Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 6:37 pm Post subject: Watching nesting, egglaying on CCTV
As mentioned in previous posts, we have a CCTV system here, mainly for security of our cars, workshop, classic cars and avairies...
We have had 1 camera set up on a nesting box
A few days after introducing a paired couple to a new flight we observed them mating about a week later, several times over 3 or 4 days, then they stopped They have been together for a couple seasons now.
10 days later we set up a CCTV camera...that was May 26th
So the mating was around the 15, 16, 17th may, and never observed any further m8ing, nore recorded any in the nest box.
Today, we recorded her laying an egg...24th June..approx 40 days from m8ing...it is all over in about a 10 to 15 secs
Which is strange, because it was my understanding the time from m8ing to egg laying according to experts is about 10 days?????
After rolling the egg around for 4 or 5 minutes, the hen then heads out to get the male, he comes in, has a quick look, then heads out.
A few minutes later he comes back in and starts feeding the female, then repeats this several times...
This is the 1st time he has feed her in the nesting box...I think, there is a lot of previous video to go over....about 25 gig on the harddrive.
Now its just a matter of recording the next couple months. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Last edited by Steptoe on Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
Thats only 5 hrs 20mins after the 1st.
1hr 20mins after dusk
The male present this time, thu had finished his pre sleep prune a few minutes before hand, and slept thru the lot. only waking up 10mins later when the female exited the nesting box for a minute or so.
At 9:11pm the male again m8s with the female, then both settle down for a good nights sleep...with the female on the eggs...
None of this is in line with what is considered the norm??? _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I already read about it that the hen starts to keep the eggs warm from the second egg (not breeding). But I didn't knew that they have such a good sight in the dark (I assume there was no lighting)
The camera is a day(colour)/night (infra red)...
it is my understanding that parrots/kakariki tend to see the blue end, like we do, except higher into the ultra violet ????
If a mutal kakariki aquance is heading over from NZ and meeting up with you in Europe, I can burn to a pile of DVDs for you.
It is mid winter here, hopefully this pair will be finished by the time the season kicks in for another pair....I will be setting up another nesting box with camera in the sideor end....Sept/Oct/ Nov/Dec period _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
11:16pm 3rd egg laid...Shortly before the male exited the nesting box then when the female had finished feed her...they then settled down for the rest of the night. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
28th June
9:11am m8ing in the nesting box
And at about 2:10am 29th (as best as I can establish) 4th egg laid
Being winter here, and just had a bit of a cold snap, in the early hrs of the night, the male has helped to bury the female and the eggs in the nesting material, just the top of her head showing.
Quote:
we have 8 eggs now and the first was layed on the 10.06.07 how long is it now till the first one hatches?
The generally accepted time is 21 days...in practice 21 to 30...
Best thing is just leave them to it, wait. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Another cold snap today, and the female buried herself and the eggs.
But for the last hr or so, she cant find them!!!
Even the male has been called in to look for them...
If kakariki loose the eggs, could this explain some infertility issues? and could buried eggs after hatching/ fledging could this also be an explaination? _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
If kakariki loose the eggs, could this explain some infertility issues? and could buried eggs after hatching/ fledging could this also be an explaination?
I have doubts about that. The only time I came across burried eggs was with an inexperienced female. When it is cold, ussually the female just sit on the eggs without incubating them. By the 4-5 egg, hormone levels come to a peak and that is the point where the 'brood spot' becomes active.
Only 4 eggs this time, this pare usually lays 5 or 6.
Over the next few days after laying the last, the hen slowly increases her Sitting time, and how often she rolls the eggs.
In the last couple days, sahe now sits almost full time, rolling eggs more frequent...
She and the male will bury when the temp drops, she is also often buried.
She also often buries them when she leaves the nest, thu this is for very short periods of only a few minutes now...This appears to be just for toilet duties as there are no sign of droppings in the nest box
The male constanly feeds her, often regurging in the middle of the night...some times even leaving the nest when the crop is mt, and toilet duties. The female never leaves the nest at night.
He also spends a lot of the time pruning the female around the head, even while she sleeps. She doesnt prune the male
Both prune them selves in the nesting box, during the day and night.
The female often wakes and turns eggs at night, the male remains asleep, yet it doent take much desturnace for the male to wake and 'go on gaurd, sometimes to sit at the enterance, inside or outside for several hrs.
From around 11pm to only a couple minutes before waking at dawn, is their main 'deep sleep' time..if not disrurbed, the female will wake beifly to check/turn eggs....and often she will 'sleep in' till the male returns with a feed.
At no piont has there been any sign of plucking or pullong feathers for the nest, only a few small scattered feathers in the nesting box, unused.
8 days since last egg laid....intensive sitting for 5 days. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
It is now 21 days from the 1st egg laid...
For the last 5 days the female usually only stops sitting on the eggs for 2 mins, almost down to the sec!
Occassionaly up to 2 1/2 mins.
She only leaves the nest to deficate, have a bath, and sometimes grab a bite of veggies if I am late feeding, otherwise the male is consistanly feeding....
Often, when temps drop, he will 'snuggle upto the female, assume this is for extra warnth...(its mid winter here)...
The male never sits on the eggs or moves them, thu will inspect every so often...
He still spends a lopt of time prunng the females back and head...something not observed before and dont do outside the nest...
None of the feathers in the nesting box are used for nesting material...these are just normal loose feathers that would be expected and not great in number. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Steps keep up the good work this is all very interesting. we are learning a great deal from your nest cam. It will be good to compare two different pairs nesting behaviour. awaiting your next report. Seems to me that a lot of what we believed happened inside the nest box is not set in stone ie egg laying intervals and when the hen actually starts to incubate these eggs. all very interesting!!!!!!
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