Name: Diane D.
Status: educator
Age: 50s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Saturday, August 31, 2002
Question:
Last year I wrote to you about the fact that our house
wrens did not come to our yard area to nest. This year we had a pair of
wrens. The male put sticks in two houses that we have in our yard. The
female first chose a house and was in it for a week or two. She then left
the house and chose to nest in the other one. She remained in the second
house for at least 3 weeks and then left. None of the eggs hatched. In
the first house there were six eggs. I have not checked the second one
yet but I am sure she is gone. The mother was in her nest all the time
only leaving to get food. Why would two batches of eggs not hatch? I did
notice the male was not around the last couple of weeks.
Replies:
There are many reasons eggs might not hatch, we cannot answer the question
without much more direct information - I do not know that I would be able to
tell even if I had personally observed the birds through the season. Some
possibilities are improper fertilization, congenital defects, interruption
of incubation (though from the information you give that does not seem
likely), probably others.
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