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In early morning an osprey chick had hatched. As seen the eggshell is crushed in the blunt end. A bird chick that no longer easily finds room in the shell has an egg tooth to help to crush the shell – a hard formation at the tip of the upper beak half that wears out with the cracking of the shell or drops off almost at once after the hatching.

 

Immediately after the hatching the osprey chicks look rather bedraggled. After some time they are already fluffy down balls – so that the feathers won’t become wet in the egg, each feather is protected by a thin filmlike shell, which drops off after the hatching.

 

Since female Irma laid eggs at almost three days intervals the hatching of the osprey chicks will take place during the next few days. The bigger one has an advantage compared to the following and the difference in size remains visible during the whole  time of nest life.

 Compared to the boring brooding period, the time of bringing up the child-rearing time is clearly more active and interesting.