Following on from our first chick of 2016 hatching last Tuesday evening, all eyes were on Egg 2 for the rest of the week.

Despite frantic zooming in and out of the cameras for days however, it was Egg 3 that we first saw some activity. Here's the first chick being fed yesterday (Saturday, 28th May) with its brother/sister pipping its way out of Egg 3.

By daylight this morning there was little change in either remaining egg, but by 07:30 it looked like the young guy in Egg 3 was making some progress. By the time Glesni stood up an hour later, Bob 2 was out. It is often the case that a seemingly static-looking crack will suddenly break open in little time to reveal the emerging chick inside.

Bob 2 breaks out at 08:26 this morning

What has happened to Egg 2?

I think enough time has elapsed now to conclude that the second egg will not hatch.

It is relatively uncommon for an egg laid by a healthy female from an established pair not to hatch. It is the first time it has happened at the Dyfi (16 eggs in total) and it has happened only twice in the Glaslyn (30 eggs) by the female there - (notwithstanding the 2015 season when there was no established male for a period following the non-return of Ochre 11(98)).

Does the fact that Monty, Glesni, and Blue 24 have been in a polyandrous arrangement this year have anything to to with it? Six eggs have been laid by these two females and only two have hatched.

Moreover, did the Glaslyn female at her nest 28 miles north reject her first egg this year due to an identical polygamous scenario there? Maybe it's just coincidence that these eggs have not hatched?

Big Bob - Little Bob

It's quite strange seeing the size differential between the two Dyfi chicks - they are 4½ days apart and already Bob 1 looks twice the size of his little sibling!

It's been a glorious day here on the Dyfi today and the weather is set fair long into the week and into next. The first precarious 10 days I speak about each year should be less worrisome than some previous years, Goldilocks weather all round please. Not too hot, too cold, too dry, too wet.

Here's the video of Bob 2 hatching with some close-ups of him/her feeding throughout the day. Happy days.