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Dickcissel natural history update



The Anilorac Farm female Dickcissel was carrying food to the nest, and
removing fecal pellets this morning.  The male is still conspicuous but
was singing much less than he was a week ago.  The field was mowed this
week, but a squarish patch roughly 40 feet square and (almost) centered
on the nest was left.

I didn't post it, but I had estimated that hatching might occur around
the 29th.  This was because Shantanu posted that the female was still
nest-building on the 13th, and the male was noted missing on the 17th so
I assumed that eggs were laid within that span.  Incubation could have
begun the 17th, and hatching then should have been about 12 days later.
Coincidentally Greg Dodge was observing the nest site on the 28th and
29th and his observations suggest that hatching did indeed occur on the
29th -- the female came and went infrequently on the 28th and frequently
(with food) on the 29th.

Dickcissels are reputed to fledge in just 7-9 days so next weekend might
be the last chance to see these birds easily.

-- 
Kent Fiala
Hillsborough, NC