teri2 As a nature photographer, your plight has offered me so much excitement i scarcely know where to begin. I sympathize with you at the lack of birds, i don't know how i would get through my winter days if it weren't for all the birds at my feeders but before we address how to run that hawk off, I would strongly encourage you to grab your camera and get as many photos as you can. It is a rare opportunity to see a hawk close up. I was especially excited when you mentioned the white weasel. I suspect what you saw was a STOAT (Mustela Erminea) commonly called a "Short tailed Weasel. The Stoat ranges throughout the northern temperate and arctic range, although they are generally nocturnal and extremely elusive. In summer they are brown and called stoats, but in winter they have a white coat and they are properly called Ermine. In the fur industry the white pelt of an Ermine is prized higher than mink because unlike Mink, the Ermine cannot be raised in captivity. They are extremely difficult to trap because they will literally chew their own foot off to escape a leg hold trap. Just getting a fleeting glimpse of an Ermine is a once in a lifetime event. Now let us consider how you might deter the hawk. About the only natural enemy of the hawk is a large owl. they make a large owl decoy that is primarily used by gardeners to deter birds from their gardens. Erecting such a decoy where the hawk likes to perch would probably deter the hawk, but on the other hand, it may also deter the smaller birds in the same way the hawk is doing now. I can think of one other method that may work. Most marine stores or boatyard stores stock an inflatable snake which is about 6ft long when inflated. They principally place them on boats to deter birds from roosting in the rigging and making a mess on the deck or superstructures. I don't know how effective it would be in winter, but considering that the inflatable snakes are rather cheap, it would certainly be worth trying. you can also find those inflatable snakes listed in garden catalogs, or they may have them in the garden shop at your local big box store.

If I were you I would put up the other box out of site of the Chickadee box. Also if there are eggs in the dees nest add a 1 1/8" hole reducer so a Bluebird can't get in. Blues usually don't tolerate nesting next to Dees for some reason. I have many paired boxes, had them paired at 15 feet apart for two years and nothing would let another bird nest that close to it. Moved them to 25-30 feet apart and the TRES and BLues nest together happily at that distance. TRES and Dees can nest that close together too but not sure about BLues and Dees. Good luck!

First of all don't put worms right by the nestbox...you will be attracting other birds and predators. If they come to your feeders put the worms there for them. Second if you don't have a baffle add one. Just because you didn't have a predator get your Blues last year doesn't mean something won't get the Dees this year. Wobbling stovepipe is cheap and easy to put up and will deter climbing predators. Chickadees lay one egg a day until the clutch is complete usually with 6-8 eggs. The eggs are usually covered up by a layer of fur (blanket) to hide the eggs. Once the clutch is complete the momma will start incubation which takes 12-13 days. From hatching fledging usually occurs around day 16. Never check on a nestbox in the morning if you think they may be laying eggs, you do not want to disturb her while she is laying. Some Dees will stay on the nest during monitoring, that is normal. Once you know how many eggs there are (usually during incubation you may be able to see if she leaves them uncovered) and estimate when they will hatch, then count the days and do not open the box after day 10/11 from hatching to prevent premature fledging. Good luck!

Often during nestchecks, momma dee will be on the eggs/hatchlings. When ours hatched I could see them under the momma but every time I checked to see if all hatched she would be in there. That is very common for Dees to stay on the nest during nestchecks. You wouln't have done any harm. Incubation is typically about 12-13 days for Dees and fledging about 16+ days after that. If you know when they hatch then you know when you can expect fledging. You don't want to check the box after day 10/11 from hatching to prevent premature fledging. Donna