Part IV: Think like a Chickadee
My pipe nestbox built, I'm ready to install it in the backyard in the hope of attracting a pair of chickadees to nest in it.
I want to site it in such a way that it has the best chance of occupation of course. But what do we know about how a chickadee selects a nest site? Is the tree it is in important, the height it's at, proximity to food sources, or the suitability of the wood chips inside? Perhaps none of these, perhaps all!
We don't know how a chickadee individual selects a nest site, but we can look at the attributes of chickadee nests in the wild, and also the successful sites. Perhaps we can try to emulate some of the key attributes when we place our box in the hope that these are important in the bird's selection.
A study of bluebird nestboxes showed that boxes with an easterly orientation had the best nesting success. It is thought that nestholes that orient east warm up quicker in the morning, but do not overheat in the afternoon. While the direction of sun into hole might be important for chick survival in bluebirds which nest in the open, it may be less of a factor for my chickadees which live in woodland habitat which is shaded for much of the day.
I decide on a pragmatic course of action. I have selected a Norway maple at the back of the yard in clear view of the back window. I have installed the box about two metres up the trunk facing in an easterly direction so that it gets some early morning warming from the sun.
Now it's wait and watch.
How do I identify Chickadees?