Birds in New Jersey 2017
8 May 2017
The chickadees have returned, and have added a lot of new nesting material. A thick pad of moss (up to about 65mm or 2.5" deep), and then day by day they are adding fluffy material, possibly dog fur.
10 May 2017
It's possible that the chickadee mom has begun laying her eggs, and is keeping them hidden, until the clutch is complete.
11 May 2017
16 May 2017
That's what Mrs. Chickadee has been doing: laying one every day, and hiding them under layers of insulation until they're all ready for brooding. Finally we saw evidence: one egg visible.
17 May 2017
Suddenly, six eggs seemed to magically appear the next day.
18 May 2017
Seven visible the next day; it's likely she's started to brood them.
Skip ahead to June; six babies survived, and one fledged >>
Back to the house sparrow nest story >>