chickadees

Chickadees are back, nesting in our pear-tree box.  Susan Smith, my chickadee-expert friend, says that black-capped chickadees don't much like nest-boxes (they prefer holes in trees), but that they may accept a nest-box if it is half-filled with sawdust.  The chickadees need something they can excavate!  

For Christmas in 1988, Cole made for me a nest-box to Susan's specifications, and the chickadees have accepted it, half-filled with sawdust, most years since.  This year we had no sawdust, so Cole made a half-boxful of wood flakes and put the box up as usual in the pear tree.  Some days later, we looked from the back porch at a great clutter of bits (wood flakes) all over the back lawn, for 15 feet out from the pear tree and box.  The chickadees had been busy "excavating".  Bravo.

Now, 3 weeks later, there is little obvious activity.  But once in awhile, when working in the garden, we hear faint "fee-bee"s and look up to see a quick stop at the nest-hole (with food) or a bird emerging.  Then all is quiet again and we wonder "are they really there?"  It appears so.