Hi All, Have you noticed an unusual number of chickadees lately? If so, you are witnessing an irruption of Black-capped Chickadees that is occurring in Eastern North American. Observers have counted upwards of several hundred chickadees in some locations during one morning. Here in Beaver River, Yarmouth County, there is what appears to be a chickadee corridor where I have seen hundreds of chickadees over the past week. This morning, I stood along this corridor for about 15 minutes and counted 81 chickadees travelling north in small groups. While they have been travelling in this direction all week, it is likely the irruption, in general, is in a south or southwest direction. Chickadees don't like to cross large water bodies, even more so than the many birds that have an aversion to doing it. They may be flying north to find a more favourable location to cross the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine. Eruptions are composed of young birds that hatched in the current year. Changes in habitat, food availability, and reproductive success are the cause of irruptions. The most common cause is high food availability in one year, leading to increased reproductive success, and food scarcity in the following year, resulting in the movement of juveniles. Look for the chickadees crossing an open area in small, loose flocks, at about eye-level, giving their high-pitched "seet" flight call. John