Dorothy roosted at the nest last night. Here she is standing over the scrape with her beak under her right wing.
She’s probably feeling “egg-y.”
(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at University of Pittsburgh, 29 March 2015, 10:16 p.m.)
Dorothy roosted at the nest last night. Here she is standing over the scrape with her beak under her right wing.
She’s probably feeling “egg-y.”
(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at University of Pittsburgh, 29 March 2015, 10:16 p.m.)
Since no mating has been observed, is there any consensus as to why Dorothy exhibits this behavior? Instinct/habit? Comfort, considering her age? Could she still produce infertile eggs without mating, like some other species of birds?
Carolyn, even females without mates will lay eggs in the spring. Her mother did that the year she had no mate. Also, just because we have not *seen* Dorothy and E2 mating doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.
Very interesting; I had a pet Eurasian collared dove for many years, who was a constant egg producer, despite never having a mate. Coincidentally, being egg-bound was likely her cause of death, at nearly 15 years of age.
I understood domesticated birds, like exotics or chickens, produced unfertilized eggs on a regular basis. I had never considered the nesting habits of a potentially non-breeding, elderly, or otherwise “single” female bird in the wild, however!
Kate, the last several days I’ve noticed E2 in the nest quite a bit with a lot of loud crying off camera. He departs followed by more loud crying and what sounds like a little “kerfuffling” – forgive the unscientific terminology – can’t come up with a better term! Mating?
Sue, the loud calling is his effort to get her to mate. I don’t know what happens off camera, though.
I have been watching a lot and have also heard a lot of “kerfuffling” as Sue put it! There has been a smaller falcon in the nest at times too, but I haven’t seen them together. I was afraid it might be a another female trying to take over the nest. So I always check in to make sure Dorothy is still there. I will hate it when she is gone :(. I’ve been watching this cam (and the Cathedral one) for a few years now. So interesting. They are beautiful birds. At Dorothy’s age, could she still have young? I thought I read she is @ 16 years old.
Debbie, the smaller falcon is her mate E2.
Here’s news of Dorothy’s chances of producing young this year: http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2015/03/25/dorothy-then-and-now/
Kate I think Dorothy just layed her first egg for 2015 at 6:45 PM.
John, she looks like she is ready to lay an egg soon, but she has not done it yet, as far as I can tell at 8:20pm.
Dorothy was heard canoodling near the nest this afternoon by someone on my forum. Right now she’s laying in her nestbox as though she were incubating. And she is moving, just so there isn’t any worry about that.
Thank you Kate. Hopeful.