At long last there is something to report. Greta's eggs have started hatching!
Elizabeth suspected that Greta's eggs might start hatching today, so we left the computer on all night and set the lights to come on at 6.30am.
Greta was up and about at 6.12am so we didn't disturb her slumbers!
However, we had no luck and this image, which was taken at about 6.55am, shows all the eggs still intact.
Gustaf was around too - a good sign. We have not seen much of him lately.
But what's Greta fussing over here? This is the first shot of an egg hatching this season. At this stage, the chick is still in the bottom half of the egg shell, which can be just seen to the left of Greta.
Greta picks up the top half of the egg shell ...
... and eats it!
Presumably, this is a good way of helping to replace the calcium used when making the eggs.
This rather bizarrely, reminds me of my mother's cat when I was a child. She produced many litters of kittens (usually 2 or 3 a year!) and each time she ate the afterbirth afterwards. My mother pointed out the benefits of this to the cat's health as well as the hygienic benefits.
This is the other half of the egg shell, and it gets the same treatment.
Our first chick of the season!
Greta has just left the nest for the first time since it hatched. But where is Gustaf when he is most wanted?
Well, he is still around as this picture shows. I wonder if he knows what he has let himself in for over the next few weeks!
I don't think Gustaf is very quick to realise his role in all this. This is Greta who is returning with some food for her chick.
When Gustaf does come, he brings something far too big to feed to the chick.
This is even worse - it is an enormous caterpillar. At least he is trying though. Perhaps he is a first time father!
This is the same grub - is it a leatherjacket?
Greta ends up eating it herself though, so it's not all bad!
It is now a quarter past eleven and there is still only one chick.