Jump to content

What Bad Luck


cuthound

Featured Posts

7 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

". 
 

It could be argued that to move with the nest in place is "taking" the nest, by the same argument, leaving the fender behind with the nest on it is probably legal.  

But if you did so, wouldn't you be an off-fender?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're likely to be on and off the boat regularly it will most likely desert the nest before viable chicks hatch, we had that happen twice on our old mooring. If that's the case i wouldn't hesitate to either persuade it to move on with activity in the area or remove it before too advanced. 

 It isn't being mean to move it on before laying as the potential brood will have a better outlook somewhere more suitable, and their nests tend to be wiped out regularly by wash, flooding and level changes. As others have said, they will also attract the attention of predatory species in such an open spot.

 

Edited by BWM
  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moorhens are not the brightest of creatures - they often start building nests in odd places and then appear to forget about them.

If she has not yet laid any eggs, no harm will be done by just moving off. She will soon build another nest in an equally precarious location.

Unfortunately, their practice of building nests in relatively dangerous locations puts the eggs and chicks at risk to natural predators - especially crows and grass snakes.

That these birds survive at all is a miracle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ally said:

You are looking about 35 days from laying to chick's actually leaving the nest, 22 days incubation. 

Interesting.   Moorhens (Waterhens) are classed as nidifugous i.e. they leave the nest on hatching.   Incubation is generally between 20-22 days.   Have you experience of the chicks staying in the nest after hatching?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The moorhens in our village pond seem to leave the nest they hatched in and move to a new nest which has been built among the reeds in the pond. Not sure if they go back to the original nest (under a banking) or not

 

haggis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, haggis said:

The moorhens in our village pond seem to leave the nest they hatched in and move to a new nest which has been built among the reeds in the pond. Not sure if they go back to the original nest (under a banking) or not

 

haggis

Nidifugous species (it means they leave the nest asap) don't generally return to the nest they hatched in.  Moorhens are a bit different to most nidifugous species in that the young need the parents to find food and feed them at first where as a truly nidifugous species can feed themselves from hatching.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Jerra said:

Interesting.   Moorhens (Waterhens) are classed as nidifugous i.e. they leave the nest on hatching.   Incubation is generally between 20-22 days.   Have you experience of the chicks staying in the nest after hatching?

It's what the RSPB says. I've never had a nest close enough to me to watch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Ally said:

It's what the RSPB says. I've never had a nest close enough to me to watch.

Ah that explains it.   They give a period until fledging.  Fledging for the majority of birds which stay in the nest (altricial) is thought of as when they leave the nest.   However for birds which leave the nest on or soon after hatching (nidifugous) fledging is when they start to fly.  If you think about it both are actually the same development point altricial birds leave the nest as they start to fly.

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

if they behave like Coots, then they are off the nest once hatched but the parents will build more accessible feeding platforms that look like half-arsed nests in reeds etc. and feed them for about 20-30 days before they fledge in earnest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

if they behave like Coots, then they are off the nest once hatched but the parents will build more accessible feeding platforms that look like half-arsed nests in reeds etc. and feed them for about 20-30 days before they fledge in earnest.

Sometimes just floating down the cut

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, frahkn said:

As I remember your garden, that "nest" is in quite an exposed position. What with your dog, passing boats etc, I doubt that the moorhen will persist with it.

 

I hope so. I dont want to destroy the nest or make her intentionally homeless and risk prosecution, but I would like to go boating soon.

 

I haven't seen her on the nest so far today, so maybe she has abandoned it already.

 

Surprisingly, there have been no more boats passing today than over the last few weeks. Mind you there is only one nearby hire base and they only have a handful of boats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

Perhaps I could tempt her off the nest with some cornflakes.

 

 

Or would that make me a cereal off fender? ??

if they don't take the hint and come back, and you have to take steps again, would that make you a repeat off fender?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/04/2021 at 10:26, Hudds Lad said:

if they behave like Coots, then they are off the nest once hatched but the parents will build more accessible feeding platforms that look like half-arsed nests in reeds etc. and feed them for about 20-30 days before they fledge in earnest.

Coots can be brutal, we had them and moorhens nesting next to our old mooring and more than once i saw the adults peck the head of any chicks they saw as sub par until dead.

 I also made the mistake of picking an adult up that had become entangled in litter - their talons would give an eagle a run for the money!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, BWM said:

Coots can be brutal, we had them and moorhens nesting next to our old mooring and more than once i saw the adults peck the head of any chicks they saw as sub par until dead.

 I also made the mistake of picking an adult up that had become entangled in litter - their talons would give an eagle a run for the money!

 

yup, not the greatest parents, they will wipe out the chicks that mither too much for food, or the ones that aren't keeping up, or the smallest....

any that make adulthood should pick lottery numbers :) 

 

i once made the mistake of rescuing a swallow that had got tangled in baling twine, beaked a right hole in my hand the little git :D 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.