Mistle Thrush Update - with pics

[jacey]

So Mrs Mistle Thrush laid one egg per day from Monday to Friday. You've seen the other pics - this is the full nest.












And on the sixth day she rested...













Then last Friday... four chicks (count the beaks). I wondered whether the chicks hatched a day apart since the eggs were laid a day apart, but it seems that four is all there is. Anyone know what happened to the other egg? Does it get eaten if it doen't hatch? There's no sign of it having been tossed out of the nest.









So now both Mum and Dad are on feeding duty













Only four days and already the chicks are much bigger, but now there are only three in the nest. Is this Darwin in action? When Mum comes back with grub they are already leaping up to compete for it, their yellow beaks open as wide as their head and red throats offering an excellent target for either Mum or Dad with a spare worm. Eating machines.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

These are such wonderful photos!

[charlieallery.livejournal.com]

Excellent photos.

Not being a bird expert but my best guesses are - the eggs may have been laid a day apart but would have been fertilised from a single mating and thus one assumes were not fertilised a day apart, but all at the same time, so they're basically all the same ages, which is why they all hatch together.

I suspect the delay comes as the egg shell is formed, as 5 hard eggs all jostling for position inside mum would be very uncomfortable and awkward. So each one hardens in turn and is laid, but they're all really the same age.

What happened to the other egg probably depends on if it got snitched or didn't hatch. If it didn't hatch then yes, I'd expect it to be pushed out of the nest to make room. But whether you find anything depends on how much other wildlife is around as small rodents and some birds will be very pleased with a free meal, so it won't lie around for long.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Great pics.

I've always had a soft spot for the thrush family- wonderful songsters, so they are. :o)

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

This is fascinating to read and see: thank you!

Bird pics

[lizcounihan.livejournal.com]

These pictures are wonderful!