Chickadees rule

The common house sparrows have been nesting in this box on the shed for a few decades now, raising several broods each year.  I've never cleaned it out like you're supposed to, and it sits directly in the afternoon sun. Hot and dirty, but sparrows aren't fussy.  They're also aggressive and have always claimed that territory.

When it comes to competition among cavity nesting birds, pretty much everyone kicks chickadees out, including bumblebees. So it was a surprise this spring to see them hanging around the sparrow's corner of the yard, noisily courting in the plum tree and checking out the old box.   Not a sparrow in sight.  I did a little research, and apparently this is quite unusual, although chickadees will sometime build on top of other bird's nests, like this Black-capped Chickadee nest on top of a Tree Swallow nest.

What else is unusual this week?  No rain in the forecast, and 80 degrees plus promised for Thursday.  We'll believe it when we see it!