SOUTHWEST FLORIDA EAGLE NESTFt Myers, Florida
December 31, 2023 (edited)
On 12/29/23 observers noticed a “dimple” or slight indentation on one of the two eggs, a change on the egg’s surface that suggested a hatch may be in progress. It was soon confirmed (by the pattern of stains on the 2 eggs) that this was Egg #2, laid on 11/27/23 - NOT the first egg.
The eggshell had a crack and some splintering along the side. The outer shell membrane was visible between the bits of shell. The shell splintering continued.
NOT the FIRST TIMEThe shell membrane is fused to the shell and holds the shell fragments together. It is fairly tough, so it can be difficult to break through.
The shell membrane is crucial to the embryo’s development. It is full of blood capillaries, by which it effects the exchange of oxygen from the outside and carbon dioxide from the inside through microscopic pores in the shell.
By the end of the day on 12/29 at SWFL, blood appeared on the shell and the membrane, which almost certainly came from the membrane’s capillaries. That raised some significant concerns about the health of the chick inside.
As difficult as this has been to watch, we can all be thankful that the first egg pipped on its normal timeline and hatched this morning.
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Topic: Southwest Florida Eagles (Pritchett) (Read 72689 times)