It was a cool but clear day, the wind was chilly but other than that it was pleasant being outside. I was surprised to find a pair of chickadees were occupying the bird house on the barn that sparrows usually took over. These little chickadees are bold birds so I’m happy to see they were able to defend their territory.
I hear a lot of bird songs when I’m out walking or working in the yard. They are very pretty but the majority of them are the birds telling others to stay out of their territory or calling to find a mate. I’ve also read that some birds do sing for fun and will imitate other birds or even human sounds like car horns or alarms. Certain species are better at this than others – usually the troublemaker breeds like cowbirds and crows.
I wonder if birds ever participate in ‘small talk’, just communicating with no real purpose. Or is this a strictly human condition? Does a chickadee ask another chickadee how their mate is doing, or how the eggs are hatching?