Cheerful little bird...

When piped a tiny voice heard by,
Gay and polite, a cheerful cry,
Chic-chic-a-dee-dee! saucy note
Out of sound heart and merry throat."
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
The chickadee is my very favorite little bird and one was nice enough to cooperate for a photo shoot this week. These little guys are so hard to capture as they don't stand still very long-constantly flitting to the feeder and flying off to eat their seed somewhere else. I love to hear their chick-a-dee-dee call whether at home or away - it always brings a smile to my face. Ralph Waldo is right when he describes them as "gay and polite" - they always wait to the side until the feeder perches are empty before coming in to grab their serving. I have even noticed them waiting at the side of the rock until it is their turn to bathe;-)

Even though this post is dedicated to the chickadee, I have to tell you that I saw my first juncos arrive this week. To me, they are the "sure sign" of autumn arriving just as the first robin is a true sign of spring.