Last week, when I photographed this Carolina Chickadee near Cumberland Pool at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, it was singing its little heart out.

Singing Carolina Chickadee on driftwood, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaSinging Carolina Chickadee on driftwood – Nikon D500, f10, 1/400, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The chickadee was singing on some driftwood that had been forced onto dry ground by recent flooding at the refuge. Although it seemed odd to find the Carolina Chickadee so close to such a large body of water, there were plenty of living, standing trees nearby.

And this wasn’t the only Carolina Chickadee in the area; I saw at least three more. This was the only one that gave me great poses out in the open.

I am enjoying seeing, hearing, and photographing this chickadee species in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Hopefully, I will have many more opportunities to have them in my viewfinder in the near future, maybe even with their young.

The Cumberland Pool on the refuge is part of Lake Texoma.

  • Lake Texoma is a reservoir formed by the Denison Dam on the Red River, straddling the border between Oklahoma and Texas.
  • It is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  • The lake has a surface area of around 89,000 acres (36,000 hectares) and a capacity of over 2.5 million acre-feet (3.1 cubic kilometers) of water.
  • The lake is a popular recreational destination, attracting around 6 million visitors annually for activities like boating, fishing, camping, and hiking.
  • The lake area includes two national wildlife refuges (Hagerman and Tishomingo) and two state parks (Lake Texoma State Park in Oklahoma and Eisenhower State Park in Texas).
  • Lake Texoma’s position along a major migratory flyway contributes to the high number of bird species that pass through seasonally.

I’m looking forward to exploring and sharing more of my photos from this area. It is very birdy!

Life is good.

Mia

Check here to see more of my Carolina Chickadee photos plus facts and information about this species.