Cisco Sonar

Chickadees and Ice

By Bryce Nielson, Cisco Sonar

As you are aware by now I am addicted to bird watching.  Most of it is done looking out my window from my office (the couch) with a view of the Lake in the background.  My favorite birds are the two species of chickadees, the black capped and the mountain.

I feed black sunflower seeds in my primary feeder that is ruled by the chickadees.  The black capped show up first in the the fall but can be seen any time of year.  As winter approaches the mountain chickadees come down from the forest for food.  You can never really tell how many birds are at the feeder because they come and go so rapidly.  Since they are a tiny bird, what are they doing with all the seeds?

The chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice are all cachers.  They take seeds as fast as they can and “cache” them everywhere to ensure they will have something to eat later when food gets scarce.  Ornithologists have learned that chickadees not only remember where they hide seeds, but also what caches they have already eaten, what have been eaten by other animals and which ones have their preferred foods. They can remember for over a month after caching and when spring comes, their brains automatically erase all the information and start over in the fall.

I also watch what is happening with the Lake and ice.  I have watched the cycle for 40 years.  Cold, calm weather in December, skimming from the shores and with continued cold development of ice strong enough to walk on.  Ice tents come out, gear is dusted off and plans are made for serious ice fishing.  Depending on the weather, it continues to freeze over for the winter things warm up with winds and it breaks up but may freeze again.  People either cheer for ice or open water.  I have seen it freeze in February but never in December.  The longer it takes to freeze, the quicker it thaws in the spring.  It all depends on weather now.  At least we have some snow in the mountains.