Excavation

I was photographing a pair of chickadees and was wondering why they were staying at a single tree for such a long amount of time. When the female flew into a cavity in this red alder, it all started to make sense. The female chickadee was considering this as a potential nesting site!

Chickadees are cavity nesters. They may excavate their own nests or use cavities previously excavated by woodpeckers. Nevertheless, it is habitual for them to remove wood shavings, even if the "cavity" is already complete (as in nest boxes). This female chickadee is doing just that.

I really hope this pair will settle down in this nesting. However, when I returned to the site later that evening, the chickadees were nowhere in sight. Perhaps they will return later after considering other nesting sites. Wherever they are, I hope they will raise a successful brood.

Done