Rfalconcam Forum

Since many watchers have reported seeing a pip in the egg yesterday (it shows clearly in a shot of the second hatching) I am beginning to wonder if this egg is viable.  Shouldn't it have hatched by now? I am probably not alone in this concern.

I did a little research this morning and the following image is enlarged from the main camera and taken this morning.  Look at the very bottom of the egg just above the edge of the nest box.  See the indentation - it appears as if a pebble is sticking into the margin of the egg.  At what point do we concede failure on this egg and if it hatches too much later, what are the eyas chances competing with the others who will have a substantial head start?

I have seen eggs hatch several days after the others and I have seen pip to hatch of 36+ hours.  Not often, but it does happen.  Beauty will be the best judge...she will stop incubating it and push it to the side.  A very late hatch generally does just fine...it takes a while, but eventually catches up.  In their 5-egg years M&K would often have one last hatch long after the first and the last always did fine.

I think that the odd thing this year was having two eggs hatch on the same day.  I don't remember that happening before, though it may have.  What I can remember are lots of (what seemed like) endless waits between hatches in the past.  The biggest problem with late hatches seemed to be assigning a sex at the time of banding as that is done on size.  In times of stress, the smaller/younger chick might be sacrificed (Remember the year that Mariah was injured and Kaver had responsibility for everyone?) but that would not seem to be a threat at this point.
Kapi in VT

Kapi's right...2 hatching the same day is more uncommon than several days between. 

I just went over all the pics of the exposed egg from today and I don't personally see a pip yet...only time will tell.

I'm wondering whether all Beauty's pebble pecking might be attempts to deepen the scrape so that it is easier to brood both eyases and the remaining egg?  It looks to me as though she moves pebbles toward where the rim of the scrape would be.

We got a good view of the third egg with a big pip and what looked like a beak poking out at 10:59 AM today; check the archive for Camera 2 at that time.  Certainly Beauty is acting as though she thinks that egg is viable!  She was struggling mightily to keep the egg and both wiggly eyases covered.

 :yes: I agree. I thought she was building up the scrape to keep them in better.     ;)

Just now, a really good look at the egg;  the pip certinly seems larger! 

Unfortunately, I think that's just a feather.
(http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/MainCamera_LowRes/20100520/MainCamera_LowRes_20100520-114500.jpg) (http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/MainCamera/20100520/MainCamera_20100520-114500.jpg)

I think it's just a feather too.  Maybe there is a pip underneath the feather.

One thing one must remember is that this is Archer and Beauty's first year with eggs.  In 2002, when it was Kaver's first year with Mariah, 4 eggs were laid and only 2 hatched (one of them was Freedom, Archer's dad!).  Non-viable eggs during the first nesting (or even the 5th year) of a pair is not an uncommon occurrance.

 :wave:

Re: multi-hatches - Buffalo's UB nest hatched all three eggs on 5/4 this year, 40 days after incubation began. 

Just watched breakfast (there is a foot left over), 2 babies now under beauty, but I can't find/see the egg.  Did I miss something overnight  ??? 

I don't see it either.  I guess it wasn't good after all.  That's OK...2 babies for this new couple is enough!

Agreed, Ei!  I think Archer would have a cow if a third fluffball showed up.  Give these 2 time to learn the parenting thing. 

Anyone gone through the archive to determine when it disappeared?

I was just trying to post this in another thread...

I ran through the archive for the night and I think Beauty took the egg out around 5 this morning. The last time I saw it was 11:19 (though that might have been a baby butt on further review).  The rest of the night she slept soundly head under wing except for a quick turn around 3 and 4.  It's real blurry, but it appears the egg might still be there by her feet when Beauty gets up at 5.  Then she leaves & comes back quickly.

(http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/MainCamera_LowRes/20100521/MainCamera_LowRes_20100521-050100.jpg) (http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/MainCamera/20100521/MainCamera_20100521-050100.jpg)

It's gone when she feeds the eyases at 5:20

(http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/Camera2_LowRes/20100521/Camera2_LowRes_20100521-052200.jpg) (http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/Camera2/20100521/Camera2_20100521-052200.jpg)

(http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/Camera2_LowRes/20100521/Camera2_LowRes_20100521-050000.jpg) (http://rfalconcam.com/gallery/processed/Camera2/20100521/Camera2_20100521-050000.jpg) Wow, i was posting the same time..egg gone here....Beauty left at 5

I missed it live by about 3 minutes!