25 July 2022
Well, we (the female and me) both got that wrong!!!
Yesterday afternoon, when checking on the nest again, I noticed that the mouse was still untouched and wondered why the female had not started to feed it to the (presumed) hatchling. I waited till she left the nest and checked the contents – still no chick, but a second egg was pipped . . . and the mouse was still untouched.
The chick in the first egg is obviously making hard work of the hatching process and, of particular interest, somehow the long laying interval between eggs seems to have been at least partially cancelled out!
And this morning? The female is sitting tight, . . . and there is a decapitated Vlei Rat in the nest with her. Hopefully there is now at least one hatched chick in the nest. Will check later and let everyone know.
By Geoff Lockwood