25.04.2006

"Our" Storks laid the first Egg

In the morning of April 25th, our stork fans discovered the first egg at the eyrie of the "Internet storks" in Vetschau/Spree Forest. Ten days have passed since the stork couple's union on April 15th and the laying of the first egg.

As a rule, the white storks lay their four eggs at two-day intervals. Yet the NABU Project Leader notes; "Whether our couple is satisfied with this, has to be seen. Clutches often consist of five or, although seldom, even of six eggs.". We can now anxiously await the time when the storks will begin the incubation period. This may proceed differently. Often they begin only after several eggs have been laid. This date determines the sequence of the hatchings of the young ones. Should they breeding after the first egg, the young ones will hatch in the order of the laying of eggs.

Presently, everything points to a normal stork year with a 32-day breeding period. However, this will only happen if no disturbances from "alien" storks cause trouble. Oftentimes, late arriving storks "annex" an already occupied eyrie, or the so-called brood-disturbers, still immature young storks, interrupt the brood process and throw the eggs overboard. These often fierce eyrie battles can extend into May. When all stork couples have united and have occupied an eyrie, peace and quite of sorts will come to pass.

At the eyrie in Vetschau we anxiously wonder, whether Luna, the female of last year, will appear. Apparently she has not yet returned from Africa. Last year she only arrived on April 25th. The question is; "Will she fight for "her" eyrie and disturb the present couple's brooding?" The Internet site www.storchennest.de is still one of the most popular web sites for friends of nature. The circle of stork fans is constantly widening.

In Lusatia, about 90% of the stork couples have arrived. There is still time until the beginning of May for the late arriving ones to venture into a successful breeding period.

Zurück zur vorigen Seite