Carolina chickadee bringing a tasty breakfast morsel to its babies this morning.
You may remember this post where I shared the pair of Carolina chickadees
cleaning out the little nesting box hanging on the front porch last month.
It's now obvious that mom and pop have a new family, and
that the eggs have hatched. Sadly, I can't see inside so have no idea how many
nestlings are tucked in there, however, by the sound of the "feed me" cheeping when
the parents arrive with food, there are several. Chickadees usually lay 5-7 eggs
and have 1-2 broods per year.
Here a parent is doing a little housekeeping by removing poop! Clean little
birds - the wrens do the same - whereas finches never do housework and
leave behind very messy nests when the babies fledge.
I can now sit outside on the porch very close to these birds and watch
their comings and goings close up - they don't appear to be nervous at all.
These parents are quite amazing, flying back and forth non-stop with grubs,
worms, flies and other delicacies. Would love to see the baby birds fledge, probably
will happen later this week, but it's hard to know exactly when so I may miss the
joyful occasion. I just hope the little family remain safe and I can enjoy even
more sweet little Carolina chickadees in my garden.
The busy garden this morning.
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Oh Mary, these are exquisite shots. How fun is that.I adore the Chickadee and hope to find a few nests here, too. So far, the starlings are nesting in the holes in the maple trees. That's all I see. Fingers crossed. Love that first shot. We have cardinals & squirrels about, too. And hundreds of juncos.
ReplyDeleteKnew you'd like these and the update Deb! Yes, I was very happy with the first shot. Even though they don't seem nervous of me, they are very alert to other birds flying nearby so do move a lot, looking about, while waiting the fly into the nesting box. These are taken with my trusty old Olympus point and shoot and set on Scene/Birds - not my DSLR - so I'm pleased it's that sharp, with a little additional help from PicMonkey of course!
ReplyDeleteMary -
Loved all the shots, and so clear for a point and shoot camera. I love watching the birds busy in & out feeding their young. I've just found a deserted Robins nest with one cold egg in it. They made their nest in a rolled up hose pipe hanging in a shed, I always feel sad when I find an abandoned nest with an un-hatched egg still in it. I hope you get to see the young fly from their nest.
DeleteYour Carolina chickadees are gorgeous Mary and you have the perfect garden for them in which to dwell and raise their young - lots of cover from bushes and trees, and plentiful insects and grubs for them to feed their young. Are they a bit similar to our Coal tits? Having this family so early I would not be surprised if they did not raise another brood or two.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that our tits usually leave their boxes at the crack of dawn. It is fun to watch the little balls of fluff dropping out, gathering their strength, and then flying into the nearby branches.
Rosemary, thanks for stopping by. Yep, I really need to change my sleep pattern - earlier to bed so I can be up and watching! I'd so love to see those little ones come through that hole! Thankfully we have lots of vegetation nearby which should give them protection. Those parents work so hard and really deserve to end up with a little family.
DeleteMary -
Sweet pictures of the chickadee. I hope you get to see the babies fly off. The tree swallows have returned here and have been scouting out the birdhouse the past 3 days. No signs of nesting yet though. Have a lovely week. xx Pam
ReplyDeleteLove those little Dees. They have a sweet call. I've seen birds clean out the nest before. I had to go look and see what in the world they were dropping on the ground. Neat little encapsulated packages.
ReplyDeleteOh I have been remiss in visiting. Your chickadees are so wonderful. How fun to sit on the porch and listen and watch.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat it must be to watch their comings and goings and their settling in.
ReplyDeleteThese are such cute little birds, Mary. We don't have a huge variety here in the city but I did spot a bluejay today for the very first time. I have a few birdhouses and one is about 3 feet from the bathroom window. I have two sparrows preparing for the 'big day'. They don't frighten easily so I get to watch them often and of course, that makes me late for everything when I'm trying to get prepared for the day! In Michigan we have huge varieties and I try so hard to identify them.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are wonderful as always. :-D
Jane
Sweet post! Wonderful photos.
ReplyDelete