When you say chickadee box, i assume it does not have a landing
perch, which only encourages house sparrows.

Anybody sitting on top of the nest box will tend to drive the
chickadees away.

I have mine on a pole up about 12 feet.
I've put some leftover netting on top of
the box to discourage starlings and house sparrows from landing.
Even though they can't get into the box, they can harrass a
chickadee trying to get in.

This fall i'll put 2" metal flashing on the front roof top
to prevent them (starlings primarily) from looking over the
edge.

I only have one very evil squirrel who hasn't been a problem
with my nest boxes so far (but has destroyed large parts of
the garden by digging).

Having the nest box on a tree, sounds like a bad idea to me.
To easy for other creatures to access.

Douglas F. Daily
ddaily at u.washington.edu
University of Washington
Nursing Payroll, Box 356153
Seattle WA 98195


On Fri, 27 Jun 1997, Ray Congdon (MSMAIL) wrote:

> Hi Douglass,
>
> I put up a Chickadee box this spring, a pair took to it immediately.
> They built a nest and laid 8 eggs. Then they abandoned. The house was
> mounted to a very mature Maple. The squirrels climb that tree & even sit
> on top of the box to eat. I also saw several Starlings and House
> Sparrows trying to get into the box. I made new boxes & put them on
> poles thinking it was the squirrel harassing them. Do you have any
> experience in this?
>
> Ray Congdon
>
~ >
>