Nest #3891

Adult Arrival

Look for 2 adults on the nest. The adult pair will show pair bonding behaviors such as vocalizations, aerial sky dances, and the male feeding the female fish. You may see the pair copulating, which typically begins 14 days before laying eggs.

Incubation Initiation

Females will lay 1 - 4 eggs at a rate of one egg every 1 - 2 days. After laying, incubation starts. Look for adults taking turns sitting low in the nest incubating eggs. The incubation period can last 35 - 43 days.

Clutch Hatching

Chicks hatch ~39 days after incubation begins. Look for adults bringing food to the nest and making "head bows" into the center. Chicks typically can't be seen until they are 2 - 3 weeks old, so feeding behavior is the only way to know chicks are there.

Nestling Count

Around 4 weeks after hatching, look for the heads of chicks to show over the rim of the nest, particularly when adults bring food to the nest. Other times they lie flat and are harder to see. Count the number of chicks in the nest before they learn to fly

Fledgling Count

Chicks begin flying around 7 - 8 weeks old, and are still fed by the adults. Count the number of chicks who have successfully fledged the nest and are observed flying.

Chick Last Observed

4 - 10 weeks after fledging, chicks begin leaving the nest area to migrate south, once they have learned to fly and feed themselves. Record the date that the last chick left the nest.

Nest Failure

Look for signs of nest failure like adult abandonment, adults no longer incubating eggs or feeding young.

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	2013 - Daytona Dave
aAdult Arrival	3/20/13
aOccupied	No
aActive
bEgg Laying
bIncubation Initiation	4/5/13
cClutch Hatching
dNestlings
eFledglings
eFirst Chick Fledging
fChicks Last Observed
xNest Failure	6/16/13
xReason For Nest Failure	unknown reason

Adult arrival	03/20/2013	Nestlings
Nest Occupied	No	Fledglings
Nest Active		First chick fledging
Egg laying		Chicks last observed
Incubation initiation	04/05/2013	Nest failure	06/16/2013
Clutch hatching		Reason for nest failure	unknown reason

Photos of this nest

Nesting Diaries

06/16/2013 by Daytona Dave

When I drove by the site I thought the nest looked empty. I parked in a spot about 100 yards north of the nest, from which I regularly observe the nest, and set up my scope. There is no sign of either bird. I don't know when the nest was abandoned. The last day I'm sure I saw a bird there was on Monday, 6/10/13.

04/09/2013 by Daytona Dave

The photo is now up. I took this with a Canon Power Shot SX 50 HS. Its 50 X optical zoom brings the object in close. However, due to the height of the tower, I can barely see the bird in the nest when it's incubating.

04/08/2013 by Daytona Dave

I first noticed this nest on 03/29/13. I observed copulation on 04/01/13. Nest building continued on 04/03/13. Incubation observed on 04/05/13. I'll post a photo later.