Subject: [Tweeters] chestnut-backed chickadee nest box camera footage
Date: May 25 08:46:27 2009
From: Robin W Baird - RWBaird at cascadiaresearch.org


Hello all,

Last year we installed a nest box with a video camera feed, and had a pair of chestnut-backed chickadees nest with seven eggs (but the eggs did not hatch). This year a pair started building a nest April 27th, with the female first spending the night in the nest on April 29. Two eggs were visible May 1st but the chickadee was not incubating regularly during the day. On May 3rd seven eggs were seen and incubation started full-time in the afternoon. On May 11 and May 12 one of the birds started offering grubs to the eggs. On May 16th the first egg had hatched before 7:19 AM, the second at 7:45, the third at 9:40, the fourth at 11:36, and the fifth at 12:45. The sixth egg did not hatch until ~7 AM on May 17th, and the last egg hatched at 3:47 PM on May 17. The chicks are being fed constantly throughout the day, making it very difficult to get any work done (the video feed is into a TV in our home office).

We've been putting short video clips most days on http://www.flickr.com/photos/89985360 at N00/ if people are interested.

Curious when their eyes will open if anyone knows?

Thanks,

Robin & Annie
off South Bay Road, Olympia
rwbaird (at) cascadiaresearch.org