Three In Richmond
Views of the nest yesterday seemed to show that one of the eggs had been removed by the adults. Two chicks could clearly be seen during feedings and one egg was visible. There was no sign of either a third chick or egg. It is not unusual for an egg that fails to finish hatching or a chick that isn’t viable to be removed by the adults. There are many potential causes for a failure to hatch and no way to tell what might have caused this egg to fail.
By this morning the third chick had hatched and all three were being fed. It was also apparent that the other eggs had been removed. Viewing has become challenging as spiderwebs over the camera dome create a glare which prevents us from seeing any activity during portions of the late morning and early afternoon.
* Thanks to Mary Anne from the BCAW forum for the image above