Unexpected house guest

Last fall a house guest arrived on our doorstep unexpectedly. She (I am just guessing about the gender) has been quite enjoyable and rarely interferes with our schedules. She does hold the record for the longest guest we've had over the years. We weren't sure just how long she would stay, but I am pleased that we have had the opportunity to watch her grow over the past few months.

When she first arrived, she was about half the size you see in the picture and was quite crafty at hiding between the porch light fixture and the wall. Now it's a little more difficult for her to be completely behind the fixture, and we are able to see more than just half a body. We have watched her grow and darken in color, including her tail which is now about 2 inches long (I may be exaggerating a bit since I've never gotten up close to actually measure). Only once did she spend the night elsewhere because we inadvertently left the front porch light on for several hours. Since then we have been quite considerate of her evening bedtime and only turn the porch light on for short periods of time, apologizing profusely as we come and go. Each night that we go out to feed the horses, we wish her a good night and ask her how her day went. Of course, she has yet to answer us - this would be a very different story if she had - with the exception of that look that says, "Do you mind? I'm trying to get a few winks in before the alarm goes off."

I have searched my bird books and am fairly certain that she is a chickadee, mainly because of her dark mask and long slender tail. However, I have put in a call to Linda Hiller to verify because there aren't any white markings around her eyes or on the sides of her cheeks. Another doubt I have about her being a chickadee is that I have yet to hear any sounds that resemble the songs of the chickadee. Of course, it is quite possible that she is just very shy or maybe not mature. At any rate, we will be very sad when she decides to move to a better neighborhood. In doing some research, I learned that they begin building nests around the end of February, taking about two weeks to complete the task. Their preferred location is a tree trunk where a branch has broken or a tree stump about 6-9 feet above the ground. Nowhere in the research did I find mention of a brass porch light fixture being a suitable homesite.

Another thing I thought odd is that chickadees are known to huddle together in groups of about 12 to keep warm during the winter months. This little one has braved the extreme temperatures this winter all alone. Since I know enough about birds to be dangerous, I will defer to the experts in our Valley for a decision. What do you think?

Have a ramblin' good week.

-- To reach Gail Davis, e-mail RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com or call 265-1947.