Hi,

So in our ongoing discussion of behavior, I would like to share something
I've observed many times around my yard:

It is well established that Chickadees convey perceived threat level with
dees. More dees equals more perceived threat.  E.g. a low threat gets one
dee but a greater threat may get dee dee dee dee or more.

In my yard the Chickadees who know me do not see me as a threat and will
actually greet me with their tweedeldee call.  But Chickadees who do not
know me treat me as a threat and will give me between two and four dees.

When a Chickadee who knows me hears this, an argument of sorts sometimes
ensues. Today was a good example as I was out clearing snow in the warmer
temperatures.  A chickadee gave me 3 dees but another immediately responded
with a tweedeldee.  Three dees again from the other bird so the bird who
apparently knows me to not be a threat flies to within a foot of me and
sits on a branch repeatedly doing a tweedledee.  This goes back and forth
for about a minute.  After that time the bird doing the repeated dees quit
and the one who came over by me went to the feeder for some seed.

A minute or so later I heard the exchange going on again but in a spruce
tree across the yard.  I cannot be certain it was the same birds but it was
the same sort of arguing back and forth:  Dee dee dee with a tweedeldee
response.

Haans
Elev 1086 ft 41.59 °N, 81.36 °W

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