Cobb Island: mobile eyases

This Cobb-cutie has gone exploring the outside world. Sitting on teh ledge in the mild sunshine. Way to go girl!

Cobb Island: 20 days old already

Cobb Island: growing very fast

The lens is a bit blury, but nevertheless we can see them . Yesterday it was impossible to catch them, and seeing them today: how they've grown in just one day! 18 days old they are now, with very big feet.

Cobb island: 16 days old

Flat out, they are spending their day flat out. It is very warm on Cobb Island. So the eyases are flat with legs stretched and panting to cool off.

Cobb Island: 15 days old

The Cobb eyases are 15 days old. And very well fed. Look at the big crops, full of food. In the front part of the neck the crop (or ingluvies) is found. It is actually an outpouching of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Many people think that all birds have a crop, but some do not, including the gull and penguin. The crop, in eyases, is very large, and shrinks down as the eyas grws older.
The crop should always be well filled. The eyases need a constant supply of nutrients, so the parents feed the little ones several times a day.

Cobb Island eyases

Cocc Island: cuties

The Cobb eyases are 13 days old and they have reallu grown. With full crops constantly growing is easy.
Look at the eyas wandering off. Got a mind of her own, now has she. And has already started exploring. I saw exactly the same thing yesterday in De Mortel with an eyas the same age. They do this as soon as they are able too. Eager to grow up, eager to fly, do the things they where born to be.
Watching all these scrapes there are always those eyases, it is almost as if they are impatient. Can hardly wait for their body to be grown so they can take off, exploring the sky, diving and bombing pigeons. These eager ones are the born flyers, they take off and scream for joy when they do. They tumble and fall, gain height again just can't get enough.

Cobb Island: 11 days old

Cobb Island: 10 days old

Cobb Island

Cobb Island

Cobb Island: 7 days old

How qute and sweet are these 3 eyases. Being offered delicious food to grow into bid, healty and strong raptors. The 4 th egg is still around, as if it should participate in the food ritual. But the embryo inside did never really start it's existance.



Remember this image from MaRCH 17. This egg is covered in droppings. That's the end of it. There are many infectious organisms that can be transferred from the female to the egg that may cause the egg to die. In some cases, the infectious organism may infect the egg, yet the embryo may continue developing, and may even hatch, carrying the organism at hatch time. If an organism is passed from an infected female directly into an egg, and then into the developing embryo, this is called vertical transmission. The term vertical transmission is also used to describe transmission of an infectious agent from a parent to an egg during fertilization, during egg development in the oviduct of the female or immediately after oviposition.

Once the egg is laid, some infectious organisms can pass through the eggshell upon contact with contaminated feces, urates or bedding. This is also considered vertical transmission if infection occurs immediately after laying. Some organisms are transmitted from the ovary to the egg, and this is called transovarian transmission. Infectious organisms harbored in the oviduct can also be passed into the egg prior to the shell being formed. Some organisms can infect eggs if contents from the cloaca contaminate the surface of the eggs, and then penetrate the egg. The other method of transmission of infectious organisms is by horizontal transmission. Some ways that horizontal transmission occurs are by preening, inhalation, copulation, insect or animal bites, ingestion, contact with contaminated equipment or fighting.

It seems obvious that prior to the egg membranes and shell being applied to it, the egg would be susceptible to infection by numerous infectious organisms. Even though the eggshell appears solid, it contains microscopic pores that can allow liquids and organisms of small enough size into the egg. The pores allow the transfer of gasses, as well.

All these things can be the reason as well of the tragedy at the VAFalcon Richmond nestsite.

Cobb Island: so sweet!

Three very cute eyases. One is the boss, it's obvious. The third egg has not hatched and will not either. Remember when the eggs where laid, one of them got droppings all over it. That means great danger of infection. And apparently it did get infected. The embryo will not develop and so the egg becomes not vaible.

Cobb: feeding

Cobb Island: 2 eyases

From the 4 eggs two have hatched until now. Two very sweet eyases are being fed by mom while dad stands watch. Wonder when the other 2 will hatch. And is they will. Remember how one of the eggs was covered in droppings. So maybe it got infected. Just have to wait and see

Cobb Island: 2 eyases!

Today 2 eggs hatched in the nestbox of CobbIsland. Look how sweet they are, these two eyases. Very well being taken care of by both parents.

Welcome sweet ones, we are so happy you are finally here.

Cobb Island: first hatch!

We have a first hatch in Cobb Island and the second eyas has been born as well already!

We have a real baby-boom on our hands. Can hardly keep up the pase.....

Cobb Island

Cobb Island

A few days left before hatching starts here at Cobb Island.!! Estmated hatchday will be Tuesday.

Cobb Island

Only a few days left. Next Tuesday will probably be first hatch here in Cobb Island.