I was out birding today like I do every Saturday. But today was different, I decided to watch what I thought was an abnormally large Carolina Chickadee when I discovered it had some white on its wings. I looked it up and found out that only Black-Capped Chickadees have such strong white on their wings. It had been at my feeders since October, but I found out that it was a Black-Capped today. So I was wondering what a BCC was doing at my feeders?
It should have some white on the wing coverts as well. My Carolinas have white on the wings.
[QUOTE=CBSlayer2004]I was out birding today like I do every Saturday. But today was different, I decided to watch what I thought was an abnormally large Carolina Chickadee when I discovered it had some white on its wings. I looked it up and found out that only Black-Capped Chickadees have such strong white on their wings. It had been at my feeders since October, but I found out that it was a Black-Capped today. So I was wondering what a BCC was doing at my feeders?[/QUOTE]
BCCs in the eastern US move somewhat out of their breeding ranges in Fall and Winter. As you probably know BCCs breed along the Appalachian highlands at least south to the Great Smokies at high elevations (above 4000ft, lower further north, for example down to 1200ft at South Mountain in PA). In Winter they come down to lowlands and join mixed flocks that may include Carolina Chickadees too. Thus the closer you are to the highlands the greater your chances of seeing BCCs in Fall and Winter.
Dalcio