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The first egg of this box's clutch was laid! The parents haven't extensively decorated with feathers as we usually see with other boxes. A second year female was spotted on top of the box, so she may not be the best at making nests yet.

This box has a clutch of 6 eggs! They also added some more feathers to keep their chicks warm once they've hatched, which is predicted to happen June 11th! 

The eggs were found on June 16th (and day 19 of incubation) with the first sign of hatching chicks! Small cracks can be seen in the red circles where the hatchlings are just beginning to poke through.

On the 17th 5 of the 6 eggs have fully hatched, and one of their parents was also found in the box. If you look closely, you're able to see the band on her right leg!

Both parents were caught! Our female hatched last year, which can be ascertained by her brown plumage. This will be her first clutch of eggs! Our male was newly banded as an adult as of last year, so he's at least three years old. The box he was caught in last year is on the other side of Creamer's Field.

Female

Female

All 5 chicks were banded today! They're all very healthy, both parents are doing a great job of taking care of them! They'll be ready to fledge in just a week or so. 

The measurements being taken below are the length of their wings and mass. We also measure the length of their beaks, and the longest primary feather that has broken from the wax sheath.