Backyard Bird #2 - Chickadee

[Bill Dix]

Day Two of the Great Backyard Bird Count. Lets call this one a Carolina/Black-capped Chickadee, unless someone can give me a more definitive ID. I live in the narrow hybrid zone where the two species overlap, and it's often difficult to distinguish one from the other.

D7000, 500mm, ISO 1600, 1/400s @ f/6.3 manual. Dark day.

[Marina Scarr]

Lovely capture with super exposure and terrific details and colors. I would have liked to see the bird at a little less of an angle and on a smaller perch, but realize these are only wishes...and you probably wished too. Love all the little details on the perch and may have saturated the perch a little more.

[Mike Delgado]

Nice image. Crisp, sharp, awesome.

[Dennis Zaebst]

Hi Bill, my guess is that this is a Carolina Chickadee, based on the pale sides (Black-capped have more orangish sides), and what looks like a pale-gray nape. The Black-capped often is browner overall and has a brownish nape. Of course, unless I'm wrong.

Lovely shot overall. Very sharp, good light and HA, and BG. Personally, I like the perch. After all, the bird must like it too, as the bird chose it (hah).

[PhilCook]

Darn near perfect Bill I think, lovely Mossy ...Lichenny < new word ...perch. Lovely soft light and the light colors exposed nicely to show off the individual feather detail, light in eye is extra good and has that lovely glassy look to it. There could be a slight halo along the back, or it could be my monitor, or old eyes....nonetheless there is a lot to lichen about this image

[jack williamson]

Very well done Bill, just the right exposure to capture the detail in these little birds. Nice perch and BG.

[Shawn Zierman]

Very nice image of this chickadee. I enjoy that glassy catchlight. The lichens on the perch
add some nice character. I'm guessing the perch was set-up, though you've not indicated that,
and as such, choosing a perch with a fork or two or something just a bit more complex than
this one, would also be a consideration. Note, that I am not forgetting some of the wonderfully
complex perches you have used in the past! I just think that perches like this look better with tighter
compositions.Though minor and subjective, seeing the tail raised and not intersecting with the perch,
would also have been an improvement. Regardless, it's a classy shot.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Absolutely beautiful, I like the pose the colours detail and exposure. The perch is interesting without being intrusive, really good shot.

[Bill Dix]

Hi Bill, my guess is that this is a Carolina Chickadee, based on the pale sides (Black-capped have more orangish sides), and what looks like a pale-gray nape. The Black-capped often is browner overall and has a brownish nape. Of course, unless I'm wrong.

Lovely shot overall. Very sharp, good light and HA, and BG. Personally, I like the perch. After all, the bird must like it too, as the bird chose it (hah).

Dennis, I'm sure you're right. He also lacks the "hockey stick" marking on the coverts that sometimes shows in the BC's. The interface between bibb and chest appears a little ragged, but not enough to be diagnostic for a BC. Black-capped once seemed to predominate in our area, but in recent years as the hybrid zone has shifted slowly northward, Carolina's seem to be the default assumption here. Still, I'm told by the local experts that in our narrow zone there is a lot of hybridization, and the only way to tell for sure is a DNA test. They even learn each others songs. But I'd agree that in this case Carolina would be a good bet. Thanks for your comments.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks everyone for your comments.