And We Have Nestlings!

The most exciting news of the day is that GORA and ORBA’s eggs have hatched! We have our first nestlings of the season! There were at least three nestlings (they were sort of nestled together, so a fourth may have been buried underneath the others). They are about one day old. Things are going to start rolling very quickly now. In seven days we will band the nestlings, then two days after they fledge we will catch one to attach a radio transmitter, then tracking will begin!

Other nest checks today: GOAN and GPAY’s nest still has 2 eggs. OBAN and - - A-'s nest still has four eggs.


Today I observed a male singing for over 20 minutes in M3/4. His right tarsus is completely missing! I was directly under him while he was singing, and I could see him holding what was left of his right leg out for balance. Either the leg stub is too short to use to balance himself on the branch, or it is a recent injury and is too painful. It was difficult to see his left leg because he was crouched down over it, but I thought I saw an aluminum band on his left leg. I have no idea who this male could be. It would almost make sense if it were BBAG, because he has been missing for a few days, and this male was in his territory, but if I really did see an aluminum band on his left leg it couldn’t be BBAG.

In N2 I saw GABR (male) foraging in his umbrella tree. His female was nowhere to be seen.

In R10 RRAO (male) was singing, but his female was also missing. The females are all probably incubating eggs somewhere.

In M5 I saw AY- - singing, and he had both legs! This was an important observation, because now I know that the male with one leg from earlier today is not AY- -. That narrows it down a bit. A bit later I saw AY- - foraging with RRBA (female) in L7. I also saw the toeless female continuing to bring grass to her nest near the bench. These were also important observations. If BBAG is truly dead, it seems unlikely that the toeless female would continue to build her nest that she started with BBAG in mind. If AY- - and RRBA are still together we know that AY- - hasn’t paired up with the toeless female, even though he has been hanging out in BBAG’s territory. I hope we just find BBAG soon, because that would clear everything up.

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