Friday, April 19, 2019

CHICKADEE NESTING

    We have two species of resident chickadee here and once in a while we get a visitor. Our resident chickadees are the black-capped and boreal. The one we occasionally see is the mountain chickadee.

    Now chickadees are interesting little birds all year but in the breeding season the spectacle gets very interesting. The males call for female attention with a fee bee call. There's lots of competition especially if there are two or more males in the area. Usually the male has a nest site in the area and he wants to get a female to take a look at it and partner with him. There's lots of back and forth stuff for several weeks. I've seen a female appear and go off with a male and in a few minutes looks at the other males wares. How do I know this? Just keep the bird in sight.

    A pair will work on making a nest hole in a tree trunk or large branch. They are very good a finding a part of the tree which is rotten under the bark. 

   I watched this develop at my back step a few years ago. A pair of black-capped chickadees would work on a nest hole. They would disappear. Probably the female found some other male. Then  couple of red-breasted nuthatches would work on the project. Then a pair of boreal chickadees would show up for a few days. 

   It seemed that there were lots of  changes with the birds in trying to make the particular tree their nesting site. 

   Ten days ago I discovered chickadees working on making a hole in one of the trees in my yard. So far I've seen them chase off a nuthatch. Right now nobody seems to be working at the project.

    These energetic little guys get a lot done and provide lots of entertainment . I have a feeling that I'm not finished seeing the hole develop in the tree.

     They have a rather uneven entry
     I'll just have a peak around to see if the coast is clear
     In he or she goes for a turn at nest building.
     Second bird waiting for a turn at work
 Sometimes it's a struggle to enter the work area

36 comments:

  1. How interesting. I wonder if the male chickadee that offers the best nest area is usually the one to win the female? I do love chickadees and now that you've taught me more about them I'll be watching them even closer.

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    1. It's a competitive field. I think the females make a choice on the nesting site.

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  2. Hello, great captures of your Chicadees. It is nice to be able to watch them at their nest. Happy Easter to you!

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    1. Thanks. They are very active little birds.

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  3. Chickadees are one of my favorite birds. They are so cheerful and seem unafraid of people. We have black capped and mountain around here all the time. I hope you get some babies in that nest! :-)

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    1. The last couple of years we have areas where the chickadees come to your hand if you have seeds.

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  4. You're good with the camera to catch those birds in action. So is that just the stump of a tree, or something you built for them?

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    1. That's the stump of and old birch tree. You can get very close to these birds so it gives a chance for a better photo.

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  5. So nice to be able to watch these chickadees build their nest. Lovely photos.

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    1. Yes, it gives an old retired guy something to do!!!

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  6. Nice photos of the chickadees. I could spend lots of time just watching them and seeing what they are up too.
    Have a great Easter weekend.

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    1. You always wonder, "What are they going to do now?"

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  7. I like the way your tree has been "prepared" for its avian residents with that image of a house! Great shots of those chickadees.

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    1. My birch died so I left a five foot stump and painted the little house and my house number on it.

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  8. Hi Red, Very cool! This looks like fun. Hope you will keep us posted. Neat pics!

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    1. They seem to come and go. About the time you think it's over they come back again.

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  9. Wow - those are some great shots! Chickadees are one of the few birds that we see year round here. I saw a pair up close a few weeks ago - I need to blog about that. One landed on my head!

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    1. There are areas here where the chickadees will come to your hand if you have seeds.

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  10. Just adorable! You got some great photos and I hope they nest successfully. How clever of you to outline a house so they knew just where to begin Excavation (wink, wink). I once watched in awe as a little chickadee family lined up on a second story porch rail and one by one took off into the wild blue yonder. As far as i could tell, they all made it safely into the bushes below.

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    1. I was about 5 ft away from these birds so it makes for an easy photo.

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  11. We have the black-capped Chickadee and the chestnut-backed. They are fun to to watch, but i certainly haven't observed them as thoroughly as you have. Interesting post.

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    1. When they are in your yard and this close it's an easy observation.

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  12. Replies
    1. They are very active little critters.

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  13. Our chickadees really hide well as I have never seen them nesting! That would be fun to watch, though.

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    1. This is on my yard and mostly in nest boxes.

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  14. Birds are so entertaining! And I love chickadees. They are adorable.

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    1. Entertaining is a good word to describe chickadees.

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  15. this is really interesting tale of hardworking birds dear Red!

    i can't remember if i have seen them around

    in my front yard climber pair of tiny black birds bluish shin upon feather make their nest every springtime of the year .

    i don't know the difference but hubby says that one with black bluish shiny feather is male and the grey one is female

    both are tiny and so quick to capture in camera

    such observations are so therapeutic in solitude

    incredible images :)

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  16. I love the birds at my place and I can see you do, too. I have been putting up my humming bird feeders this week. I need to clean out the blue bird box soon. I really like your photos.

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  17. Beautiful photos! I love chickadees and I have painted many many ,, a favourite subject of mine, we have a pair nesting on our balcony in a crevice, I never knew they would nest in the city, I thought they all went into the bush to nest, 49 years living in the country and I just found this out last year lol, my 11 years city living is teach me a lot!

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  18. When I saw the house painted on the tree stump, I wondered about it, Red. Then found the answer in your reply to a previous comment. Nice that you gave the chickadees a sublet.

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  19. I have always loved the little chickadees but have never known where they nested. This is so neat.

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