Post #8 The Busybody

Post #8, The Busybody, marks the eighth stop along the Rankin Ridge Nature Trail.

NPS Photo / Anania Tekurio

If you are being pursued by a little bird on the trail, chances are it is by a black-capped chickadee. The black-capped chickadee is a bit of snoop and tends to follow you through its territory. Its familiar chick-a-dee-dee-dee song means that you have just invaded its space. Chickadees stay in the Black Hills year-round, feeding on seeds, insects and wild fruits. Take a moment to look and listen for this feisty little bird. Chickadees may be seen nesting in the cavities of snags that fires have provided.