The chicks are now 6 days old. In spite of relatively cool temps, the mother has spent far more time off the nest than the Birds of the World account describes. At 3 days she was away roughly half the time. On a few occasions yesterday I saw her come in for a quick aerial check on the nest, and then zip off again. Once she performed a touch and go. :-)
Now, though the babies still can't fully generate their own body heat, when I check at random times throughout the day, she's away more often than not, and for long periods. And the chicks continue to grow and thrive. When they stretch up to be fed, their heads, eyes still closed, with yellow, gradually lengthening bills, are easily visible. At all other times they stay huddled and unseen.
After the mother has regurgitated their meals with ease, she often takes a stance I haven't observed with other mothers. She seems to be half sitting, half standing, very still, bill angled down. She then feeds the chicks a little more, and it appears that during that short interval she had been laboring to bring up everything she could. What she won't do for her nestlings.
Every bird is an individual. And every mother devotedly expends enormous energy and attention to her offspring. For each clutch -- typically there are two each summer -- every moment of her life revolves around nest construction, egg production and incubation, and feeding and protecting her young. Makes me tired to think about it.
Janine PerlmanAlexander Mt., Saline Co.
