We have our third egg of the 2016 season.

Our 2016 season wouldn't be complete without Bea's pine cone. Every year since she first arrived, Bea has had a pine cone beside her to occupy her time while incubating the eggs. Not sure if she actually eats the seeds, but she spends her time nibbling away at the cone. Anything to pass the time. :)

As of this morning we still have two eggs. The first egg was laid late afternoon/early evening Tuesday, February 16th. The second egg was laid Friday, February 19th. If a third egg is laid and the chick hatches it will be at a great disadvantage as the chicks will hatch asynchronously and it's small stature compared to its siblings will not enable it to compete for food. 

Last year we saw a tremendous amount of sibling rivalry between the second and third chick. Amazingly the third chick hung on and eventually fledged.

We have our second egg at 1:49 pm, Friday, February 19th.

 

With Bea incubating the first egg I thought I'd take advantage of her sitting still to get some close-ups of her this morning.

As of this morning we still have one egg.

 

We have our first egg of the 2016 season. Viewer Beth, from Ohio, spotted the egg last evening about 6:12 p.m.

This egg is the earliest one laid for Bea and Jasper. All of their previous eggs were laid in March:

• 2011 - March 25th
• 2012 - March 24th
• 2013 - March 13th
• 2014 - March 7th
• 2015 - March 2nd

This will mark the 16th egg the pair has had since their arrival in 2011. Last year was the first season the pair had a successful clutch of three eggs, all of which fledged.

The red glow seen in the photos is from the beacon light located to the right side of the platform. This beacon is necessary due to our close proximity to Hilton Head's airport.

Clutch sizes can range from 1 - 4, though we have always have three. Both Bea and Jasper will incubate the egg(s) though Bea will spend the majority of her time incubating.

Eggs vary considerably in coloration but typically have a cream-colored base with blotches of some secondary color. The eggs usually hatched a few days apart so we could see another today or in the coming days. Stay tuned!!

Bea and Jasper have the nest looking much better. The pair have brought in  a lot of sticks and spanish moss creating a nice "bowl" centered on the platform. 

With the rain passing through last night we are anticipating a warming trend that will increase as the week progresses.

Our pair, Bea and Jasper, have been repairing the nest, though by the looks of it you can't really tell. They have plenty of nesting material on the platform, they just need to put it together. Maybe the cold weather we've been experiencing lately is hindering their efforts.

Bea arrived yesterday, January 28th at 12:39. 2016 marks the sixth year that this pair has made the nest, atop our communications tower, their home. There are never guarantees with wildlife, so the fact that both Jasper and Bea have returned safely is great news.

The pair will most likely begin their courtship and mating can begin at almost any time.  Their time will also be spent repairing the nest. Jasper has already begun bringing in sticks and moss and with Bea’s arrival the nest should come together quickly.