Wow! Lucky you! I think this is why I only get Dees in my nest boxes every few years. I had them last year. There are just so many darned woodpecker holes in our woods. That stump looks prettty low to the ground. Will you put some kind of fencing around it to keep coons, skunks etc out or will you just leave it be?

Wow those pictures are amazing. You are so lucky to have been able to witness that and capture it in pictures. I knew they did this, but have never seen it. Thanks so much for sharing those.

Cool pictures! I read somewhere that Chickadees prefer to excavate their own holes. That stump looks very fresh? It's a wonder those little birds can chip away at that wood!

So cool! I didn't even realize they excavated their own holes! There's a pair nesting in a nest box by the barn this spring

4-9-10, Carolina Chickadee stopping to feed mate in nestbox by our barn {{!gwi}}From April 11, 2010 birds

Great photos - so interesting to see the one carrying out the woodchips, and the two cooperating. So neat to think of them making a home from a woodpecker's home.

A question - I have had a chickadee (or a pair)flying in and out of a nestbox. I am thrilled at the possibility of their nesting there. After a week or so I checked the nestbox, and there was a nest! But now for the last week or so I haven't seen them nearby at all. I checked the nest yesterday, and no eggs.

Could I have "jinxed" the nest by checking on it? I thought it was okay to peek in. I didn't touch anything, just opened the door, looked, and shut it. I would hate to think I scared them off somehow after they did all that work building.

Any thoughts?

chickadeemelrose...Momma Dees normally hide their eggs with a fur plug when they leave the nestbox. They aren't as tolerant as Blues with monitoring but usually do ok with it. Do you see a nestcup at all when you look in the nest? I remember my first Dee nesting when I looked at the nest it looked just like a thick layer of moss and fur and no cup but that is because they hide it. They are also much more secreative about their nest and don't sit on the box like other birds do. Hopefully they are still there is the possibility that something else made them abandon it. I would just watch as much as you can and see if you can see them around the nestbox. Good luck.

Donna

OH!!! that is awesome!! I wish chickadees would nest in my boxes. I guess there are enough natural cavitites for them to nest in which is a good thing. Keep us posted. That is great!!

Karen

Chickadeemelrose, I had a pair of BCCH nest in one of my boxes last year, and they were quite secretive. I hardly saw them at all, and didn't see any eggs when I expected to. I wondered the same thing as you, so I very gently placed a clean finger on top of the nest and I could feel the eggs hidden under the fluff. You may have eggs and just not be aware of it yet. I was able to do the whole monitoring thing with sparrow spookers, checking for parasites, etc. and they never abandoned. I even took pictures.

Hey Lisa, it is actually quite low to the ground, maybe only a foot off. I would love to be able to try to protect it but it isn't on my property but at a nature preserve near us. It is right on the side of the walking trail too so I am not sure if this will be a successful nesting for them. I wish I could do something but I don't want to attract more attention to it, kwim??

Donna