Six Carolina Chickadees about to hatch

On April 3, a good deal of activity was stirring at a Carolina Chickadee nest in Freeport, as six new eggs are about to hatch.

Both Chickadee parents were close by as Joe Wyatt, naturalist at Hammock Bay checked the bird box for its progress. As Joe approached the box, the female chickadee flew out of the nest and perched herself on a nearby tree branch and chirped in discontent for the intrusion.

The nest is located in one of the nature areas at Hammock Bay in Freeport, Florida. Mostly occupied by bluebirds, the pair of Chickadees decided to take up residence in a bird box near the Choctawhatchee bay.

Joe has been involved in a bluebird monitoring project for two years. There are more than 55 bird boxes located throughout the residential neighborhoods of Hammock Bay. The success of Joe’s monitoring program has been good. In 2009, the program had more than 300 bluebird fledglings.

Interested in learning more? Take a walk with Joe along one of the nature trails at Hammock Bay.

A walk with nature
Location: Hammock Bay, meet at the Lake Club House
9:00 a.m. the first Saturday of each month
Walk takes approx. 1-2 hrs.
For more information, contact Joe at 850-496-1864 or via email at: jwyattnwd@aol.com