4Real Forums: abandoned nest w/ eggs left???

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Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science

Topic: abandoned nest w/ eggs left???

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monica
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Joined: Feb 09 2007
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Posted: June 29 2009 at 10:24pm \| IP Logged

a house finch made a nest and laid 3-4 eggs in our hanging fern. she sat on the nest and one egg hatched, but the past few days the one hatched bird has been missing and she hasnt been back to the nest. there are still a few eggs left and i dont know if she has abandoned them or if they were duds or what. when they are all hatched and fledged, i need to repot the fern as the current pot is cracked and leaks water.

how do you know when a bird is not coming back? what should i do with the nest and eggs? could this have happened because i water the fern? i tried really hard to not touch the nest or disturb the eggs.

Karen T
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Joined: Feb 16 2005
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Posted: July 06 2009 at 5:31pm \| IP Logged

How long after the one egg hatched did she leave? If the hatched nestling was old enough to leave the nest, the other eggs were definitely duds. Normally, though, she would have pushed them out of the nest herself. yes, it's possible your watering disturbed her but most birds wouldn't mind that.

we had a nest of robins in our front porch light (on top of the fixture). After they fledged, I left the nest up for about 2 weeks, just in case, and she has now laid another clutch in the same nest.

karen T

MaryM
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Joined: Feb 11 2005
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 12:21am \| IP Logged

Oh Monica, I'm sorry... I meant to post as well. Our experience with house finches (and we have a pair that nests on our patio almost every year) is that the egss hatch on subsequent days, one each day until they are done. So, if a day has gone by without another egg hatching they don't tend to hatch. If your one hatchling was still too young to have left the nest on its own (11-19 days after hatching to fledge) tehn I suspect something traumatic happened and the mother probably abandoned the nest.

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monica
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Joined: Feb 09 2007
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 11:32am \| IP Logged

well, it has been over a week and no activity in the nest. no new hatchings, no mama bird. i wonder what happened? we have a cat and there are neighborhood cats, so maybe she got scared and left. but i dont think there is any way the cats could get to the hanging nest, as it isnt close to any posts or anything a cat could get up. i just wonder what happened to the baby that did hatch. i havent seen a body anywhere, but there are thick bushes below the porch edge, so if it fell into those, i wouldnt be able to find it.
i know these things are part of the natural world, but it is still sad.
i will repot that fern now and maybe put the nest in a tree? i may let my boys break open the eggs and have a little science lesson.
thanks for your help
monica

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