WTH? Know anything about birds?

[DawnMarch]

I went out to our compost bin the other day and, to my surprise, found that a bird had made a little hole in there and laid an egg. But, we have been keeping an eye on it since then and have not seen any sign of any bird anywhere near it. I check on it periodically and there the egg is; no bird. So today, I finally decided the egg must be abandoned and I was gonna take it out and start composting again.

So, I lift the lid off and there TWO eggs now. No bird. WTH??? Can these eggs possibly survive just left there?

[scrapperjade]

I know nothing of birds, but mabye the momma bird is out and about scrounging for food when you happen to look at them. If she was around, you can guarantee she'd be diving at you trying to get you away from her babies!

[lizzyfizzy]

that's friggin weird. apparently this bird is a trickster.

[emilyscout]

Don't compost piles generate heat? Perhaps they are ok because of the heat given off by the breakdown of everything keeping them warm. Maybe this momma bird has figured out a way of being a working mom???? lol

[Mandy]

Originally Posted by lizzyfizzy

that's friggin weird. apparently this bird is a trickster.

ROFL! For some reason this made me LOL.

[DawnMarch]

Don't compost piles generate heat? Perhaps they are ok because of the heat given off by the breakdown of everything keeping them warm. Maybe this momma bird has figured out a way of being a working mom???? lol

I think it's more like mom's putting her little ones in bed and then heading off to hit the bar scene. Anyone have the number for Bird Child Protective Services?

Yes, compost piles do generate some heat, but honestly not much here in AZ thanks to our lack of the right plants to make compost!

[Jenn Barrette]

I was going to say that the yummy little bacteria and such breaking down the compost do create heat, so that could be keeping them warm. Only time will tell, I guess??

[alansrock]

A robin laid 4 eggs in a nest it built in my hanging flowerpot on our front porch. We've had some wind and it knocked off the flowerpot and one of the eggs cracked. You could see a little bird was growing in it too. I haven't seen a momma bird for over a week so I too wonder if they remaining 3 eggs will survive?

Can I just say the nest is really just perfection too, birds are pretty amazing in building nests!!!!

[Angie4b1g]

Originally Posted by emilyscout

Maybe this momma bird has figured out a way of being a working mom???? lol

[Meadow92]

If they are anything like parrots, usually mom doesn't have to sit tight on the eggs till the last one is laid. With parrots they say you can put the eggs up for 5 days and they are still good. She probably is sitting on them at night and off and on during the day.

[DawnMarch]

If they are anything like parrots, usually mom doesn't have to sit tight on the eggs till the last one is laid. With parrots they say you can put the eggs up for 5 days and they are still good. She probably is sitting on them at night and off and on during the day.

Thank you for that explanation (though I don't really get the biology of how that works!). Guess I'll just stop composting for a while and see what happens.