Chickadees nesting again (1 Viewer)

[gymell]

For the second time this season, I have chickadees nesting in my nest box. I was actually surprised because I didn't think they reused the same nest box in the same season. After the first batch had fledged, I put up another box for the bluebirds, and the next thing I knew, the chickadees had built another nest and laid eggs. I suppose it could be a second pair instead of the same pair reusing the box. Anyway, my curiosity got the better of me, so I put a camera in the nest box. Right now there are 5 eggs being brooded, so not a whole lot going on in the nest besides preening, stretching and sleeping. Still it's really fun to watch. Can't wait to see the chicks when they hatch. Here's the first view from yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFpNbBn5UBc

 

[KnockerNorton]

This is rare. This is clearly a second brood and not a replacement brood, as it's well past the time of first broods now. Only around 5% of BC Chickadee pairs attempt second broods, and they're rarely documented.

It's likely to be the same pair, as they're territorial. Do you know when the first brood hatched or fledged? If you keep a note of when they hatch, you can work backwards to determine when they were laid.

Second broods have poor chances, I'm afraid. Chickadees are time-critical in their dispersal, with the young to hatch and disperse first being able to get established first in limited flock vacancies. Even a few days can make a critical difference, as it's a 'first come, first served' system. So second broods have very very low chances of getting established, as all the first broods got there first weeks earlier, and are likely to starve or get picked off by a hawk as they wander looking for a vacancy.

You might be interested to have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiF7MYD4bMU

it's the 'hissing display' of a very close relative in Europe (another species in the chickadee family), which Black-capped Chickadees also produce when threatened on the nest. If you stick your fingers in the entrance to the box, your bird will also probably attack like this, and you'll hear a loud hiss. It can be effective in repelling weasels from entering and killing the bird and eggs/young.

 

[gymell]

Thanks for the info. It's definitely a second brood. The first brood fledged on June 4. We had a very cool spring with few bugs, and the parents actively fed the first brood mealworms that I set out for them. As far as I could tell, the fledge was healthy and successful, although I never did see the fledglings after that. The next day I took the box down and put up a brand new box for bluebirds, as last year bluebirds moved in after the chickadees. For a few days I checked the box for signs of bluebirds, and there was no sign of any activity whatsoever. One day shortly thereafter I was quite surprised to open the box and have a chickadee fly out and scold me! A day or so later there were 5 eggs. I had to rush and put a hole reducer on and a wren guard, since I also have house wrens in the yard. I don't remember the exact date, but it was the week after the first brood had fledged.

 

[Kathymoyers]

My chickadees fledged four days ago from my nest box. Will the parents come back to this area after their babies are well on their own? I haven’t seen or heard them since yesterday and they are probably long gone. Thank you for getting back to me on this question.