When you live in the middle of a wild area, sometimes things happen that are difficult to explain.  Animals usually avoid human contact, which is why wildlife photographers typically use long, heavy lenses.  As time went by here in the Wind River Canyon, I began to notice that when I wore the same jacket and hat, the Chickadees came closer to me when I was out putting up sunflower seeds for the birds.  Other birds, and even the local mule deer, seemed to "relax" a little when they saw me in the same funny hat.  Chickadees in particular seemed very friendly when they knew it was me outside. 

The Mountain Chickadee is a wonderful little bird that is one of the easiest to interact with in the mountains.  The way they hammer on a seed is most impressive at twenty below.  They crowd around us as we fill the bird feeder and spout a beautiful note; one day I took out my camera and got it set to shoot one of my favorite kind of bird photo....a portrait of a living, wild bird.  Of course I was wearing the same hat and jacket they saw me in every day.  Getting so close to my little Chickadee that I had to back off a little to get the lens to focus, I shot until my finger froze to the lens.  But oh, that one frame with the snow crystals on his beak!

I have used this "magic hat trick" every day in the canyon for many years with all kinds of birds and animals.  Wear the same jacket or plain shirt as this will teach the bird that this is the same moron with the camera that has been here every time he sees you.  They will relax a little, maybe just enough for you to get a bit closer to your subject.  Think of the deer that come around that they seem unconcerned about, mimic that behavior and you will see that with a little blending in to the wild you too will get better photos of your prey. 

This photograph of the Mountain Chickadee was shot two days after Christmas.  ISO 400, f/6.3 @ 1/1600-Shot RAW; Canon software and Photoshop Elements 8. 

Mountain Chickadee-Wind River Canyon, Wyoming