Donna, I think if it were me I would probably try and ignore whose nesting where for a week or two. Chickadee nest or not, if the blues want a specific nestbox they will take it. Once you're fairly certain the chickadees have claimed a box, you can put a 1 and 1/8" hole reducer over the entrance hole to make the nestbox bluebird proof. Chickadees can be even more stealthy than bluebirds when it comes to being seen. Be careful removing what you think might be an abandoned nest because chickadees also hide their eggs when they leave their nest. I know it's hard to wait--we want to help things along--but it will work out and patience is the key. Good luck. Kathy

Kathy -- when I went back out, I decided that BOTH nests look like they are primarily twigs, though there certainly are some more grass-like pieces as well as a few small seedheads (maybe dried sedum?) in the second one (it's also not as deep). I pulled out the one that was clearly all twigs (had a very deep "cup" in the middle but no eggs), but I left the other because I just wasn't sure. Here are the two pictures: first is the all-twig one that I removed today (how well do I need to clean out the box? I think there are a few twigs on the floor since I didn't have a brush with me). The second is the other box. Just a note: these two boxes are fairly close together because last year we had tree swallows and I had read that tree swallows and bluebirds will "share" space if there are two boxes. Swallows won't let another swallow pair nest nearby but will leave the bluebirds if they want the other house. I think what I read (on Audubon site or somewhere) was to put the two boxes about 10-15 feet apart. I know that's not what you do if you want actual bluebirds to use them both, but we were hoping to keep a pair of bluebirds in the one if the swallows returned this year (those swallows are GORGEOUS birds, too!)

Barryv: This dealer also sells American, Dacor, and Wolf. She said all three have stood behind their products and worked fine with the local customer support contractor when necessary (same local support folks who said they'd no longer work with BlueStar). Dacor price is nice and they have one stacked 18K burner, but they also get some negative press on quality. The major problems however seem to be with Dacor oven electronics vs. range tops. Some complaints also about flimsy knobs which never sounds good for high-end stuff. Deeageaux's comment about a custom built American range top with open burners is intriguing but maybe not feasible given our timeline. DW and I need to go back, look at the American range more closely, get a quote from American and a time estimate for a custom built range top without the oven, and then maybe sweet talk our remodeling contractor if it seems right. The BlueStar isn't cheap, so we were prepared to bite that bullet for the open burners, but we'll see where American's quote comes in. We also appreciate the suggestion to find out who supports Capital 'round these parts. Would love to have a local Capital dealer along with local support, but it's worth a look anyway. We'd love to see the original Wolf open burners back again but we think four 15K stacked burners are better than plain sealed if it comes to that. Lots to consider and lots of scurrying around the next few days. We feel like a couple of ants whose nest has been exposed. Thanks to all for the comments.

Here's another action shot as a Black Howler Monkey leaps from one tree to another. and a complete-lack-of-action shot, at the Sloth Sanctuary: