Towheeblog

A pair of Black-capped Chickadees are feeding young right now.  Their nestlings are deep inside one of our old cherry trees.  It long ago lost a large limb, that barkless wound is now partially rotted out and has been further hollowed by woodpeckers.  There these chickadees have placed their nest on a shelf deep in the cavity where I can’t see it. Here are some pictures of the Chickadults at the nest, includung a shot of one carrying away waste material…cleaning up the nursery.

This complex cavity is like a two-story house with basement. The chickadults always enter the narrow hole at the uppr left (white dot) like climbing in from the balcony. They then descend to the basement level where the nest is. They usually exit at the front door (golden dot) after ascending from the nest below the bottom of the large hole. It was two months ago when I first saw a chickadee checking this cherry tree’s innards–likely one of this pair.

Likely the feeding begins at dawn. Very intense mid-day. Seems to stop well before sunset…maybe by 6PM? The adults don’t travel far, finding tidbits in nearby trees, only made a couple trips to a feeder tray with sunflower seeds which is about twelve feet from the nest entrance(s). Will do more investigating tomorrow…what are they finding?

954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
May 22, 2022
23 species

Wild Turkey  X
Eurasian Collared-Dove  X
Mourning Dove  X
Red-breasted Sapsucker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Steller’s Jay  1
California Scrub-Jay  1
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2     feeding young in nest hole in one of our cherry trees
Bushtit  X
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Cedar Waxwing  1
House Finch  2
Pine Siskin  1
Lesser Goldfinch  2
American Goldfinch  2
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Song Sparrow  1
Spotted Towhee  1
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Wilson’s Warbler  1
Black-headed Grosbeak  2     plenty of singing today