Incubation is Over

Durand has not shown any inclination to incubate the eggs since the beginning of this week, therefore, it is pretty safe to say we have a failed first-time nesting attempt. The male has not been observed via the cameras so it is unclear whether he is still in the territory or not. His presence--or lack thereof--is actually irrelevant, as even without him she should have continued incubating to term. Her change in behavior is almost surely related to subsiding hormone levels which dictate the behavior to incubate. Because the eggs were not incubated the full time required, had there been any development the eggs would have perished some time ago. In the near future the eggs will be removed from the nest with the intention of determining if they were fertile or not. As soon as that information is known I will post it here.

Meanwhile, Durand continues to make appearances at the nest ledge spending time perched on the nestbox camera housing or the ledge. It is not likely that she will attempt another clutch this year--but then again anything is possible! It is unfortunate that this year's nest did not work out like many had hoped but nonetheless it is still interesting to watch what transpires and learn a little more about the species each season.