Black Capped Chickadee

[birder]

Working on more birds...of course..Probably the best known bird other than the Robin? We have a few kinds of chickadees in the US, all about the same small size, and with similar habits. They are hole-nesters and will sometimes use birdhouses you might make, and are trusting little birds with spritely active social lives, often group with other forest birds. They readily come to bird feeders where they live, and have been tamed to be fed by hand.
I started with Johan Scherft's firecrest model, and originally planned to make a Chesnut-backed Chickadee, however I wasn't that happy with the result, and set the idea aside for awhile until made the European Robin model, and realized how similar in shape the head part is and looked very nice on the robin. So I changed the head, and also went back to the familiar Black -Capped.
I took some pictures of the process of making the model. No changes really in paper, glue or methods.

[Don Boose]

I'm glad to see this one. We never have a day without chickadees (and tufted titmice and nuthatches) in our back garden.

Don

[rickstef]

Is it just me, but every time I hear or read Chickadee, I hear W.C. Fields saying "My Little Chickadee"

Hmmm, might have to re-watch the movie

[birder]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

I'm glad to see this one. We never have a day without chickadees (and tufted titmice and nuthatches) in our back garden.

Don

Some of these familiar birds we refer to as our "outdoor pets"

[birder]

Originally Posted by rickstef

Is it just me, but every time I hear or read Chickadee, I hear W.C. Fields saying "My Little Chickadee"

Hmmm, might have to re-watch the movie

yes right now who is W.C Fields? (just kidding Rick thanks for dropping by)
You made the Birdmodile Merlin years ago if I recall

[rickstef]

I did not, I have been able to collect all the Birdmobile kits, so yes, whenever I get to them.....

I do have some of Johan's kits from Leon Schuijt, I doubt that I will have trouble with the instructions

Rick

[birder]

With the body nearly done can start to shape the head, also a series of flaps to bring together I'm still using typing paper for glue strips. The bill is pretty simple and a bit of touchup around it with little sharpie. Testing to see in the wings fit ok, then adding the rump part. This part can be put in easier maybe before adding the head but I've been making slits in the base of the part and using like tabs, and adding after head is on. Either way with the wing cutouts removed you can reach in a bit to help secure the rump/tail part as in other of Johan's birds with folded wings (not flying). The legs are wire glued into the folded paper and I run the wire down the center front toe to bend around the perch a bit.

[mbauer]

Hi Glen,

Another beautiful build.

Just can't imagine how you "reach" inside such a small opening to glue the rump. From the scale of the marker, that opening doesn't look like my little finger when I was 10-y/o would fit.

Thank you for bringing the sounds back from last summer.

This time of year only Ravens, Eagles and Magpies are outside. Watched some Ravens this morning just as it was getting light in the sky, but still dark on the ground (9:56am sunrise today). Doing some kind of dance, about 6-total.

Best regards,
Mike

[smithdr]

And I complain about one petal design on a spinner. Very neat job, Glen.
Did I tell you my wife got me a paper red-tailed hawk for Christmas? I need to make that one up soon.


Dan

[SCEtoAUX]

Great looking model of an engaging little bird.

I like the way the chickadees here will fly to the birdfeeder, grab a sunflower seed, then flit away to a nearby branch to process and eat the sunflower seed. Then repeat as necessary.

They will also sometimes fly right close and land when I am filling the feeders, waiting for the hooman to hurry up and get finished with that all important function.