Baby Chickadees

We had a bit of excitement at our house yesterday. Norman went out to play before lunch and came running in to tell me that a tree had fallen in the side yard. (I'd heard a thump while in the shower earlier, but hadn't thought much of it.) A VERY rotten tree, maybe 20 feet tall, had toppled in a fairly light breeze and damaged the frame between the dining room windows. Ugh!


While inspecting the damage and taking a few pictures, I discovered three baby chickadees on the ground (with parent/s still around calling chick-a-dee-dee-dee from a nearby tree). Double ugh!




There must have been a nest in the tree. A quick look around confirmed my suspicion, as it was nestled into the top of the tree (along with a fourth dead baby, trapped under the bark near the nest -- triple ugh!).


I called a couple of neighbors who pointed me to Piedmont Wildlife Center, a local organization with a Rehabilitation Hospital for wildlife emergencies. The woman who answered the phone suggested I try re-nesting the birds first, and talked me through the process. I removed the nest from the tree and put it into a plastic container, then carefully placed the three babies inside. I used one of the kids' jump ropes to tie it to a fork in a nearby tree. It was a bit unnerving standing on the ladder trying to get it high enough up and yet still securely attached. Then I sat nearby and watched the nest - for an hour - to see if Mama chickadee would come to take care of her babies. She appeared within about five minutes, but I never saw her get closer than a couple of feet to the nest.

I called the wildlife emergency number again (a while later since Norman had basketball clinic). She suggested I check if the baby birds were cold or extremely hungry, both signs that they were being neglected. I put the ladder back and climbed up to the nest, figuring I'd have to give it an educated guess. The three babies were lined up in a row, all breathing, and apparently sound asleep. Mama chickadee was watching me from nearby. I decided against bringing them in for rescue for the time being, and snapped a quick picture for the kids to see.


The nest's location is visible through the dining room window, so it's easy to check on. We saw mama chickadee bringing food to the nest several times this morning, so it appears at least one baby is still alive and being cared for. Hooray!