If it is cold, and maybe a little snowy, wait til your bird feeders are empty, or nearly so. If they are located by the window of your dining room, kneel down, and open that window just enough to stick out your seed-filled palm. Use the wall as a blind. Give them two or three minutes. The chickadees will come first, and the boldest of them will land on your hand, grab a seed, go. Others will follow. As they get used to you, they will sit a little longer.
There is nothing like little bird feet on your fingers.
When you get numb, and if you have a partner or friend about, nonchalantly switch out. He may even get goldfinches interested.
Who lives life more boldly than a chickadee?
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7 comments:
I've always wondered how to get them to land on my hands. I've stood outside with seeds in my palm, but they never come close (although a brave little nuthatch swooped down a few times to investigate).
I'll have to try your trick and see if it works.
I adored hearing chickadees in the winter. Their regular sound was so happy and sprightly compared with their slightly sad, two-note mating whistle. They embodied both the sparkling joy and the faint melancholy of a snowy Vermont landscape.
I'm loving this new blog.
Although I feed the birds, I don't think I'm brave enough to have them eat out of my hand.
D is for Deloney
All: Lisa sent me to another blog friend of hers, and there was a photo of a chickadee eating out of her hand! (scroll down when you get there)
http://endment.blogspot.com/
FBH: Hurt/ailing birds are always heartbreaking to me. Occasionally I've seen the one-legged.
Deloney: I had actually thought of that, but don't quite have the nerve to do it yet. Maybe when D comes around again I'll get gutsy (as I've already written D and will likely post it tomorrow).
I started commenting on this, but blogged it instead. Thanks for reminding me of a wonderful memory.
Our chickadees I never noticed until the feeders were empty and one came to perch on my kitchen windowsill, staring at me at the sink as if to say, "well, where's the food?" They are eerily smart.
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