News item from Linnuvaatleja, www.linnuvaatleja.ee
Translation Liis
On observing the activities of the starlings at the nest boxes it can be concluded from the sounds of chicks begging for food that despite the late and chilly spring many starlings already have hatched chicks.
Today, on May 14th, there were 1 to 3 days old chicks in 5 out of 6 inspected nests in Vana-Kuuste in Tartumaa. Only in one nest there were still eggs but there the starlings did begin the egg-laying about one week later than the others.
A starling usually lays 5-7 pale blue eggs. A six-egg clutch in Vana-Kuuste 30.04.2017 / Photo: Margus Ots
Starlings incubate their eggs for11-13 days. Just hatched chicks in Vana-Kuuste 14.05.2017. Five chicks have hatched, two not yet. / Photo: Margus Ots
Three days old starling chicks in Vana-Kuuste 14.05.2017 / Photo: Margus Ots
Compared to last year the nesting of starlings is later – in 2016 there were at least 10 days old chicks in the starling nests (more exact details check here).
Beginning from March it has also been possible to follow the doings of starlings in a webcam. However, the webcam now indicates that this time the breeding of the starling pair probably will not succeed – there are no eggs in the nest.
In the same nest we could observe instances of nest parasitism: strange starlings tried stubbornly to smuggle their egg into the nest. On April 26th two females laid an egg in the nest but both eggs were thrown out by the pair that regarded the box as their own – Videolugu: pesaparasitism kuldnoka pesakastis, (in Estonian; in English see Video story: Nest parasitism in starling nest box) the same process was repeated on April 28th – Videolugu: segadus koldnoka pesakastis jätkub (in Estonian; in English see Video story: Commotion in starling nest box continues) and a third time on April 29th. After these events the starling pair has visited the nest box daily but have not got round to egg-laying.
A direct stream view from the nest box is forwarded by Teetormaja, and the forum is hosted by Looduskalender.
Margus Ots
info/at/linnuvaatleja.ee
