itrom.......Last year when chickadees took over our fave BB box after so many year of having only BBs in the box there were reclaim fights but the BBs did not win and we never saw any all summer and that was sad. That particular box is the one we can see easily and we love to watch them and take photos. There are two other boxes nearby so I kept asking myself why can't the cute chickadees just use those...lol. BBs have moved into the fave box and I hope there is peace! Good luck and enjoy whatever nests ...or...put up another box and if you do make sure you follow instructions as to how far from the fist one.

It's been a while, but here is an update! Wrens did appear the day our chickadee nest was emptied, so we are guessing they were responsible. The mother chickadee spent one more night on her empty nest before abandoning it. We ended up putting duct tape over the hole so the wrens couldn't use it and boy did that make them mad! I've learned that we may have played a role in the chickadees demise. Three years ago chickadees nested in our yard, but the next year wrens did. We kept removing the sticks, but they promptly replaced them. The wrens are hard workers, I'll give them that. Finally we left the wrens alone and they completed a nest, etc. From what I've read, once you let wrens nest in your yard, they become very territorial of it and it is almost impossible for chickadees to have a successful nest there. Last year we put up two very low bluebird boxes and the wrens built dummy nests in them. Also we had put a few wood chips in our nest box. I think the reason chickadees like a box with wood chips is that it mimics an old woodpecker's nest. If woodpeckers successfully nested in a spot, there is probably a higher chance it will be successful for chickadees. So maybe we gave them a false sense of security. Well, we live and learn. Every once in a while now I will be outside and I'll hear two chickadees calling and they will fly close to me and flit all around and it makes me really happy. We now have flickers nesting in an old woodpecker hole in our birch tree. Starlings recently fledged from that hole, and there have been a few brawls, but I've got my fingers crossed. A few times I have gone out and banged pans to frighten the starlings away and it seems to work! Good luck with your nest boxes Donna! Thanks for the pep talk, it was nice to talk with someone who could relate! Annie

Usually I do have HOSPS and HOWRS in my yard. I closed up the bluebird house, since I could only trap so many HOSPS before it became too much. I have not seen or heard any HOWR this year, but they could still be around. I saw the chick leave yesterday afteroon, and I peeked inside. Now there were 2 eggs (instead of 1), covered with down. The other old egg was still jammed between the wall and nest. I've read info that says they usually don't renest in the same place after predator attack. But it's either them or another pair nesting in the old nest. Should I remove that old egg on the side? This is exciting and mysterious at the same time.

Yes; winds are the worse. I haven't been outside all day until now. I didn't realize there had been a lot of wind damage in town. Our block has three houses facing east,(mine's in the middle) and three facing west, just past the alley way behind my house. Our lots are large. The "south west" neighbor (Virginia) had a very large maple tree blown down. One of the huge main limbs hit the "west center" neighbor's (Patty) drivway, and the other limbs hit their roof. Thankfully, the roof wasn't damaged. Of course, Virginia is having the rest of the tree cut down and removed from Patty's house and driveway. It's too bad the tree didn't jump over and land in my kitchen. Between her insurance and my insurance, I could have a gleaming new kitchen! LOL Just joking. Sorta. Kinda. (and wondering if I could train my ancient maple to jump into the center of the kitchen???) Of course it has to leap over the 2 1/2 bay garage, and 12' wide patio to get to the kitchen.