!!! Confirmed - one egg!
April 02, 2010 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With much debate over the last 24 hours, (due in part to bad lighting conditions and shadows), trying to decide if there was an egg in the nest box,, Linda was able to capture some good photos of the MEC nest box with one of the adults (believed to be the resident male) holding on to the single egg that was layed yesterday. Today, it appears that the birds are actually doing some incubating - (but not full time as yet). We suspect that given the much warmer temps., (and humidity we’re experiencing), as well as this being only the first egg, the adults will not be on the egg full time yet.
Typically the female will not start her full time incubation (or full time cooking as we say) until the second last egg is produced. This is also to ensure that the eggs will all start to hatch around the same time. Of course much depends on the fertilization / copulation with the male.
With colder temps., the adults will spend much more time on the egg(s) to prevent them from getting too cold.
We are being by our weather man that we are going to see 25 plus degree temps., for the next several days so we don’t expect to see the adults on the egg(s) full time cooking during this short heat wave.
We are hopeful that the new female at MEC (who ever she may be) will continue with her egg production and we’ll be seeing more eggs over the next few days.
It is worth noting that territorial battles have been ongoing over the past three weeks at the MEC with two adult females squabbling over the nest site and territory.
The poor little adult male has been trying to stay clear and distant of all of the fighting and has been trying to convince a female (any female) into the nest box. Its been quite funny to see him trying to keep the piece and stay focussed on the what he feels is the task at hand (courtship and copulation), as he’s been very stressed throughout the entire period.
Most of the recent observations have been of the adult male in the nest box with the single egg, as it would appear that he is so happy to finally see a victor and an egg, he’s been beside himself!
In the photos that Linda was able to snap today, this poor little guy appears to be holding onto the single egg for all he’s worth!
Stay tuned……….
