Carolina Chickadee

A puffed-up Carolina Chickadee sitting on a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Mineral Wells State Park bird blind, Mineral Wells, TX, September 5, 2021
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 428 mm; ISO-3200; f/9; 1/640 sec.

This page is for the Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinesis). This species is common at the parks and our backyard. The September 12, 2014 photo is my first photographic evidence of this bird. The best photograph I have taken of the Carolina Chickadee to date (above) was from September 5, 2021 at Mineral Wells State Park, Mineral Wells, TX, although the January 2, 2022 shot from the Fort Worth Nature Preserve is a close second. The Mineral Wells shot I like best as the bird is all puffed-up. This behavior is usually associated with cold weather and this September day in Texas was a bit cloudy with a hint of rain, but was definitely not cold as we drove to the park in the convertible with the top down.

The following photographs are the best representative images from different dates and locations than my species representative example.

Carolina Chickadee perched on a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Lexington, KY, September 12, 2014
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EFS 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-100; f/7.1; 1/400 sec.
A Carolina Chickadee perched on a tree branch in the snow with a male Northern Cardinal nearby on a larger branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Murray KY House, Murray, KY, February 16, 2015
 Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EFS 18-135 mm lens; 135 mm; ISO-160; f/5.6; 1/200 sec.

The Carolina Chickadee is a bit difficult to see as the Northern Cardinal overpowers the shot, but his is to the right of the cardinal, almost to the next larger tree.

Carolina Chickadee perched on a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Cross Timbers Trail footbridge, Fort Worth, TX, December 24, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-320; f/6.3; 1/1600 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Cleburne State Park, Cleburne, TX, December 28, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-1250; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Greer Island trailhead, Fort Worth, TX, December 30, 2021
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-500; f/7.1; 1/2000 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched almost directly above the photographer on a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve River Road, Fort Worth, TX, January 2, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-1250; f/6.3; 1/2500 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a backyard feeder.
Carolina Chickadee, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 8, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-6400; f/6.3; 1/640 sec.
Carolina Chickadee flying away from a feeder with some food in its beak.
Carolina Chickadee, Vista West, Fort Worth, TX, January 17, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-400; f/6.3; 1/1250 sec.
Carolina Chickadee taking flight from the tip of a tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Cleburne State Park, Cleburne, TX, January 29, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-1600; f/7.1; 1/3200 sec.
Carolina Chickadee hanging upside down from a small tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve Greer Island, Fort Worth, TX, February 27, 2022
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 483 mm; ISO-2500; f/7.1; 1/1600 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a small branch with nesting material in its beak. It is in profile to the camera.
Carolina Chickadee, Colleyville Nature Center, Colleyville, TX, March 12, 2022
Canon EOS 5DS R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-400; f/6.3; 1/1000 sec.
Carolina Chickadee on the side of a suet feeder.
Carolina Chickadee, Acton Nature Center, Acton, TX, June 4, 2022
EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-12,800; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Carolina Chickadee on a small tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX, July 2, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1250; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Carolina Chickadee on a small tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX, July 4, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Can4on 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1600; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a small branch in a dead tree.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX, July 10, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-100; f/10; 1/200 sec.
Carolina Chickadee hanging upside down on a small branch about to eat something.
Carolina Chickadee, Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX, September 10, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-10,000; f/11; 1/1600 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a vine and is backlit into a silhouette.
Carolina Chickadee, Sequoyah NWR, Vian, OK, September 12, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-2000; f/10; 1/1600 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a small tree branch among many other small branches.
Carolina Chickadee, Colleyville Nature Center, Colleyville, TX, December 11, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-800; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched near the top of a tree with a seed in its beak.
Carolina Chickadee, Colleyville Nature Center, Colleyville, TX, December 17, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-320; f/11; 1/640 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on the top of a bird feeder.
Carolina Chickadee, Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, Cibolo, TX May 11, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/500 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched overhead on a small tree branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX, September 17, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-2000; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Carolina Chickadee clinging to a vertical branch.
Carolina Chickadee, Coyner Springs Park, Waynesboro, VA October 26, 2003
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700mm; ISO-2500; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Carolina Chickadee on the side of a small tree. The bird has a seed in its mouth.
Carolina Chickadee, Hagerman NWR, Sherman, TX, December 26, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-320; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Carolina Chickadee, Oak Point Park, Plano, TX, January 21, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-2000; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Carolina Chickadee perched on a small branch and partly hidden by leaves.
Carolina Chickadee, Colleyville Nature Center, Colleyville, TX, May 4, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-8000; f/10; 1/500 sec.