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.

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!

I've been lucky enough to "host" chickadees for the last 6 years. The first year it was a little war between the bluebirds and the chickadees. The bluebirds have always, w/o a single exception, used the back yard nest box. They already had five eggs and incubation had started when the chickadees started nest building in a front yard box. The bluebirds were having "none of that" and constantly harassed them by going in and out of the dee nest box. I was advised to add a 1 1/8 or 1 /14th inch hole reducer to keep the bluebirds OUT and I did and things were fine for both the bluebirds and the dees. I have bluebirds in the back yard right now and the dees have laid their third egg today in the front yard box. So far, the bluebirds are not bothering the dee box but if they do I'll add the reducer again. I agree with Elly, do no disturb that nest. It's possible the dees will return or that they have and you've just missed seeing them. While they do incubate every day it's possible they have not started incubating yet. Most times females do start incubation the day before, day of or day after the last egg is laid but not 100% of the time so it's premature to think they won't return. I would recommend that you add a reducer to keep the bluebirds out of the box. If, after that, the chickadees don't come back for a full week then I'd remove the nest and eggs and the reducer. But, be sure you've had a chance to look at the box for a full hour before assuming it's been abandoned.

You are doing a great thing by providing nest boxes to our native birds. However, you are not helping them by getting this close to nesting areas, photographing and even worst posting pictures of nests on Internet.