Have Chickadees Abandoned Nest

[NickNackHummer]

As I said in a previous post, I have two nest boxes. I am not able to see one of them unless I’m outside. I hadn’t seen any activity around the box, though, and hadn’t been checking it. I checked it on Thurs., May 5th, and there’s a Carolina Chickadee nest inside. It looks finished except that it doesn’t have the layer of fur on top. I checked again on May 9th, and it looks exactly the same. I took pictures both times, and the nest is identical in both pictures.

I have no idea when the nest was started. Also, on May 9th, I set up a camera facing the nest box. It’s very close to it. There hasn’t been any bird activity around the box in the two days since I set up the camera. Should I go ahead and remove the nest? It seems like if they’re still working on it they would have gone back to the box during that time.

I love Carolina Chickadees and was so excited to find the nest. I’m disappointed that it looks like they have abandoned it. Why would they have done that?

Carol
East Tennessee

[Julie]

Carol, I would not give up yet. I had 3 chickadee nests started in 3 Gilbertson boxes in my yard. One had an egg, then right before I put on a hole reducer (was about to go outside to do it), a bluebird went in. The chickadees left the egg & never returned. The egg eventually disappeared, but the nest remains–moss, fur on top. I’ve seen chickadees going in & out this week, so who knows. Meanwhile, I hear chickadee babies in a bamboo box in the Japanese maple. Chickadees love that box but I can’t check it during nesting. I checked the backyard box 2 days ago and a chickadee egg was in it. Yesterday, still 1 egg. I had pruned the butterfly bush nearby (like a small tree), so figured I spooked them. I thought, great, they’ve abandoned again. Then today, the female chickadee was on the nest when I checked. So clearly they’re using that box. I must have a 2nd nesting pair!! A dream come true.

I share all that to say that I had given up, too. No activity, figured it was over, but left the nests just in case. So glad I did! Have you read the Sialis page on chickadees? http://www.sialis.org/chickadee.htm

They say they abandon nest easily because they’re used to being bullied by other birds. I’d say just wait. Is there a chance your camera is spooking them?

[NickNackHummer]

Thank you Julie. That is so encouraging! I had read the information on sailis about chickadees, but I just read it again through your link. I’ve also read about the nesting habits of Carolina Chickadees on AvianReport.com and NestHollow.com.

I don’t think the camera could have spooked them. They hadn’t touched the nest in at least two days before I set it up. It’s a very small Blink camera attached to my screened in porch. It’s not very noticeable.

Thank you so much for your help.

Carol
East Tennessee

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