In the previous reading, Evidence of hatch 2. Or more correctly, Evidence of hatch 1B, I closed on the serene note of humble acceptance that “I’m OK with that” if Pair 1 decides to hide their babies from me for the rest of the summer.
Did you buy it? Did you think that Northside Jim had reached some new level of maturity, and calm, patient acceptance of “things as it is?” Did you really think I’d be cool with that?
The truth is, as I mentioned, that I know this pair. They’ve been driving me bananas for years with their baby-hiding hijinks and shenanigans. So this season, my Little Egg Foundation carefully planted some new, discreet, 360 degree cameras right in the area I knew they would raise their babies this year.
And I did it before those babies were even hatched!
Now I can count those babies anytime I want, no matter where I might be, and they’ll be none the wiser. This photo was taken just minutes after the last reading was published. Suckers! Not only is this sweet revenge, and a huge relief to prove to myself that I am actually smarter than these oystercatchers, this is another effort I am really, really proud of.
Because not only does this kind of remote monitoring result in more, and more accurate, real-time counts and observations, but most importantly, it does it with zero disturbance to the animals.
Now that is something I really am OK with!
And well done keeping all three babies alive this long, Pair 1. Keep it up. We’ll be watching, and you won’t have a clue. Suckers!
Say something kind