Bird Cams Around the World

Sorry to disappoint everyone - there's still only one egg, and the cams appear to be stuck. I've just checked them and they're showing 15,18 which is exactly 80 minutes ago as I write!

Well it's not too late to do something about it right now. Do you suppose it's still intact if it's under there?

There's a lot of discussion going on about the cardboard and the possibility that a second egg has finished under it on the Italian forum, so far with no real answers. It's certainly strange that the eggs are few and far between although Carlo has apparently said that one egg may have been laid as a signal to the male that the female is ready...

We're not helped by the 'idiosyncratic' operation of the cam

Let's hope that something concrete happens in the next few days.

Here's a bit more... as I said, and as others have commented on the Italian forum, the cardboard was discussed while we were in Bologna for our weekend. Unfortunately, we were told that it was too late to remove it... We will press hard for the nest to be cleaned at the end of the nesting season.

Another theory that was also considered is that the female is not the original Aisha. You'll probably remember that this possibility was also considered last year (the later laying time, the lack of Aisha's 'trademark' doughnut nest). We have a forum member who lives close to the nest site and visits it regularly all year round and Paolo Taranto, a biologist and raptor expert, and in regular contact with the local authorities, also lives in Bologna. They believe that the female is different - and this could explain the eggs, or lack of them, particularly if it's a new young female in her first 'reproductive' season.

I think that the only thing we can do is watch and wait.

Warbler, thanks for all the updates. Its always a learning experience when I visit the Italian site. I remember last year too. I hope everything goes well. I love this location...its very Italian!

Nice to see someone on the egg...but, I don't think the cam is refreshing..that poor cam is having some problems..

I was just looking at that too.

As far as I know there's been no territorial problems. One of the forum members lives very close to the towers (she can see them - and the birds from her home). She also goes to the towers on a very regular basis all year round but she's never reported seeing more than 2 birds around, except for the breeding season, obviously.

When we went to Bologna, there was discussion about whether the female was new or not. These events would seem to confirm that possibility. We have no idea how old the original Aisha was as she wasn't a ringed bird.

BTW, the Provincia (who are responsible for the cameras) put out a news item saying that just one egg wasn't unusual and was well-documented. Almost as though the birds knew and decided to make them look a little silly!