Chickadees - they're back!

Recently, I mentioned it appeared the Carolina chickadee pair had decided

 not to nest in the little 'Home Sweet Home' box on the porch this spring. 

Wow, how wrong I was, and how these tiny creatures never cease to amaze me.

There is now daily activity.

Quietly, the pair of tiny birds have built a nest!  

After cleaning the front porch, the pollen season just about over,

 we've been sitting outside on the last couple of beautiful calm, warm

evenings - sipping an aperitif after several hours working in the garden -

and watching this little guy bringing green grubs to the nesting box, 

obviously feeding the female who must be sitting on eggs.

Before popping into the box he sits here, makes a tiny chirp to advise her 

of his arrival, flies in and then back out in about 30 seconds and takes

off to resume his search for supper.

Note, no Boston ferns in my hanging baskets yet!

This is probably the fifth year the chickadees have nested in this now

somewhat weathered little house!

"In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence."

. . . . . . Robert Wilson Lynd ~ 1879-1949

The wee interloper. . . . . . .

~ The House Wren ~

We rarely see this particular tiny bird in our garden even though it's a native

 of eastern North Carolina. It rarely comes to seed feeders preferring an insect diet.

 In winter months it sometimes migrates to other southern states and Mexico,

 but often just hangs out in North Carolina year round.

A very tiny bird, just a bit smaller than the more prolific Carolina wren - my favorite

 little bird ~ but the same size as the Carolina chickadee, this wren apparently has

 found its way to my front porch over the past few days, and. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . . . . . .guess who's having to fend him/her off from their nest site in the 

Home Sweet Home box, our pair of chickadees!

They have a plan though, when the wren shows up, one stays covering the entrance

 while the other one hangs on the Boston fern then chases the noisy wren away.

Here the House wren is sitting on the jasmine below the nest box, probably thinking

 the spider web is camouflaging it! This bird is very cute, barely 5" long and not

 as chubby as the Carolina wren.  Brown and tan, with a slightly curved bill, it also

 holds its tail erect. It lacks the white eyebrow of the Carolina wren but is also a

 prolific songster, singing loud, melodious songs from dawn to dusk during 

the mating season. I'll be keeping an eye on it as I don't want it to steal

 house and home from the chickadees - they have nested here for the past

 three years, and last year in April we were lucky enough to watch the

four babies fledge - an awesome sight.

From the wildlife habitat, my garden, yet another bird story. . . . . . . . 

 and there will be more of course!

We're back. . . . . . and we're busy!

It really doesn't take much to make me happy and excited these days.

While putting out my Springtime/Easter decor in the dining room this

 morning, I saw them flitting back and forth out of the corner of my eye.

Grabbed the camera and started shooting through the window.

Are they the very same pair of Carolina chickadees from last year, 

 maybe even the year before, building again in the tiny decorative

 HOME SWEET HOME box? Or perhaps it's an offspring

who has brought a mate back here to its birthplace to start a

new family. How will we ever know?

The mysteries of Nature are many and some we never get an answer to.

I do know these very tiny birds are awesome, and their amazing

housekeeping and nest building skills using just a tiny beak, and those

 two big feet, bring me joy just from watching them work so hard on the

 front porch now that Spring is almost here.

Last year I was privy to the fledging of four tiny babies from this same nest 

box HERE on April 27.  Not sure I'll be fortunate enough to see a repeat 

performance this year!

Good luck little Carolina chickadees. 

I hope all goes well and you raise a sweet family here.

Chickadees are very busy. . . . . . . . . . .

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.

Carolina Chickadees are Spring Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

A common bird of the Carolinas who is very friendly and can be tamed
 and hand fed. I've never managed to get one to eat out of my hand, but admit
 to standing in the back garden with it outstretched, full of birdseed, until my
 poor old shoulder ached! 

Our many Carolina chickadees do love hanging out on the front porch, also at

 feeders and birdbaths located in the back garden. Being non-migrators we can

 enjoy them year round in any type of weather.

Both the male and female, also the juveniles, are mostly grey birds
 with a black cap and chin, white face and chest, and darker grey tail. 
They are the smallest birds in our garden, but notice in these photos that they
 have sturdy looking legs and huge feet with which they can hold insects and
 seeds while pecking into them. 

Both male and female construct a nest then 5-7 very tiny eggs, white with

 reddish-brown markings are laid. They have 1-2 broods per year.

Despite not being officially Spring, I believe our chickadees are preparing

 a nest already. They have nested in this same box on the front porch for the
 past couple of years. 

Until this morning I thought they were bringing in building materials during the
 past few days, seeing the clump of soft bits stuffed in the entrance. . . . . . . however
 this morning it's obvious they are taking out debris from last year!

This is one of those decorative birdhouses, so cute, but unfortunately no
door to open which would allow us to clean out the old nest.

Such a huge job for a tiny bird who has only its stubby little beak as a

 Spring cleaning tool!

 I am definitely tempted to give a little assistance to these tiny birds - one swift

 pull and I could help with what appears to be a gigantic job for one or two tiny

 creatures - but we have decided not to interfere with Nature.

What would you do? Do you believe in just allowing them to clean their

house by themselves? 

A sweet, quite feisty little bird which is Bob's favorite - and of course I love them too!