Eemsmond: eggs removed.

On March 12 the Eemsmond female laid her first egg. On March 15, 17 and 19 she laid the eggs 2, 3 and 4. She started breeding after she had laid the 3th egg. The first days of breeding where in cold and snowy wheather. But they where sheltered by a warm nestbox. 33 days after she started breeding the first egg should have hatched, that was around April 20. Everywhere in the Netherlands eggs hatched around that date, but not in Eemsmond.
First we thought, give her a few days more, but still no hatch.





If eggs don't hatch within 5-7 days after the estimated date they won't anymore.
In these cases, the couple goes on breeding. From other cases I know they leave after 40-45 days to try again somewhere else. Or just stop breeding and leave.
But not this Eemsmondcouple. They kept on breeding. And they did not seem to be bothered by the fact that something was not the way it should be. They had adjusted to this way of life, and where taking turns breeding day in and day out.





Many people have mailed me about this in the past months. How sad and pity these birds. Have asked to intervene. But please do not project your own psyche and emotions on these birds. The Peregrine falcon is one of the most intelligent birds there are. But they lack the ability to think ahead, to draw conclusions, to be aware of this being sad.
The drama in Richmond for instance was a total different thing. She saw how her eyases died, where sick, where dead in the shell. She was very very aware of the death of her eyases. And that is most stressful thing that can happen to a peregrine falcon. Broken eggs, death eyases are very disturbing and do evoke a behavioural reaction that we could almost qualify as emotions. Just recall the Richmond female. Her behaviour has made a big impression on me. It was very emotional to see her stress and greeve about what was happening with her precious eggs and eyases.




But the Eemsmond couple where not stressed one moment. They just behaved as they should when there are eggs. They seem totally relaxed.
The breeding went on and on and on. Until yesterday. The eggs where removed by the Dutch Peregrine Workgroup and will be available for scientific research.
The Eemsmond couple have broken records for sure. I have never red anywhere that a couple kept breeding for this long. It has actually been 106 days!!!