u/ElleEyeDigital

I got the hum duo recently - was a winner of one of these contests, which was pretty cool! It comes with a hook and I found a place for it except the wind blowing will turn on the camera. There is no option to change sensitivity. Customer service said it is meant to be sensitive because it is for hummingbirds.

I’m wondering where I should put it where it wouldn’t trip up the camera unless there was an actual bird.

Do you have one? Where is yours? Send pics!

This may sound silly to some people, but I’m wondering if others relate.

I put up a nest box (Birdfy Nest Duo) in mid March. For two weeks, nothing. Then I started getting visits from a Black-capped Chickadee around April 11, with several visits over a couple weeks… and now it seems like they may have chosen somewhere else.

And wow… I’m surprisingly disappointed.

On one level, I know, of course, that’s nature. Birds make choices. It’s fine.

But on another level, I realized how much hope I had wrapped up in the idea of a bird choosing the little home I set up for them.

It feels so different from my feeder, which is kind of a snack bar and much lower stakes. A nest box feels emotional somehow. There’s hope, attachment, even life-and-death feelings tied up in it. I actually wondered before buying it whether I could handle getting attached to what happens (or doesn’t happen) in a nest.

Part of my fear now is: what if nobody nests in it at all? What if I got it wrong? What if I wasted money and energy? Maybe there’s even some insecurity in there because I’m new to this.

I’m also overwhelmed by how much conflicting advice there is. Face east. No southeast is fine. This species wants this height, that species wants another. Add shavings. Don’t add shavings. Put it here, not there.

I’m learning as I go, but sometimes it feels confusing, and then I see people posting active nests already and I catch myself feeling… jealous? Which is funny, but true.

Has anyone else felt weirdly emotional about nest boxes? Did you have a first season where nothing happened and later it worked out?

Also, did connecting with local birders help you dial things in? I’m even wondering if I should talk to local bird people for more region-specific advice, or maybe add a small water feature since birds are looking for resources.

Mostly I guess I’m asking:

- Has anyone else gotten unexpectedly attached to whether birds “choose” your box?

- Did your first year involve trial and error?

- How did you deal with the disappointment (or the obsession 😅)?

Would love to hear from people who’ve been through this.