Pic of the Day

Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile articapillus, Jack Pine forest; Mio, Michigan

     I was driving around the Jack Pine forest of Mio, Michigan looking for Kirtland's Warblers when I found the nest of this Black-capped Chickadee.  I was driving along one of the logging roads when I just happened to see this chickadee fly into a hole in a jack pine.  I immediately stopped, and backed-up to where I had seen the bird.  The nest hole was in a 4-inch diameter jack pine that was leaning about 30 degrees off the vertical.

     It was not long before I saw the chickadee fly to the nest with insects in its beak.  I quickly moved the van into a position that would allow me to use it as a blind.  No sooner had I aimed the camera at the nest, the chickadee alighted on a branch just above the nest entrance with a beak full of insect larva.  I took a few dozen shots and then left the chickadee to it nesting duties.

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/100 second @ f7.1