I have a chickadee nesting box that I put up a couple of years ago. ?In the beginning of April I noticed a pair of CBCH checking it out over the course of a couple of days. Then a nosy scrub jay came around and tried to take a look inside, and the box remained vacant. Now, a month later, the pair (or another pair?) is back. This morning I watched them removing wood chips from the box! One chickadee stood watch (noisily) while the other removed wood chips, flew into our window-side rhodie, and dropped them. However, a scrub jay appeared in the tree (not at the box) and now the pair has split. I'm hoping they return! ?
Am I wrong in thinking these chickadees are a little late to start nesting??
And on an unrelated side-note, the excavator chickadee is missing a foot!?
--Jen? Olympia, WA