Home › Forums › Bluebird Chatter › So very sad and surprised 😮
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April 5, 2020 at 3:43 pm #7890
We had finished dinner last night and I was looking out the kitchen window and saw a Chickadee hanging on the front of the Bluebird box and was surprised that my pair were not chasing it then I saw it go inside the box so I opened the door and chased it and got my step stool out and when I got to the box I saw a smashed Bluebird egg on the ground and the nest was empty. I never read or heard of Chickadees being so aggressive. This morning Papa was trying to fend 3 of them off.
Anyway, do I leave the old nest or remove it?
Connie (PA)April 5, 2020 at 8:43 pm #7893Can anyone help Connie – I haven’t had any experience with dees and their habits.
April 6, 2020 at 1:23 pm #7894Carol, have not heard from anyone, after dinner last night I checked the 2nd box and to my surprise there was a * egg laying on the bare floor, so I went to the box where the attack took place and took the nest out and placed it in the 2nd box with the egg. We had seen the pair checking that box out and now I know why. They seem to have accepted the move to my great surprise but not sure the egg is viable anymore. Mama is sitting on it anyway. Still only the one egg, so maybe she dropped some while fleeing the attacks.
Saw the Chickadee checking out the front box again this morning. It is so frustrating.
ConnieApril 6, 2020 at 5:19 pm #7895Connie…….I have no experience with chickadees, but I think moving the nest to the lone egg was a great idea. I hope it works‼️ So far, so good. I didn’t think chickadees were aggressive birds, I wondering if a HOSP did the damage, then the chickadee came second. Good luck.
Still waiting for nest building here. Seeing bluebirds and tree swallows shopping my boxes. I have two sets of paired boxes, front and backyard.
Happy birding,
Judy-MichiganApril 6, 2020 at 7:46 pm #7896Judy, I actually saw 3 Chickadees that papa was trying to fend off, and I am positive that is what destroyed the 2 eggs. I even saw a Chickadee check out the box again tonight.
On top of all that I joined Bluebird Anonymous on FB yesterday and there is a video of this happening in a nesting box recently and there is no doubt that it is a Black Capped Chickadee doing the damage. Others are as shocked as I am to see this happening from such a tiny friendly bird. So it is not only the HOSP and the HOWR we have to worry about. Keep a close watch.
Don’t know how the lone egg is going to survive. I have seen Mama in the box with her head out but she is not spending a great deal of time in there. There are no additional eggs, so at this point I am not sure if I should remove the nest and hope they start the process again or just hold on. This is something new to me.
Hope your Bluebirds start nest building soon. I have never tried back to back boxes but that may come one of these seasons.
ConnieApril 7, 2020 at 5:27 pm #7897Hi Connie, just curious on what is going on with your bluebird boxes today. Did mama blue lay another egg? That sure is weird….chickadees behaving badly! Now I will have to add them to my watch-out for list. Hope all works out for you.
Judy-Michigan
April 7, 2020 at 9:06 pm #7898I am so sad to read this. I thought the dees were shy little birds. Hoping for better news.
April 7, 2020 at 10:41 pm #7900Hi Judy:
The egg is not being turned so I assume it is not viable. Mama goes in and sits for long periods of time but no more eggs. I am wondering if I should discard the nest and egg with the hope she will build another one. What do you think?
I see the Chickadee still going into the front box where the dastardly deed was done. There is no nest building being done it just seems to not want the Blues in that box.
Yes, do keep your eyes out for another threat to our beloved Blues.
ConnieApril 7, 2020 at 10:47 pm #7901Lisa, I was under the same impression as you concerning the dees, boy was I wrong and to see a video of a dee doing to someone else’s eggs what happened to mine was the straw that broke the camels back. I will never think of those birds as sweet, gentle, cute little birds any longer. At least so far they have not bothered the other box.
ConnieApril 8, 2020 at 9:05 am #7903Connie, you said the egg is not being turned – did you place dots on the eggs to see if the dots move? If you have I would assume you could remove egg & nest – but probably best to wait a little longer since she is still going in – they usually know when to quit.
April 8, 2020 at 9:35 am #7905Carol, yes I did put dots on the egg and they have not changed, she was still in the box this morning and is sitting on the top now. Papa checked out the original box this morning, but I never see her around it.
I cannot say this for a certainty but I think there is more material added to the nest even though I have never seen her in the act.
I will wait to remove the egg and nest and see what happens.
Thanks Carol.
ConnieApril 8, 2020 at 10:16 am #7906Hi Connie, I would leave the nest alone since they seem to be using the box. Carol always gives great advice, she has been doing this many years. Thanks Carol for helping us newbies. Good luck…..keep updating us on progress.
Judy-Michigan
April 8, 2020 at 1:15 pm #7909Judy, I was out there a while ago and the egg had been turned either on purpose or by accident. I will check it again at some point to see if it gets back to the dot on top.
I plan to follow Carols advice and leave it and the nest there. I have a feeling Mama is going to bring one baby into the world at this point.
ConnieApril 9, 2020 at 10:13 am #7921Oh, Connie, I hadn’t read this post until I responded to your other posting. Wow, if the egg IS being turned, maybe there is hope…………
P.S. Judy – than you for your kind words. I don’t know everything, that is for sure, but after many years experience you do learn things, and usually every year!
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