Chestnut-backed chickadee, Bewick's wren, oak titmouse, and western bluebird scouting visits tabulated
I have five nesting boxes around my house on the South Bay Peninsula. During the winter months leading up to the spring 2025 nesting season, birds of multiple species have been entering the boxes to scout for suitable nesting cavities, as revealed by cameras inside and outside the nesting boxes.
Back Tree, Back Fence, Front Tree, Neighbor, & Bluebird boxes
Spreadsheet summary of 2025 bird box activity
T = Oak titmouse visit; W = Bewick's wren visit; C = Chestnut-backed chickadee visit; B = Western bluebird visit n = nest building; r = night roosting; e = egg laying; i = incubation; f = fledging
The Back Fence box is equipped with a stereo 3-D camera. Birds have entered the box but have not used it for nesting.
In past seasons, Bewick's wrens built a partial or complete nest in the Front Tree box but did not lay any eggs in it. This species is known to claim or occupy multiple nesting cavities in the same season.
The Neighbor box was added for the 2024 season and has not yet been used for nesting.
The Bluebird box was added for the 2025 season and has not yet been used for nesting. This is a slightly larger box.
As the 2025 season progresses, I expect the birds to make more and more visits to the boxes as they decide on where to build their nests. Each species is territorial and will not allow another pair of the same species to nest nearby. However, different species could occupy multiple boxes.
