[obol] Backyard Chickadee Nest
- From: Jack Williamson <jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OBOL Oregon Birders Online <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 20:04:08 -0700
It was our third season of successfully hosting nesting Black-capped
Chickadee, but it was the first time we've (potentially) witnessed a
"replacement brood". All I know about the failure of the first brood is
that one day in late May I woke up and realized the frenzied activity at
the nest had suddenly stopped. As a matter of practice, I opened the nest
box with the intention of removing the nest and repacking the box with wood
shavings for the next season. But for a reason that I do not recall, I
decided to postpone that chore for another day. Then on 8 June 2014, I
noticed renewed activity at the nest box, and from that point forward, I
decided to pay closer attention to the evolution of this brood.
I believe two chicks successfully fledged from this second brood, two days
apart, approximately 16 days after hatching.
According to (The Birds of North America - Online), the reuse of nest sites
is rare, and when old cavities are used, clutch sizes are typically larger.
Our "replacement brood", however, was made up of just two chicks who
occupied a tiny portion (4 sq. cm) of the entire nest cavity that measured
13 centimeters square. This, combined with the fact that six unhatched eggs
came tumbling out from beneath the nest structure while I was clearing the
nest box, has left me scratching my head.
Twenty-eight Images - Spanning 8 June 2014 - 26 June 2014:
http://www.jack-n-jill.net/blog/2014/6/backyard-chickadee
--
Jack Williamson
West Linn, Oregon
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