
on February 6, 2018 at 4:47 am | Reply Arkenaten

Well …. you could always eat one!
on January 16, 2022 at 5:29 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

Exquisite image!
- on January 21, 2022 at 3:04 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks.