Saturday, March 15, 2008

Cobb Island



It's such a gift to be able to watch these special creatures during their reproductionproces, watch their behaviour. Compare it. It's everywhere the same. Standing with her egg(s) in front of her. Keeping it warm, leaving it for a short while. No incubating yet.
Yesterday the beautiful Cobb Island Falcon laid her first egg. After that we saw how the male came in to see the egg and get familiair with his first eyas to be. That's perfectly normal behaviour. The male always stays close to the female during the proces of laying. But never inside the nestbox, but outside on the ledge. Last year I watched Ma of De Mortel lay her first egg. It was cold and in was raining cats and dogs. The wind was blowing round the Tower. But Pa, Super Pa, he stayed with her. Sitting on the ledge in front of the box in the pouring rain. Never left. She was in labour and was eechupping to him, he was wailing back. It moved me to see the bond between them. After the egg is laid the female shakes her feathers and moves on the egg, but she stays in place for about 30 minutes. Then she makes way for him.
Buckeye of the Terminal Tower has been watched while he came in the nest after SW laid her egg. he touched the egg with his bill and then he moved his tongue over the egg, to taste it. Isn't that fantastic, how the male peregrine bonds to the eggs! Yesterday on Cobb Island we saw the male come in as well to celebrate the first egg! In between egglaying the female is indeed pooped out. Well yes she is tired, lethargic and stays in the nest most of the time. Sleeping. The male takes care of good food for her , so she's able to produce all the eggs. Eyases is a matter of both parents from the very first beginning until fledge.

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