Getting airborne

This little bird is called a titmouse. It is native to the eastern third of the United States. I photographed this one March 18 as it jumped from a small outer limb of a non-native ornamental Japanese quince bush.

The titmouse was once called titmose, but many years ago everyday folks changed the last syllable in the word to mouse. Presumably, the word titmouse is easier to remember than the word titmose.

The titmouse is a chatty acrobatic fellow. It can climb upside down on a tree limb. It will come to a bird feeder supplied with sunflower seed. And it will not migrate to a warmer climate during winter. This bird will nest in an old woodpecker hole or possibly a bluebird house nailed to a dead tree in the woods.