{"id":72631,"date":"2020-08-11T05:28:10","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T11:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=72631"},"modified":"2025-05-09T10:10:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T15:10:00","slug":"black-capped-chickadee-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/08\/11\/black-capped-chickadee-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Black-capped Chickadee In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CallingCalling adult Black-capped Chickadee \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Mornings have gotten cooler in the high country of the Wasatch Mountains just to the east of where I live in the Salt Lake Valley. Yesterday I saw a low of 45 in a mountain canyon and although it felt refreshing to me it is a reminder that a change of seasons is about to begin.<\/p>\n

For a while I sat watching and waiting for the sun to rise over the peaks while enjoying the much cooler temps than we have had down in the valley. After the sun lit up the canyon the birds became more active.<\/p>\n

I saw and heard Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees yesterday morning but only this Black-capped Chickadee came in close enough for me to photograph.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Black-capped Chickadee perched in dead willow branches \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Black-capped Chickadees are abundant here but they aren’t as easy to photograph in wild areas as one might think. These chickadees are constantly on the go, don’t stay in a area long and without a feeding station there is nothing there to entice them to come back over and over again. They simply move on.<\/p>\n

I heard this adult before I saw it high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>, quickly found it in the nearby willows and was glad when it flew in close to where I sat in my Jeep. The first two branches that the chickadee landed on weren’t the best spots for me to photograph it because there were other branches that crossed the chickadees body in those frames but when it flew to the third branch it was completely out in the open. I was only able to take 39 photos of this chickadee and then it was gone.<\/p>\n

I’m tickled that this Black-capped Chickadee flew in and spent a few seconds with me. As plentiful as they may be I am always excited to have them in my viewfinder.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Black-capped Chickadee photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I saw and heard Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees yesterday morning but only this Black-capped Chickadee came in close enough for me to photograph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,6720,4594,26,773],"tags":[4004,6722,6577,4072,195,6273,6274,4992,9534,4069,4104,6721,2315,6107,902],"class_list":["post-72631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-black-capped-chickadees","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-black-capped-chickadee","tag-branches","tag-calling","tag-canyons","tag-chickadee","tag-chickadees","tag-dead","tag-dying","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-poecile-atricapillus","tag-summer-3","tag-willow","tag-willows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-adult-calling-mia-mcpherson-9534.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-iTt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":59688,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/23\/calling-black-capped-chickadee-perched-in-the-open\/","url_meta":{"origin":72631,"position":0},"title":"Calling Black-capped Chickadee Perched In The Open","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago this Black-capped Chickadee and several other others were moving through a willow thicket in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains where I had been focusing on photographing warblers, tanagers, and vireos.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-capped Chickadee calling, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-singing-mia-mcpherson-3538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-singing-mia-mcpherson-3538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-singing-mia-mcpherson-3538.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-singing-mia-mcpherson-3538.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53569,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/08\/13\/black-capped-chickadees-photographed-in-a-mountain-canyon\/","url_meta":{"origin":72631,"position":1},"title":"Black-capped Chickadees Photographed In A Mountain Canyon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent some time yesterday morning observing, photographing and enjoying the songs and calls of Black-capped Chickadees in a high mountain canyon. Chickadees always bring a smile to my lips and yesterday was no exception.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-capped Chickadee about to take flight, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-taking-flight-mia-mcpherson-4428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-taking-flight-mia-mcpherson-4428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-taking-flight-mia-mcpherson-4428.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-taking-flight-mia-mcpherson-4428.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":73416,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/09\/04\/two-black-capped-chickadee-photos-from-this-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":72631,"position":2},"title":"Two Black-capped Chickadee Photos From This Week","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm happy to have had these two little Black-capped Chickadees in my viewfinder this week. I enjoy seeing, hearing, and photographing these perky primarily black and white birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-capped Chickadee close up in the Wasatch Mountains, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-close-up-mia-mcpherson-1218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-close-up-mia-mcpherson-1218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-capped-chickadee-close-up-mia-mcpherson-1218.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On Sunday I had this delightfully cheery, tiny Black-capped Chickadee hanging from a branch in my viewfinder for a few moments in time.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-capped Chickadee hanging onto a branch, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/black-capped-chickadee-hanging-mia-mcpherson-9119.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/black-capped-chickadee-hanging-mia-mcpherson-9119.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/black-capped-chickadee-hanging-mia-mcpherson-9119.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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