When it comes to a Carolina Chickadee nest, Chickadee nestlings get premium bedding. The nest is built with a deep layer of soft moss, topped with grasses. As time goes on, Momma Chickadee adds piles of cotton-looking material to the nest cup. I have to say, as far as bird nests go, it looks pretty inviting!
Unfortunately, I am not the only one who feels that way. As we saw in a prior post, when Momma Chickadee did battle with a Bumble Bee in 2017, Bumble Bees also find the Chickadee nest attractive. The Bumble Bee was back this week -- rooting around through the grass and cotton. A confrontation has been avoided, so far, but the spring is young.
The Bumble Bee was not my only "Oh, no!" moment these past few days. Spring has also brought some heavy rains, and when I logged into the cameras the morning of 25 March, the glistening of water piling up in the Chickadee nest cup was distinct. Off I went to blot the nest cup dry, then tie a plastic bag over the roof. I watched to make sure Momma would return. She did. Once things dried out, silicone caulk replaced the bag. More watching -- to make sure no birds got stuck in the drying-silicone. They didn't.
Chickadee Nest Feature Video
The feature video shows us one more advantage to "premium bedding". Chickadees like to cover their eggs before leaving the nest and having fluffs of material to kick around makes the covering easier. (In the photos in this post, the eggs are there -- how many eggs, we don't know yet.)