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June 27 - Empty Nest
June 27 - Empty Nest
After the 11 days-old banding time passes, the time for fledging—leaving the nest—approaches. The chicks, now as large as their parents and almost fully covered with feathers, will go on practice flights with their parents before saying goodbye to the nest for good. On the right is the empty nest after all the birds have fledged—a date that we record and keep track of every year.
June 20 - Chick Banding Day
June 20 - Chick Banding Day
On the 11th day after the hatched chicks were first found, we take out the chicks from their nests, taking a set of measurements and placing a band around their hardening leg. The bands, simple metal rings, each have a unique nine-digit number that can be used to recognize the bird if found again and matches to the data we record.
June 19 - 10 Days After hatching
June 19 - 10 Days After hatching
Clearly, the chicks have seen intense growth. Though still far from their beautiful, vibrant adult plumage, grayish feathers have sprouted to cover their bald bodies, and the nest is much more crowded than when they first hatched.
June 9 - Hatch Day!
June 9 - Hatch Day!
Following an approximately 14-day long incubation period, the eggs have hatched!—all but one. Sadly, one of the eggs did not make it; however, the other five chicks are alive and well and all piled up in the picture.
June 4 - All Eggs Laid
June 4 - All Eggs Laid
After weeks of nest-building using strands of dead grass and feathers picked up in the field, the parents have filled the nest with eggs, adding one each day to end up at a grand total of six. The six eggs are shown to the left uncovered in the absence of the mother, who begins incubating at the penultimate egg and so has already begun by this time.
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