Over the years I’ve noticed that nesting females tend to “spin” in advance of laying eggs (because they are labour which is comfortable?) and in the day, maybe two before eggs start hatching (because they are helping the chicks tap their way out?). These images were taken of Ella today over a period of just over an hour.
And how do we know hatching is imminent, besides being able to count how many days Ella & Pip have been incubating? Ella gets very bored incubating so she trades off with her mates very often and for long periods of time. Right now she is monopolizing the incubation – Pip’s only had one shift on the chicks today. Dead giveaway especially when she “spins”.