Egg kaleidoscope

In just a few weeks, I have seen various odd and mixed-color clutches.

First, we have the rare clutch of pink eggs. This one got depredated by a raccoon.

Second, we have the uncommon case of nest usurpation with a tufted titmouse that pushed the eastern bluebird out of her nest to lay her own eggs in the middle of bluebird eggs. This clutch did succeed. All but one bluebird egg hatched and all hatched chicks seemingly fledged.

Third, we have a case of conspecific brood parasitism. We usually can't tell but this time, a female who laid one of her blue eggs in someone else's clutch made only of white ones.

Fourth, we have a case of interspecific brood parasitism with a brown-headed cowbird egg in a clutch of tufted titmouse eggs. This cowbird did not choose well because a raccoon depredated this nest.

Last, we have another case of brown-headed cowbird parasitism. This time, it was in a bluebird clutch but the cowbird was not very smart because it laid its egg one day before the bluebird clutch was due to hatch. The cowbird egg did not get incubated and could not hatch. That being said, a snake got the bluebird nestlings before they turned 10 days.