Tough little chickadees, Day 7 for them, May 5, 2009

Although I have not opened the chickadee nest box since I shared that photo with you, I know that they are still alive. it's been so damp that I don't want to subject the chicks to anything that might hurt them. I do watch the chickadee parents fly from the mealworm feeder to the nest box. They've become skilled at going under the wren guard. As for the House Wrens, either they have gotten bored with the whole thing or just can't figure out how to get under it and into the hole.

Here's a photo of my wren guard. I made it quite a bit longer than most. You really only have to come down to below the hole so it's covered from view. I didn't plan to have it so long in the front. I was in a hurry and that's what I had on hand. I decided not to change it since it seems to be working.

I just took sturdy cardboard (although some of my friends use cereal boxes successfully), covered the surface with clear packing tape, bent it, and taped it to the top of the box with electrical tape. I had intended to tack the guard onto the roof but the tape is holding.

I think I posted this photo before from a brood of chickadees that I had in 2007. I'm not sure what day this is but they look fully feathered. They are so very tiny!

Chick-a-dee-dee-dee. May 12, 2009

It's been strange not rushing to do videos and blog entries every day. Don't worry, I've been trying to use my time constructively.

I have to admit that I'm disappointed that the bluebirds have not started another brood. They are taking mealworms up into the trees so I am sure the fledglings are OK. I try to follow the parents as they fly from the feeder but they never go straight to the kids (don't want to let predators know where the fledglings are). The other thing that is unusual is that in past broods, it's been just Daddy who takes care of the fledgling but Mama seems to be doing just as much feeding as he does.

By the way, the title of this post is how I learned to recognize one of the calls of the chickadees.

Considering that it's day 14 for the 4 chickadee nestlings, I thought it would be a good idea to take the wren guard off!! They often fledge at day 17 so I figured they needed to be able to look out and see the 'unknown.'

It was interesting to see the parents' reactions to the wren guard being gone. One of the parents especially was very wary and slowly approached the hole. After a few hours, they are OK.

I'll be setting up my camcorder pointed to the chickadee box so perhaps I'll get to see them fledge .

The photos below are in reverse order...

May 12, 2009 - Day 14 They now look like chickadees!

May 7th, Day 9--looking more like chickadees

Just a few days old, May 3, 2009

Very Empty Nest Syndrome, May 16th, 2009

[this is a revision of a previous posting. There were supposed to be two photos shown and for some reason they didn't appear. If you don't see the two photos of the chickadee nest, please let me know.]

I'm feeling 'abandoned'...

First, the chickadees fledged on Thursday, May 14th which was day 16. I wasn't able to verify that till the next morning. I had to watch to see if there was any parent traffic in and out of the box and there was none. Without a nest box cam, it's hard to see them fledge since they look just like their parents and they don't sit in the hole and push off from there, they fly out of the hole just like the 'big birds' do.

I took out the nest and was amused and amazed to find so much dog fur (which my dogs provided). It makes sense because the nest was built in April when the weather was going between cold and cool. Here are some photos of the nest. It's flattened somewhat especially on the side that was closest to the hole. As the day of fledging grew near, the chicks would have been tramping around the sides of the nest cup trying to get a peek out of the hole.

And I also feel 'abandoned' because the bluebirds have not started another brood here. I wonder if they have started one somewhere else but the accommodations here are so good, why go anywhere else ::grin::. They've been hanging around, though. I do have evidence of that! Below are some photos from my new 'toy', a camera for use outdoors and 'outside the nest' which is a very interesting perspective after watching so much 'inside the nest' activity. It's called "Wingscapes" but I've seen similar cameras marketed with different names. It's a motion-activated camera which is really cool. I can set it to capture photos or videos. I have so much to learn about it. My first successful project has been to watch what goes on at the bird bath.

This camera was very graciously donated to me by a very, very special friend. I shall be forever grateful to her.

For more information about this outdoor camera, you can read all about it at
http://wingscapes.com/

Now, on to the show:

You can watch the slideshow below. It will run automatically. However, there are controls for it if you move your cursor to the bottom of the screen.
If you 'double click' on the screen, you will see the photos in a larger format which I highly recommend. You'll be taken to another website where you'll see larger photos. Above the photo you will see two arrow images, one pointing 'back' and one pointing 'forward.' Use these to control the speed at which you want to view the photos. If you click on the arrow at a fast pace, it's almost like watching a little video. If you have any problems, let me know. I still have so much to learn!

Handful 'o Chickadees, May 3rd, 2009

I tried to use my mirror and flashlight to see the chickadee nestlings but it just wasn't working. I also wanted to count them so I quickly scooped them up, took a quick pic, and put them right back in the nest. All 4 are growing and healthy. Their eyes are not open yet but their wing feathers are in pin. They also are showing contour feathers. I guess that makes them about 4 or 5 days old. I compared this photo to a site with day-by-day photos of chickadees. Check it out at:
http://flyaway.smugmug.com/gallery/115189/1#3981876_a8CGD

You can 'double click' on the photo below to see a larger image:

While I was by the chickadee box, the TWO (yes, I said 2) House Wrens were calling to each other/taunting me. The fact that there are 2 of them makes me think that the male has already paired up with a female and may be content to continue the nest it's started in one of the other boxes. Time will tell.

I can live in hope, can't I??