You remember those little nuthatch hatchlings I showed you last week? That was not the beginning of the story of course. Here are some great tit eggs. The mother has been laying them day by day, allowing them to get cold as she disappears to feed. Then, when she’s laid the lot, she starts to incubate them. They warm up as her body covers them, and lo! They hatch at pretty much the same time as each other. Will they all make it to leaving-the-nest stage? That is another story …
Monday Portrait
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
I’m in awe of how much effort the adult birds put into raising their chicks only to have so many of them perish. Some, as you say, not even making it out of the egg. Currently we have fledglings galore which is wonderful.
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I hope there are enough insects for them. That’s been a big issue here, but the changing weather seems to be putting that right. Hooray for the fledglings!
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That looks very cosy. I hope they all make in but I imagine there’s an evolutionary insurance policy in having so many. I finally saw some ducklings yesterday. They’ve been a rarity over recent years.
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I had to grind to a halt in our village the other day because three families of goslings were crossing the main road simultaneously. Two lots one way, one the other. Greylag geese are intent on world domination here. 3 sets of adults produced 27 goslings, all of whom are prospering.
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Blimey! The swan population has expanded a great deal here over the past decade. I spotted a family of seven cygnets last time I walked up the canal.
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I hope the majority make it at least, after she’s gone to so much trouble. Is Dad anywhere to be seen?
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As soon as the eggs hatch, he’ll be equally present on grocery shopping!
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I hope so 🙏
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What a brilliant ‘First part of the story’ portrait, Margaret! A lot of told stories don’t start right at the beginning…
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Well, this is the very first chapter. I could have gone back to nest building I suppose. But that’s … beyond my pay grade.
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Quite, I imagine that would take quite a bit of effort following those little birds around collecting whatever they collect!
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I’ll leave that to someone else!
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isn’t nature wonderful? A counterintuitive story – I would have assumed leaving the eggs to get cold would be certain death, but seems not!
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Apparently they go into suspended animation, and action kicks in only as the female starts sitting to begin the incubation process. That way they all hatch together. Makes sense I guess!
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I thought like Anabel, but nature always knows best. Fingers crossed for them, Margaret xx
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So wonderful to see the tiny ones. What a survival game they will have until they mate and hatch eggs.
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Indeed. So many eggs don’t result in that same number achieving maturity.
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Your post and the comments thread are delightful. Seems that leaving the eggs cool is like banking fertilized eggs for IVF!
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I hadn’t thought of that! Fair point!
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That’s great Margaret, the story really does begin there.
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Well, not quite. There’s a small matter of meeting and building the nest, but that’s beyond my pay grade!
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Really interesting re the incubation of the eggs. And what a lovely mossy – or is it ferny? – nest.
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Mainly moss, but fern, feathers, deer hair …
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As in a fairytale!
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Of course!
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