Hungarian Saker Falcons (2)

[melv16]

https://www.mavir.hu/web/mavir/feszekmegfigyeles
Doesn't look like the eggs will hatch this year.
According to the blog the female is over 15yrs old and the eggs will probably be infertile, due to her age.
Anyway, we've got the hobbys to look forward to in the summer.

[calmck]

Shame. What is their usual life span?

[melv16]

According to the blog 15yrs is very old for a saker in the wild.
Hopefully they'll be another female to replace her next year, that could be difficult as they are pretty rare. The opposite is happening in the UK with urban peregrines. They have been very successful and there is a shortage of nesting sites. Intruding birds have been a problem on several sites in the UK.

[ladybirder]

Bless her she's been sitting on those eggs for ages. Any one know how long?

[melv16]

Looks like the eggs have finally been abandoned. I'll look forward to the hobbys taking residence later on in the year.

[melv16]

Whoops, she's back on them again.

[ladybirder]

It's making me sad now watching her just sitting there day after day.

[Khandro]

No Saker falcons, but I have a pair of black redstarts setting up shop either in, or close by, my house & garden, (trying hard to detect where their nest is). I didn't know of them until they were pointed out to me by my ornithologically-savvy daughter, who visited us from England last week.

Also the martins returned from Africa a fortnight ago & are now taking up full residence in the eight nests under the eves of the front of my house.

As prof. Stanley Unwin would say, 'Deep Joy' !

[ladybirder]

How lovely, I wish I was so lucky Khandro.

[melv16]

She's still brooding the eggs:-(

[melv16]

Ditto:-(

[melv16]

Hopefully, she's deserted the nest.

[melv16]

Spoke too soon. She's back brooding the eggs again:-(

[melv16]

Just read the blog on Facebook. They're going to remove the eggs in the near future.

[melv16]

The eggs have been removed, thankfully. Now the hobbys to look forward to.