The team are off to The Gambia on 7/1/2014 and Tim's latest Blog gives all the details. Watch this space.
Birdies LG DU update.
Tiger - 2007 that was the year EJ laid seven eggs 4 + 3.
Do you think the second clutch with Henry were weak and that is why the chicks died within a day or two or in the shell.
That is what worried me whether a second clutch at Manton would be viable having laid three already - dont know how much this takes out of the breeding female.
Unknown said: Tiger - 2007 that was the year EJ laid seven eggs 4 + 3. Do you think the second clutch with Henry were weak and that is why the chicks died within a day or two or in the shell. That is what worried me whether a second clutch at Manton would be viable having laid three already - dont know how much this takes out of the breeding female.
Yes 2007 was the year EJ laid seven eggs 4+3
Well part of the reason why the chicks from the second clutch were weak was that they hatched very fast. I think the first egg of the second clutch hatched on 34 days and the second egg on 33 days.
I guess something is going to happen in the next few days.
Tiger Signature
I suppose there may be an issue regarding the strength of the reproduction capability of the male if he had had a difficult journey home, as may have been the case with Henry at least once? With a young male returning at the usual time, perhaps not?
Maybe the first egg was never going to hatch it arrived very strangely so quickly after mating with 28.. Would that mean she may have the strength, nutrition etc etc to lay again should 33/11 become a mate.
As TIGER says - I guess something is going to happen in the next few days.
Rather than speculate I will just wait and see what happens - at some stage if no male provides for the Manton Bay female she will just abandon the eggs and look after her self first.
Is this not the bird who burried an egg one year.
Also many a bird has rejected another initially then after a few days accepted them as a mate - so many permutations here.
I dread looking in here and indeed poor Maya is already quivering her wings and screaming
Good morning Patily.What a shame if this nest does fail.
Bit late but morning MIKE I am SO sad about this nest
Really brings home the consequences of any change.Worse possible scenario with the non return of steady, reliable 5R Then we were buoyed up by a new seemigly new partnership and now this. Unless 33 gives up and 28 gets his act together smartly I don't see how these eggs are going to "make it"
At the moment Maya seems to being left in peace but she must be absolutely starving
At some stage The Manton Bay Female unless provided with a fish will leave this nest and go and fish for her self. Now that in itself could leave the nest and eggs under threat if they are not already so.
I think if I was 33(11) and wanting this nest I would be offering fish at this stage and just maybe a starving female may accept.
I do think over the weekend we will get some form of solution (Good or Bad) amongst all the permutations - a stand off will not go on for ever.
Maybe 28 (10) is around in the bay - does anyone know.