"I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free." ~Wendell Berry
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Video of a Hatching Purple Martin Egg
One of my fellow purple martin landlord friends, Mike Salcido in Texas took this video this week of a baby purple martin hatching from its shell. During a nest check, Mike discovered that the egg was 'capped' (another egg had hatched in the nest and a part of it rolled over and stuck to this one, make it a double-walled shell). Babies are unable to break through 2 layers of egg shells and will die inside, if the extra cap is not removed quickly.
This is just another example of why nest checks are so important, so you will know the timing of hatching.
Enjoy the video - it's the first time in my 9 years of hosting martins that I've gotten to actually watch the process! It's guaranteed to make your day.
Thanks for sharing, Mike!
I love this video! It looks almost as if the nest mates are trying to help the last one to hatch. But they can't see yet, can they? They all look so naked and unformed still, like human fetuses, as if they really need to remain "in the womb" so to speak a little longer.
Thank you, Aya! It's so fantastic! I thought the same thing about it appearing like the others were helping him too. They can't see, but they can hear....maybe reacting to some quiet stress call from the hatching baby? I don't really know - fun to speculate. Yes, they are so naked and their skin is very, very delicate and thin during the first few days. It's recommended to avoid touching them unless something really drastic requires it.
I love this video! It looks almost as if the nest mates are trying to help the last one to hatch. But they can't see yet, can they? They all look so naked and unformed still, like human fetuses, as if they really need to remain "in the womb" so to speak a little longer.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Aya! It's so fantastic! I thought the same thing about it appearing like the others were helping him too. They can't see, but they can hear....maybe reacting to some quiet stress call from the hatching baby? I don't really know - fun to speculate. Yes, they are so naked and their skin is very, very delicate and thin during the first few days. It's recommended to avoid touching them unless something really drastic requires it.
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