Subject: [Tweeters] BC Chickadee nesting, goodnew badnews
Date: May 30 08:46:39 2008
From: Douglas Daily - dfdpaf at earthlink.net


Goodnews:
After two unsuccessful years where the parents seemed to have disappeared prior to hatching the eggs, we have this year so far had an industrious pair of black capped chickadees zooming in and out of the nestbox. I expect to hear little cheeps very soon, and see them too.

Badnews:
I have discovered the cause of last year's failure. I have a large greenhouse and in the winter I put sticky traps on the shelves to trap any rude rat that might want a nice warm home and tasty treats inside the greenhouse. I have yet to catch a rat, but it does keep them away from the plants. I take the traps out in the spring. The greenhouse has a number of windows that are open during the summer. Birds could fly in and out. And I welcome the bees inside.

Last fall as I was closing up the greenhouse and setting new sticky traps I made a horrible discovery. I had missed two sticky traps on an upper shelf that were hidden by plants and pots. On each was a chickadee, I suspect the parents. In terms of sadness and guilt, this ranks up there real high on my life list.

Maybe goodnews:
But maybe, if we get an early fledging, we'll get two nestings this year. It has happened in the past.

Happy summer birding all. I'm going to sit and my yard and watch the birds and the bees.

http://www.greatsunflower.org/
Help save the bees. Watch them and report them.

Doug Daily
Seattle, northgate, WA