Thank heavens for Chickadees

We are seeing so few birds and so few species at the moment, when we go on our birding walks. There are no cones on many of the coniferous trees, meaning that there will be no food for birds such as Crossbills this winter, and birds such as Redpolls will be either non-existant or very low in numbers. It's not expected to be a good winter for Snowy Owls, either. That's why I say "Thank heavens for Chickadees"!! They are there to greet us, no matter what! Such tough little guys, though they are always only 24 hours away from death if they can't get enough fat stored into their body to last overnight. This was a lucky shot, taken through the snow-laden trees somewhere between Bebo Grove and Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Park, on 29 October 2013. It makes you wonder what kind of numbers will be recorded for each species during the upcoming Christmas Bird Counts, within the city, but especially in surrounding areas such as High River, Drumheller and Cochrane.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-Capped_Chickadee/id

www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/10611446056