Maine Kumbayah Moment today

S

stagpanther

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While out practicing shooting my 44 mag lever gun at 100 yds. I walked down to the target to adjust the zero on my loopy 2x scout scope and while holding it up closely to adjust the elevation a Black-capped chickadee--the state bird--landed right on the barrel at the muzzle about ten inches from my face. I know--corny as all heck--but it still made me smile (especially nice since I wasn't shooting very well).
 
Hopefully it is a good omen from nature. On the other hand, just being near nature is a good thing.

I had a similar joy yesterday when a 10 point white tail stepped out of the woods about 50 yards from my study window. I did get a great picture.
 

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Very cool.

Your post also brought a smile to my face, but for a different reason.
The charter school that sponsors the Cub Scout program I participate in has a curriculum heavily based on the outdoors, nature, and recreation; and the 'nature' program starts with birds. So, beginning with Kindergarten, the kids start identifying birds, classifying foot types, analyzing feathers for type of flyer, judging primary food sources based on beak shape, etc.

They revisit many of the same birds, grade after grade (through 8th), in order to apply more advanced concepts as they learn them.

But the first bird introduced, and the most prominent player to be revisited in the bird program is.... The Black-Capped Chickadee.

So, no matter what the activity is - be it for the school or for Scouts - whenever any small bird or any bird with black coloration is seen, every kid around (and especially the K-3 pupils) shouts out, "LOOK! It's a Black Capped Chickadee!"
:D
 
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Chickadees are neat birds and in my experience among the least concerned about humans. They're always a fun distraction during boring hunts. I've had them land on me and my guns/bows a number of times... but considering that's over the course of several decades hunting, it's still plenty rare enough to be really cool and memorable.

One saved me from getting busted... just a few moments after a deer noticed something amiss a Chickadee landed on my arm. Apparently the deer decided all it saw was the bird so it went back to eating. The deer wasn't a shooter anyway, but it was certainly an assist from Mr Chickadee.
 
There is something about the Northeast forests that seem to bring out the best in good people. Lets not forget that Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau composed their best works when surrounded by the tranquility of these woods. Especially in the spring and the autumn.

I still remember, years ago in grade school, when I, still a rather ignorant New York City kid, picked up a copy of "Wild Fruits" and "Walden", both by H.D.T, and was mesmerized for weeks afterward. Of course, most of the US harbor beautiful places. The South with it's lush magnolia and snowball gardens...The West with it's yuccas and wide open badlands, a trucker's paradise indeed, etc...But the Northeast woods have a charm of their own. And one part of it comes from just how plentiful in fish and game this place has. Even if a Cormac McCarthy type socio-ecological disaster strikes and whatever remained of the human population are thrust back into the Dark Ages, it is darn impossible for anyone to starve in these woods, proven of course, these folks know how to harvest the flora and fauna:)

Hopefully it is a good omen from nature. On the other hand, just being near nature is a good thing.
Click to expand...

I have noticed that chickadees harbor a special fondness or at least curiosity towards humans and human made items. Two times in the past year I had been delivering construction supplies way up into upstate New York and New Hampshire and had chickadees land on my truck while it was parked and unloading. Once on the front-hood mounted fisheye mirror bracket and the second time right on the driver side mirror mount, while I was inside with my windows down, eating lunch. Pretty neat, not to mention feels mighty good to have a bit of nature seep into my daily quite busy life. The other creature that often does this are New York City pigeons, but of course, they have lived so long in a bustling city environment that this behavior would be normal. But it is still good to have pigeons calling on a fire escape fence or windowsill, especially in spring.
 
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Chickadees here will not leave when I fill the feeders in the Winter...They just hop to the side and let me go about my business...All the other birds scatter when I open the door...

Fell asleep in a tree stand as a kid, and awoke to find a Chickadee sitting on my foot watching me...
 
I hunted the same patch of woods for years and I could always count on finding Chickadees feeding in the same spots at the same time. And they can be a reliable sign of life up here in February. Tough little birds.
 
I try to keep my feeders full for the chickadees, which is a tough job this year with the squirrel caravans that have invaded Maine!
 
:D:D:D:D:D:DWith all the gale force wind we've had; must be flying squirrels. Just checked the thermometer on my deck, says 18 degrees, think I'll grab my Rossi and take a walk in the woods and see if the rut is on.
 
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Chickadees are my favorite winter bird here in Michigan. I keep a feeder with black sunflower seeds just for them ...
 
In the northern Oregon Cascades, between Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson, there is a bird of several names, but specifically the Grey Jay. It's an unusually friendly bird, especially if you are inclined to share food. Once when I was alone in my hunting camp, several of them came to visit me. At times I had three of them on me at once and they were highly entertaining. AKA, Camp Robber, Whiskey Jack, etc.
 
Had stare contest with Owl.

A few years back, and owl landed about 10 feet from my deer stand. We had quite the stare down. He won.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
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