Around 5:30 p.m., April 17. After thirteen days of incubation, it was late afternoon of the day before the hatching-day. One or two of the five eggs in our bluebird box showed the faintest dent.
3:59 p.m., April 18th Almost a whole day later, every egg is cracking. Three have tiny holes.
5:51 About two hours later, the first hatchling is not yet dry but already his eggshell has been taken away by mother or father.
6:38 Number One is looking bigger and fluffier, Two has just gotten out and is very weak. Three can be seen through his pipping hole; the smallest of peeps come from inside the egg. Note One's egg tooth in fine view.
7:00 Twenty-two minutes later, Three struggles to escape the shell, hindered by the continual flopping of One's head onto his neck. Whistling a soft note causes One and Two to gape blindly, not yet knowing what their mother really sounds like.
7:28 Finally Three has bungled his way to the top. The last two eggs have more cracking than before, but no holes yet.
Enough! No more sending Pa bluebird flying from his lookout in consternation today, or making Ma bluebird circle in a frenzy of chattering above my head. Dark will set in soon. Maybe another hatch-day tomorrow...
Update: April 19th, 9:55 a.m. All five are out of the egg and piled up in the bottom of the nest!
The newest is in front with his down in damp strings.
L.G.T.
