Well, it looks as though both Rosie and Donna have started incubating. But before we bring you up to date with these two nests, I thought I would have a look to see if anything is happening with Della's old nest in Box2.
A rather sad fact emerged. Every day, Sam, and I guess it must be he, comes back to the nest box and has a quick look inside.
He doesn't go into the box ...
... but I presume he is calling as well as looking ...
... but sadly ...
... he gets no reply, the box is still empty (apart from probably two eggs).
He has missed but one day since Della disappeared, and he never comes back to look more than once each day.
I wonder if he knows why he does this?
And now to more cheerful news!
Rosie has been laying 1 egg each day since she laid her first egg on Saturday 24th April. She laid her seventh egg this morning.
At about midday yesterday, she started to incubate them so I don't expect she will lay any more. She could lay just one more tomorrow morning, but I hope not, as the youngster that hatches from such a last egg would be one day younger than the rest and so would be unlikely to thrive.
We'll have to wait and see.
Donna started laying the day before Rosie. She has also been much more secretive about her eggs, making sure they are covered whenever she leaves the nest.
This afternoon, she looked as though she too was starting to incubate. As is common in this type of situation, once a hen starts to incubate, she becomes much less careful about covering the eggs when she leaves the nest.
This is the first time we have seen any of Donna's eggs since the first one was laid. One each day since Friday 23rd would imply Donna now had 8 eggs and I think you can make out 8 eggs here.
Just a short sequence from today's pictures of Will and Rosie in Box3.
Rosie comes in from a short while outside. The first thing she does, of course, is to check the eggs are still OK.
She looks up. Presumably she hears Will outside.
Interestingly, she has some nesting material in her beak. Will must be about to interrupt some important work!
In comes Will ...
... with some food for her. It looks like a mealworm he has in his beak.
But Rosie has just been outside herself and presumably has just already eaten.
Another mealworm is nowhere near as important as this piece of bedding!
Will is affronted by her lack of interest in his offering.
Rosie gets back to her housekeeping.
Will's had enough.
"If she doesn't want it, there are plenty out there who do!"
Will turns to go, the mealworm still in his beak.
"Where's he off to now? Was it something I said?"
Poor Will. I hope he enjoyed eating the mealworm himself!