Guillemot pair F do have an egg

The strong winds have kept me away from the ledges, but it has meant that I've been able to review my previous footage. I found this on the the tape from the 14th June:

That little blue shape in the centre of the image? That's a egg that I hadn't noticed. I'd seen this pair without an egg on the 4th June, but I'd assumed that it was too late in the season for them to lay another egg.

Common Guillemots can lay a second egg if the first is lost, and occasionally a third egg if the second is also lost. Replacement eggs are usually laid ~15 days after the lost of the previous egg and are around 6% lighter than first eggs.

It will be a race against time for this pair. By the time their egg hatches sometime between 10th and 14th July, most of the other chicks will have gone to sea. This will mean less birds on the ledge and more opportunities for predators.

The winds are lighter tomorrow morning - and for the next few days. I'll let you know how the chicks are doing.

www.returntickettonature.co.uk/bjfiaadt.htm