Jane, 
 
Thanks for the continuing saga of the Hermit Thrush nesting. God knows, in
this day and age, we all need some good news to make us smile. :-)
 
Al Merritt
W. Brattleboro
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Vermont Birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane
Schlossberg
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 1:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VTBIRD] Last of the Hermit Thrush Nest Saga (I promise)
 
 
In the beginning, I saw three eggs. My son saw three eggs as well.So when  
only two chicks emerged, and we saw no sign of the third egg, we were left  
wondering what had become of that third egg. I knew that the birds had no
way of  
carrying an egg away, nor would she want to push it out, if somehow she
could, 
 as the smell of a crushed (from the fall) egg would potentially attract  
predators.
 
The day the chicks left the nest, my 13 year-old son looked carefully, and  
discovered that the third egg had somehow been tucked into the lining of the

nest. Upon examination, I can only surmise that the female,  perhaps
realizing 
that the egg was not viable, pushed the egg into the  woven matter of the 
nest, so that it was not visible and it was also protected  from being
trampled on 
by the hatchlings. In fact it appeared that she  wove some twigs and grasses

over and around the egg and it became part of  the nest itself.
 
How ingenious. I had always wondered what became of a dud egg and now I  
know. And like it or not, you now do, too.
 
A photo of the egg after I had uncovered it from the nest lining is added
to 
the other photos at:
 
_http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/avesong/_ 
(http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/avesong/) 
 
Thanks for reading.
 
Jane Schlossberg
Saint George
 
 
 
 
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