Date:         Wed, 14 Apr 1999 03:24:24 EDT
Reply-To:     RickLWest@aol.com
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Rick West <RickLWest@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Nesting House Finches
Comments: cc: cajun@ocsonline.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Will --
 
In a message dated 99-04-12 21:32:06 EDT, you write:
<<  A pair built a nest in a hanging fern on my front porch.  One egg showed
up for each of three consecutive days.  Then, however, the pair seemingly
vanished.  Neither my wife nor I have seen them for the past two days.  Does
this mean they have abandoned the nest?  Opinions and experiences are
welcomed.  >>
 
Normal clutch size for House Finch is 4-5, but sometimes fewer are laid.
Incubation begins with the laying of the last egg.  The site is a common one,
and I know of a number of broods successfully fledged in such situations.
 
Nest abandonment in song birds is more frequent early in the process than
later, such as after hatching, when more effort has been invested in the
brood.
 
It would seem that this clutch has been abandoned, perhaps because of the
approach of a predator (cat?) rather than casual human activity.
 
Rick West
Tallahassee