Chickadee NestWatch Report #1 (2012)

I've been watching the nestbox in the corner of my yard since April, when chickadees started clearing out the wood chips I placed in the box.  They were busy then, and frankly I got my hopes up.

Chickadees working in nestbox April 18th

Chickadees will remove the chips they don't want (almost like excavating a natural cavity in a tree) and then start building their nest from there.  Only in my case, they cleared the chips and did NOTHIN'!  Hopes dashed!

I shouldn't have been too worried though because April is still fairly early here in upstate NY.  And sure enough, in May I started seeing a renewal of activity around the box.  Chickadees were gathering nest material from my doormat and then pulling alpaca fibers from the nesting ball.

Gathering alpaca nesting material May 9th

I checked inside the box a few days later and what had been totally emptied out in April was now filled with an almost complete beautiful chickadee nest!  I recorded my notes for my first NestWatch check-in.

Chickadee nest May 13th

I was hearing a lot of what the Stokes call the "tee-ship" call, given by either male or female during the courtship and breeding period.  My hopes are back up, though it is quite common for chickadees to start or even complete a nest and then not use it.  (Source: A Guide to Bird Behavior Volume 1, Donald & Lillian Stokes)

More nest material gathering May 17th

 

Gathering nest material May 17th

They continued to gather nest material on the day before my next check-in on May 18th.  I saw what looked like a completed nest but no eggs.

NestWatch check May 18th

NestWatch protocol has you check in every 3-4 days, so on May 23rd, I looked in again.  My noise making and box-knocking failed to flush the female, and she flew out as I opened the side.  She'd been busy incubating 7 eggs!

NestWatch check-in May 23rd

I hastily took a quick picture and closed the box so mom could return to her incubation duties.

Birds typically lay one egg a day, usually in the morning.  So when I last looked in on May 18th, I must have missed the egg laid on the 17th and looked in before the egg was laid on the 18th (a good reason to do checks in the afternoon!)  That's the only way we would've gotten to 7 eggs on the 23rd.  Take another look at the May 18th picture (click to enlarge); there just may be an egg just on the front side of the picture!

I'm so excited to be monitoring another active chickadee nest.  My next check-in is in 4-5 days so stay tuned for my next NestWatch report.

If you are observing a nest and would like to report what you see, join Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch citizen science project.  Talk to us in store if you have questions about NestWatch.

Comments

[Marianne Russell]

So, mine really were early?! I had 7 eggs too - must the "the number" this year! One year I had a mom who would not move off the eggs (or hatchlings) when I would check, but would flap her wing at me, as if to tell me to get lost! I love all the birds, but the chickadees are probably my favorite nesters. I miss them when they fledge. We watched all 7 fledge a few weeks ago, and wait until you see the abandoned nest! Clean, neat, no mess - just beautiful! Almost too beautiful to throw away. Good luck and can't wait to hear about hatch day!

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Ellen, thanks! 6 eggs is the average. Next report coming soon...
Kimberly, it is fun to watch them in action on the alpaca ball.

[Kimberly Buechner Fouse]

We couldn't be more excited to see this entry and watch the video!! Many, many thanks to our friends Lois and Nancy at the WBU store in Saratoga Springs!! If you aren't near their store to purchase an Alpaca Fleece-filled Bird Nesting Ball (patent pending), you may purchase one directly from us on our website...just in time for Father's Day. www.allthingsalpacaonline.com

[Ellen]

That is so cool, Nancy! Is 7 eggs unusual for a chickadee? That seems like a lot. Keep us posted!