Geez, stop laying already!
A quick update.
It seems as if the museum pair has finally stopped laying eggs! They are still around, but we are seeing less of them as time goes on. It’s been a week since the last egg was lost and no one has seen any copulation since. Hopefully, Helen and Mr. M. will be back next year.
The huge roof renovation here at the museum should be done sometime this fall. At that point, we’ll install a nest box. Hopefully Helen and Mr. M. will actually use the box in lieu of laying their eggs in such precarious spots!
Anyway, the final tally. Helen and Mr. M. lost a whopping NINE eggs this season. Now, that is persistence. Here’s the timing:
4/7: 1st egg lost (museum)
4/8: 2nd egg lost (museum)
4/12: 3rd egg lost (museum)
4/18: 4th egg abandoned (museum)
4/22: 5th egg lost (museum)
5/9: 6th and 7th eggs abandoned (construction site)
5/21: 8th and 9th eggs lost (museum)
We will all keep our fingers crossed for next year. As for now, the pair looks very healthy and continue to hunt the area.