Easter eggs

It only seems right that over Easter weekend we should post about all things egg... Whilst the season has only really just begun, we already have a few species sitting on eggs. The first to lay were Mullion Island Cormorants, closely followed by a few early Shag nests at Rinsey Cliffs, the latter site now having 12 birds sitting. Shags being Shags, some of these won't be sitting on eggs, but at least seven birds are sitting on full clutches of three eggs.

Our first nestbox birds are also on eggs as well: not surprisingly Dippers in Idless Woods. One box just contained a lined nest but the second box had a presumably as yet incomplete clutch of three eggs, nicely covered with beech leaves (I think!). This is a little later than last year, when they had a full clutch by 27th March, but earlier than 2013 when the same date say just two eggs laid.

Idless Woods Dipper nest