Egg-laying?

Today Juno has started to sit on the nest, and she only comes down to feed or to stretch her wings. I guess that means that she has started to lay her eggs. I takes several days to lay the eggs, and when that is finished, I expect that she will stay on the nest. Last year she did'nt come down to feed for the first time on the 22nd of March, so this year they seem to be at least one week earlier. But judging from her open beak it is already warm in the nest - last year we still had a thick layer of snow on the 22nd!

Juno staying in the nest means that Siden's long period of hard work starts. First, he has to feed his female during the incubation, and then he has to feed her AND the hungry chicks for several weeks. When they are big enough to be left alone in the nest, Juno will help with the feeding...but that is weeks away.

As Juno was in the nest I didn't expect them to be interested in anymore building material, but as I was brushing one of the horses just beside the aviary, I just propped some of the abundant winter coat through the mesh, and ZOOM! In a blink Juno was there to collect the horse hair.

//Helena