Egg Statistics - 2011
The average incubation period for ospreys is around five and a half weeks, 37 or 38 days, however something very strange happened in 2011. The first egg laid was not the first to hatch, the second egg hatched first.
Incredibly, the first egg laid took 42 days to hatch - a whole six weeks! This is a record for British ospreys as far as we know. Did the fact that Nora failed to incubate this egg during darkness hours during the first two nights before the second egg was laid contribute to this lengthy hatching period?
| Year | Period from first mating to egg laying | Incubation Period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1st Egg | 16 days | 42 days |
| 2011 | 2nd Egg | 19 days | 38 days |
| 2011 | 3rd Egg | 22 days | 37 days |
Nora did not incubate the first egg (Einion) for the first two nights until the second was laid © MWT
