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Hi
Dennis,
I
suggest, most likely but not yet certain that the breeding has failed,
which would not seem odd, given that it is through mid winter. To expand on
Geoffrey's comment there are various possibilities:
1 Eggs might be infertile and they are still
incubating.
2 Eggs might be fertile but embryos have died and
they are still incubating.
3 Might not be on eggs
now.
4 Maybe the start time you noticed is wrong
as in they may have started sitting before eggs were laid (unless you know when
eggs appeared).
5 Maybe the start time is now wrong if they had one
clutch that failed e.g. through predation and they laid a second clutch, and you
would not have known, so the start time needs to be reset. So the nest might
still be successful.
6 Maybe chicks have hatched recently and they are still
so small that you have not seen them yet.
Whilst
I am on it, I will mention, having just noticed in checking this book for
anything useful to add, that Betty Temple Watts also did the paintings for H.J.
Frith's book Pigeons and Doves of Australia.
Philip
3
refs give 14-16 days for incubation. Eggs might be infertile or might not
be on eggs now
From: Dennis
Ayliffe [ Sent: Wednesday, 1 August 2012
12:46 PM To: Canberra
Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Bronzewings still sitting, sitting,
sitting...
The bronzewing pigeons nesting in my garden have today
entered their 4th week of sitting. My meagre resources don't give any figures
for incubation time for the species. Does anybody out there have any information
that might help me figure out
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