My Little Chickadee's

Hi Everyone, I have 2 nest boxes up in my yard. One is an old homemade "slot style box" (that cannot be opened and should really be replaced) and the other is a regular box with a round entrance hole (with a hole reducer) and a side door that opens for viewing.

Two years ago I had House Wrens nest in the slot box and although I know they are not a popular bird, I had a nice experience with them. The reason this native bird is not popular is written here at the Sialis site.

http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm

Last year no birds used either nest box. This year the Carolina Chickadee's are busy checking out both nest boxes. It's beginning to look like they are going to choose the slot box but I have a number of chickadee's here and I can't tell them apart. Here are some pics of the, the slot box is much further away than the other.

Checking out the regular nest box. I was hoping they would choose this one.

They are such cute happy little birds, I love having a number of them around. Looking out the entrance hole.

At the slot box.

Again.

I love these guys!

,,,

They really spend days investigating whether this is the right place to nest. You can just see the wheels turning in their little brains.

Last one. I'll let you know how this all plays out. I sure hope they decide to nest here. That would make my Spring! Thanks for looking! Pelle

Thank you, Pelletory. I love love love love **LOVE** Chickadees!!! I put out a nestbox last year and have had a couple of pairs check it out. But, alas, they continue to nest elsewhere in the neighborhood. I hope you have better luck and also hope you will continue to share your Chickadee photos. :-)

Carla

I love chickadees too. We had Mountain Chickadees nest 2 years in a row, then last year we put up new boxes with a metal guard to keep the squirrels from getting in, I saw the Chickadees check it out but they didn't nest there:-(, hope they do this year!

Thanks for the wren link pelletory it was really quite interesting.

Pelle: How wonderful! I've never seen a Chickadee and they are such cute little birds. That first photo is so pretty with the little one perched in that beautiful flowering tree. And, the third picture with the little "Dee" peeking out the entrance hole looks like it has something in it's beak .. possibly nesting material? And, I love the pic of the little one perched on top of the box, looks like he's thinking "decisions, decisions"! Beautiful little birds!

Yes, please keep up to date on their progress!

Lin

Thanks Margaret,Carla and Lin!

Yes they have been taking things into the regular nest box and on the slot box taking things out at first and now taking things in. They are very meticulous, checking things out in every direction from the box over and over again. They are such incredible birds, very brave and friendly around people. When I was mobile I could usually get within a few inches of them. I would one day like to hand feed them.

Here is a page on them from Sialis: http://www.sialis.org/cach.htm

Another page from Cornell about Carolina Chickadees along with their Voice Recording on the left. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Chickadee/id

Sweet shots Pelle...I hope you and Carla get them to nest this year. It will be great to see how this all plays out...I love this little bird too and drop everything if one is around to watch and listen to! If I had a nesting pair I think I would spend all my time watching them...they are too adorable.

Nice! I love them too. They crack me up. Feeder, Branch, House, Branch, Repeat.

Maybe you should take the slot box down completely and force them to take the other box. Then you can put it back up in time for the wrens.

They're so cute, I do hope you'll have babies this year. Your photos are so pretty and these birds are so sweet.

I feel so bad for my Tree Swallows. The House Sparrows have returned and taken over all our houses again so we're forced to take the houses down. I sure wish there was some way to stop the sparrows.

hmm ... my Fla bird book tells me the Carolina Chickadee is a common resident except in the southern part of the state. I love the Cornell website and visit it often ... just used your link to go there and listen to the call and it sure sounds familiar, so maybe they have been around before and I just haven't noticed them! I will be keeping my eyes open. They are just the most adorable little birds!

Thanks for the link to the sialis site, I'm going there now to read more!

Thanks guys!

Duc, I'm so sorry to hear your House Sparrows are back. Boo,hiss!

Oh I hope your chickadees pick a house! I would love to be able to watch them...they are such a cute, feisty little bird!

I hope so too nanny. Just their wonderful call makes me smile.

Some wonderful shots of the sweet birds Pelle. I'm watching for more activity on their nests. Will share of any news.

Last year I put up a BB box, but nothing came of it. A few days ago I happened to glance at it and saw a Carolina Chickadee sitting in the hole, facing outward. It flew off.

Will it spook it/them if I raise the door and peek inside?

Hack

Hi Hack, I think if you read that link from Sialis that I posted earlier concerning C. Chickadee's it gives specific information about that.

Sure hope they pick up residence at your nest box this year, too. I will be looking for updates, on what's going on at your place.

I haven't spent a lot of time watching but have seen them still going into both nest boxes. :-)

How lovely that you've got these little birds seriously planning on nesting in your yard, Pelle. Great shots and I look forward to seeing and hearing more.

I love chickadees too. I have three bluebird boxes, and chickadees are nesting in two of these. The boxes are only about 15-20 yards apart, one on each side of my house. I saw a pair of blue birds looking in the houses, but the chickadees had already moved in. I hope the bluebirds decided to move in to the vacant box. When my feeders run low, the chickadees fuss at me as soon as I step out the back door! They are truly the cutest little bird. This is the second year they have nested in my boxes.

Note: Be sure to have a good quality nesting box with air vents. Last year I had one box that wasn't properly vented around the top (gift I received) and a pair of bluebirds nested in it. Only one of three chicks survived. One egg didn't hatch and one chick didn't make it. I think it was the heat. I replaced the box this year.

Pelle, such great pictures of such wonderful little birds. For several years I had I think the same pair nesting in my yard. Then a Sharp Shinned hawk showed up and either caught them or scared them away. No Chickadees here for several years. Then early this spring a pair ( well first one then two) showed up and were here a month or two, Haven't seen them for a few weeks to my sorrow. I think just tooooooo many E, sparrows, hate those birds,

I also have a pair of bluebirds, have 6 or 7 bluebirds nests up. Not sure they are trying to use one of them. I see them early morning, but not much in later day. Yesterday morning it got down to 22 degrees, too cold.

Still have 20 or so Goldfinches, and one phoebe nest out in the open storage room.

Donna

Ladybug, thank you for the tips on the air vent. I haven't seen any new activity on mine. Oh yes, these birds are very tamed. They perch on top of trees within arm reach while I fill the feeder while other residential birds scattered for cover. lol.

WOOHOO, They have Chosen a Box!! It's the one I hoped they would chose too with side door that opens for viewing. There is a hard clear plastic that you look through. Please excuse the pics but the sun was not in the right position and I couldn't put the shutter speed up far so a lot of them are a bit blurry.

Here she is bringing the nest material in!!!

And again! She is such a hard worker!

Beautiful little Chickadee!!

Going in with more supplies. Such industrious little birds!

She always checks around carefully before leaving the box.

Back again.

LOL,Is the coast clear?

Well This stuff will NOT Do!! It's gotta go!

Here she is waiting for my DH to leave the yard. She has so much stuff it's covering her face lol.

Waiting...

I can't begin to tell you how Quiet she is while doing all this. No DeeDee sound at all. Smart!!

More of the material that she doesn't care for and removes. I saw her going into 3 different yards for nesting material.

That's all for now. Sorry so many pics. Kinda lose my head with these sweethearts. :-)