Dear Tweeters,

I was checking some metal fenceposts for wasp nests yesterday, and found a surprising chickadee nest.

The fenceposts are made of steel pipe sunk in the ground; the tops of the pipes are open, and about half the pipes end up with some aggressive wasps nesting in them. I was going around with a stick, so I could pop the nests downward. Then they fall into the stagnant water that collects down inside the pipe, and that's the end of the aggressive wasps.

One pipe had a Black-capped Chickadee in it! The pipe is at a 45-degree angle to the ground, and the chickadee was about six or eight inches down inside the pipe. I was amazed, to say the least. Actually, I am still wondering if the bird might be stuck down there!

Both yesterday and today, when I checked on the bird, it made a strange, snapping "pop" noise as I stuck my face in front of the top of the pipe. It got my attention!

I have already observed three baby BC Chickadees here at my place, attended by an adult, so maybe this bird is on a second brood. Hard to tell.

Yours truly,


Gary Bletsch ? Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA ? garybletsch at yahoo.com ? ?