Bird Watching Binoculars

Bluebirds vs Chickadees – It’s A Draw

Nobody Takes The Nestbox

Earlier this week, I was looking out my office window at my backyard when I saw something suspicious. A mottled gray looking bird perched atop my closest bluebird box. Once mom showed up, it didn’t take me long to figure out that my resident bluebird pair had decided to nest elsewhere. It was funny to see the little one sitting on top of the box like he or she knew why they were there. Both the mom and dad came back a few times that morning but it was obvious they were just scoping out the box to make sure nobody else had moved in.

Not Even The Chickadees

The most surprising discovery came the next day when I heard a bunch of young chickadees buzzing their parents in one of my trees to be fed. The formula had been for years that if the chickadees got a mind to build before the bluebirds, they would take this closest nest box. If they dawdled, the bluebirds would take it. This pattern has repeated every year for the last 5 years. Not this time.

So there you have it. Either because they couldn’t stand the pressure of competition, or because they both wanted to spoil my blog story, nobody has taken the box for the first round of babies. I’m hoping that one of them will come to their senses for the next round this year.  I’ll keep you posted on their progress.