21 replies to this topic

[wnc]

Is it common for chickadees to try and run nesting BB's off? I have a box with a freshly constructed BB nest that a persistent chickadee is dismantling one pine needle at a time. Are the BB's not constantly defending the nest because they are not concerned with such a tiny foe? Just curious as I have never observed this behavior at this box. Thanks

[JimBob]

I have chickadees looking at my BB nest box. Don't have any others bird that look interested.

[spyonabird]

I have had chickadees obsessed with cleaning out a nestbox. This is part of their ritual. And on the other side, I have had a bluebird enter a house with a fully constructed chickadee nest. I have seen bluebirds defend their nest from House Sparrows and even Robins, but they don't seem to mind the chickadees - I don't know why.

[Carolina]

I saw a Bluebird then a Chickadee entering the Bluebird house in my parent's yard one right after another around the end of Feb. so I told my parents to keep an eye on the house.

That house is occupied by a Chickadee sitting pretty on a nest right now. I guess the Chickadee won out.

The same thing was happening in the Bluebird House in my yard. Bluebird in then out. Same with the Chickadee. I am pretty sure that the Chickadee ended up in nesting in there.

I guess I am going to have to put more houses.

[cabirds]

I'm pretty envious. I have several houses up - each designed to the "ideal" floor-plan/hole-size for the various species I see in my yard. Positioned correctly and at the "right height". Hundreds of birds - and nothing has ever taken even the slightest interest. I'm almost offended. This starts season three of being ignored.

[JimBob]

Last year I had the same problem as you Cabirds. This year chickadees have checked it out, titmice, and nuthatches also.

[creeker]

I'm pretty envious. I have several houses up - each designed to the "ideal" floor-plan/hole-size for the various species I see in my yard. Positioned correctly and at the "right height". Hundreds of birds - and nothing has ever taken even the slightest interest. I'm almost offended. This starts season three of being ignored.

LOL! The birds are like " I refuse to accept one of these new fangled man made domiciles, I'm going to find a good old fashioned hole in a tree."

[cwj2323]

Starlings and to a lesser degree, House sparrows are interested in mine. We scare off those birds when we seen the in, on or near either box. Flicker and Kestrel are who we built them for.

[cabirds]

LOL! The birds are like " I refuse to accept one of these new fangled man made domiciles, I'm going to find a good old fashioned hole in a tree."

Precisely. The care I put into those nestboxes... Building, placing, defending - it's like a freakin' upscale gated community for birds. No takers.

(they are really pretty upscale. 23/32 exterior-grade plywood, piano-hinged angled tops, brass-reinforced pest-resistant entry hole that is angled to prevent even cats from reaching in, window-screen interior below the hole, screened ventilation holes, notched bottom corners for drainage, slide-hook back for easy takedown and cleaning. I engineered the snot out of those things...)

[cabirds]

Starlings and to a lesser degree, House sparrows are interested in mine. We scare off those birds when we seen the in, on or near either box. Flicker and Kestrel are who we built them for.

Not that you should take _any_ advice from me - I can't even get starlings and house sparrow interested - but attaching a 2x4 block to the front over the (appropriate sized) hole, effectively making the hole a couple inches deep, is supposed to repel at least the House Sparrow.

[Carolina]

Yeah...I wonder if the birds know all about those specifications that they are supposed to have about the houses that they prefer.

I am very happy when I have any birds nesting in my yard but I have to wonder when I have houses that are supposed to be specific to a certain kind of bird yet there are Chickadees in my Bluebird house & nothing in my Chickadee specific ones.

[newtsstuff]

As you can see by my Avatar, I had the Chickadees in my bluebird house last year. This year Tree Swallows are fighting everything that tries to get near it. I have 2 other houses and the BB's are in one and TS's in the other. Two days ago I watched the female BB sitting on top of the Weather Vane on the Community Building and the TS's were dive bombing her. She would flinch each time, but stood her ground. Hopefully they won't drive her out of the area.

[wnc]

Thanks for the interesting replies folks.

ca, it sounds like you've built some fine boxes that will surely be occupied at some point by a native. My nicest effort, an owl box, has yet to be occupied by a Screech after three seasons.

Good looking Chickadees Newbie. I also has some TS approach the box but the bluebirds won out. She's laid four eggs to date.

[JimBob]

No one likes me enough to nest in my box. *sniffle*

[BirdLadyTAS]

Don't feel bad, JimBob, I have squirrels nesting in my 'owl' box, starlings in my 'woodpecker' box, nothing in my 'tree swallow' box, and tree swallows in my bluebird box. You never know what might eventually show up in yours!

[JimBob]

Well at least you have something nesting in your BB box. . . I wouldn't want starling and squirrels though.

[CarieBear]

Question...... I had a pair of BB building a best in my BB house. Then all of a sudden they are not around. They will come and check out the house, but they are not finishing there nest at all. What should i do?? Should i clean out the started nest or just leave it? I am sad because this would be my first pair in one of my houses......

[spyonabird]

I would leave the nest for now. Sometimes they start a nest, take a break for a week or so and then come back and finish it. Sometime this is weather related. It is also possible they changed their mind and have a completed nest somewhere else. Either way, give them the benefit of the doubt and leave the nest for now. They may be back.

[sailormom64]

My bluebirds "fledged" a week or so ago and I took down the dead tree stump they nested in. Chickadees were the original owners of the stump, for a couple of summers I saw chickadees nesting in there but somehow the bluebirds got the stump. This was an old stump, I mean almost paper thin by now, and we took it down after the bluebirds fledged. I put up a bluebird nest box in the same exact spot, at the right level, met all specs.... I have seen 4 or 5 prospective bluebirds fly up to it, the male "shows" it to the female and she declines. The only time I saw bluebirds interested in it, is when some brown headed nuthatches loved the nestbox and the female nuthatch was inside, checking it out, and a male bluebird attacked the male nuthatch. Needless to say the nestbox is still empty! At least it is there if they want it, and it is going to be better than what the bluebirds nested in earlier this year. I think the bluebirds don't like it now because I have feeders that I did not have up before, and bluebirds like privacy... they don't like other birds too close to them. *** But I had a chickadee nest just 25 feet behind the bluebirds earlier this year and they did not mind the chickadees at all. ..The chickadees just fledged on Monday.

[CarieBear]

Thanks for the advice. I will def leave it alone for now. I do have a bird feeder close to it, maybe that is playing a factor in this. Should i leave my feeder there or move it??