Nestling Period Part 2
Earlier this week, I made a second nesting period visit to my chickadee nestbox. It will also be my LAST open-box visit for NestWatch.
Both parents are busy-busy-busy bringing food into the box. I'm putting live mealworms out for them, which makes the food-gathering process easy for them. And they're also finding all kinds of other juicy tidbits out there in nature.
Adult chickadee with food for the young
The chicks are deep in the nest and difficult to see. I take pictures off a small mirror to capture 1 to 2 images that will allow me to count the little guys. When I opened the nest, they tucked their heads and didn't utter a peep. In contrast, when mom or dad go in, they're noisy little things. They've been taught well!
To me, it still looks like 4 live young. Neither of the unhatched eggs are visible, if they're even still in there.
So...eggs layed about May 18. Estimated hatch date June 1. Sixteen days as nestlings, so they should fledge very soon! Hopefully they'll hesitate at the nestbox opening for my Birdcam to catch them taking flight for the very first time in their lives.
Until then, no more opening the nest box since as the young become fully feathered, they may leave the nest prematurely if I do. For the next week or so, I'll check on the nest from a distance, watch for adults, and listen for sounds coming from inside the box. Stay tuned for Chickadee Nesting Report #6!
Read Chickadee Nesting Report #4
Read Chickadee Nesting Report #3
Read Chickadee Nesting Report #2
Read Chickadee Nesting Report #1
Read Nestboxes and Birdhouses - The Top 10 Things You Can Do for the Birds
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