Carolina Chickadee on a Snowy Morning in My Arkansas Yard

Snow changes the whole mood of my yard. The feeders still get traffic, but everything feels cleaner and quieter. This Carolina Chickadee showed up long enough for a simple, sharp portrait.

Wildlife Notes

Carolina Chickadees don’t waste motion. They land, scan, grab, and move on. After a snow, that quick routine makes sense. Food is still around, but it can be harder to reach. I usually see them work the outer branches and twigs, then drop in fast for a seed.

One thing I like about chickadees is how they use the yard like a network. They bounce between trees, brush, and feeders instead of camping in one spot. When things are busy, they often travel with other small birds. In winter, that “more eyes, less risk” approach can help them stay safer while they feed.

They also tend to stash food when they can. I cannot prove that with this one bird in this one moment, but chickadees are known for grabbing a seed and flying off to tuck it away. When I watch them here, that behavior fits what I see, especially when the feeder line gets crowded.

Photography Notes

This photo was all about keeping it steady and freezing tiny movement. I shot from my deck with a beanbag on the rail. That support matters at 800mm, especially when I’m trying to keep the bird sharp without cranking ISO too high.

Gear and settings

• Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Lens: Canon RF 200–800mm F6.3–9 IS USM
• Focal length: 800mm
• Aperture: f/10
• Shutter speed: 1/2500 second
• ISO: 800
• Exposure compensation: +2/3
• Support: Beanbag on deck rail

The snow background can fool the meter, so that +2/3 helped keep the whites bright without turning the bird into a silhouette. I also like 1/2500 for chickadees because they rarely sit perfectly still. Even a “still” pose has little head shifts and feather twitching.

Keeping the series connected

This chickadee fits right in with the run of snow-yard birds I’ve been photographing. If you’ve been following along, here are the other posts from the same stretch of winter yard watching:

• Male Northern Cardinal in Fresh Snow in My Arkansas Yard
• Female Northern Cardinal in Fresh Snow, Arkansas Yard
• Harris’s Sparrow Feeding in Fresh Arkansas Snow
• American Goldfinch at My Feeder After Arkansas Snow
• Dark-eyed Juncos in the First Snow (Arkansas Yard)
• Red-bellied Woodpecker on Suet After an Arkansas Snow
• Downy Woodpecker on a Suet Log After an Arkansas Snow
• Female Red-winged Blackbird After Snow in My Arkansas Yard
• Blue Jay After Snow in My Arkansas Yard

Closing

I like photos like this because they are simple and honest. One small bird, one clean perch, and fresh snow doing most of the background work. The Carolina Chickadee may be common in my yard, but it never feels boring when winter puts a spotlight on it.