Nesting Chickadees

I am delighted to report that the chickadees have successfully nested in my nesting box!



I wasn't sure that they would choose my box because the house sparrows were determined to use it and were constantly sitting on the peg and chewing the wood trying to expand the small hole. I read in an older magazine that I bought recently at a garage sale, (I think it was Birds and Bloom), that you could discourage the sparrows from doing this by hanging something from the tree. It would spook the sparrows but the chickadees were brave and would still use the nest.

I decided to give that a try, taking the risk that it would scare off the chickadees too. It actually worked! The sparrows left it alone and finally the little chickadees could nest in peace.




The eggs have obviously hatched and the sweet little chickadees are very busy feeding their young.



Both the male and the female are frantically going back and forth to the nesting box.


I don't know how many mouths they have to feed. I read that the average clutch size is six and there can be as many as eight.


They must be feeding them suet because they go straight from the suet feeder to the box over and over and over. It is amazing to watch how many times they both go to the box with food! It is constant activity all day long.

I hope that I am able to see them when they leave the nest!