Success!

Back in December, when winter was just getting underway, I began a little bird project. I reported that I was making progress a few days later. And then...I left you hanging for months. At long last, here's the end of that story (in case you've been in suspense all this time). Success came not long after that first post, actually, but I didn't have any photographic evidence to share until today, when a visit from my parents coincided with one from my feathered friends. Thanks to Mom for capturing the proof:Why, yes, that is a chickadee on my hat! The inquisitive cocked head. The endearing black cap and bib. The adorable roundness. Oh, I love these little guys. In 2000-2001, I spent a year as a student naturalist at Wolf Ridge ELC in northern Minnesota. One of the highlights of that all-around amazing place is a destination called "Chickadee Landing." In a clearing in the woods, a birdfeeder hangs, surrounded by a semicircle of benches topped with people-shaped wooden cutouts. We'd invite the kids to quietly take a seat on the benches, sprinkle sunflower seeds on their hats and into their upturned mittens, and then wait with bated breath for a flock of chickadees to descend. Because of the cutouts, the birds weren't alarmed by the sight of all those colorful snow-suited humans. When the bold little black-caps arrived, the looks of surprise and joy on the kids' faces were priceless.

I never, ever got over the magic of it: hearing the rushing flutter of wings inches from my ear, feeling those tiny chickadee toes on my outstretched fingers. I always wanted to recreate it on a smaller scale. Now that I have a place of my own to hang my hat - and my birdfeeder - I've brought the magic home.