At the Eemsmond nestsite things are not going the way they should. The eggs should have hatched on the 24th of April, give or take 2 days. The eggs are overdue.
They are probably not viable. Both peregrines know something is wrong. This morning the male came in to check everything out. Both male and female will stay incubating until the eggs are about 45 days old. After that they will stay away more and more untill they decide that it is hopeless and will probably leave then.
By then it is to late in the season to start a second clutch.
It would be best to take the eggs out, so the pair can start again, but I'm sure that won't happen.
What is the cause, well it's hard to engage in to speculation. I do not know this couple. Last year 4 eggs where laid from which 3 hatched, and 3 juvi's fledged from this nestsite. Maybe this is a new female who has laid her first clutch. It is always very possible that the eggs are not viable in a first clutch. I cannot imagine that the eggs cooled off to much. They where very careful to keep them warm when the snow came etc. So it is not clear what is wrong.
They are probably not viable. Both peregrines know something is wrong. This morning the male came in to check everything out. Both male and female will stay incubating until the eggs are about 45 days old. After that they will stay away more and more untill they decide that it is hopeless and will probably leave then.
By then it is to late in the season to start a second clutch.
It would be best to take the eggs out, so the pair can start again, but I'm sure that won't happen.
What is the cause, well it's hard to engage in to speculation. I do not know this couple. Last year 4 eggs where laid from which 3 hatched, and 3 juvi's fledged from this nestsite. Maybe this is a new female who has laid her first clutch. It is always very possible that the eggs are not viable in a first clutch. I cannot imagine that the eggs cooled off to much. They where very careful to keep them warm when the snow came etc. So it is not clear what is wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment