Has brooding begun??

[brobeta]

Looks as if they might be starting brooding. Could this mean we're done w/ egg laying? For a young inexperienced pair this may not be a bad thing - just two eggs - mother nature's way.  Archer especially seems eager!

[Carol P.]

Looks as if they might be starting brooding. Could this mean we're done w/ egg laying? For a young inexperienced pair this may not be a bad thing - just two eggs - mother nature's way.  Archer especially seems eager!

Could be Brobeta and congrats on your first post.   

I think if Beauty is going to lay a 3rd egg, it will be today.  But, two is good!

[Bobbie Ireland]

I really must get back to work around here... but it will be difficult til I know whether "we" are into Brooding Mode or not! Yes, two youngsters would be good this year for our Young Lovers... with M&K in their DNA, they have a lot to live up to... but they have time! (I, however, do not...)

[Dumpsterkitty]

I think not yet since Beauty wasn't really on the eggs much last night.  Once hard incubation starts there will be very little time with the eggs uncovered...time for a quick snack at most, but usually just enough time to switch parent.  And hard incubation usually starts with the next to last egg.  So, assuming she lays another today, we could still have a 4th egg.  Only time will tell.

[Joyce]

Incubation and Brooding - as Ei said, incubation usually starts with the next-to-the-last egg. The normal clutch for peregrines is 4 eggs, and may be less for new parents. Development of the first eggs doesn't start (even though they are laid earlier) until proper, consistent temperature begins. The reason they wait until egg laying is nearly finished is so the eggs will hatch close together time-wise.

Check out the article in Imprints archive April 2007:  Incubation – Turning Eggs into Eyases for additional information.

~Joyce

[ezsha]

It seems Beauty is spending more time there, although she did take a break from 1:22 to 1:39... Just recovering from laying an egg, or is there such a thing as brooding lite?

[Dumpsterkitty]

It seems Beauty is spending more time there, although she did take a break from 1:22 to 1:39... Just recovering from laying an egg, or is there such a thing as brooding lite?

Figuring out when hard incubation begins is usually a look-back exercise...if that 15 minutes is the longest at one time in the next 24-36 hours we'd be fairly safe in assuming hard incubation has started.

[Dumpsterkitty]

It seems Beauty is spending more time there, although she did take a break from 1:22 to 1:39... Just recovering from laying an egg, or is there such a thing as brooding lite?

Figuring out when hard incubation begins is usually a look-back exercise...if that 15 minutes is the longest at one time in the next 24-36 hours we'd be fairly safe in assuming hard incubation has started.

Sneaking posts in while at work has it's difficulties...hit post before I meant to...

But even if all signs point to the real deal we could be wrong...they've fooled us before.  Just have to trust their instincts.

[cyclones14]

Looks like it....has been there most the day..