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Bird egg in my strawberry plants

Loz46Loz46 Posts: 103
in Wildlife gardening
I’ve just found a single white egg hidden amongst my strawberry plants on the allotment, it’s probably an inch wide by one and a half inches long.
The leaves didn’t look flattened at all as if anything had been sat on it, so not sure if it’s a goer or not. Never seen an egg on the ground before, so any tips or suggestions on what to do are greatly appreciation. I guess it’s a case of leaving it alone and seeing if it disappears! I might have to put my wildlife camera on it... 
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Posts

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    Are you sure it is complete? Birds discard the shell away from the nest after the egg has hatched.
  • Loz46Loz46 Posts: 103
    It looks complete, but I haven’t touched it so cant be 100%. Plus it’s quite far down under leaves etc, I’d be surprised if an empty shell had the weight to go down that far.
    I just read somewhere else that it could have dropped from a crows beak, as they steal eggs from nests. We do get a LOT of crows at the Allotment so this seems quite feasible, in which case I’m torn to know whether to intervene or not?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Pigeons can be remarkably cavalier about egg laying ... some just seem not to notice they’re doing it ... that’s my bet 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • TheveggardenerTheveggardener Posts: 1,057
    We had one a few years go laid an egg and sat on it in the lawn which I wanted to cut. I left it and one day the pigeon had gone and the egg was still there never to be hatched.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    There’s only very little brain room in those tiny heads 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Foxes also love to leave whole hens' eggs about. I frequently find them in my raised beds.
  • Loz46Loz46 Posts: 103
    Looks like it probably was dropped as it is damaged on the side that it was resting ☹️

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’d say wood pigeon

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I keep finding eggs in my compost heap. The *%&£&% next door leaves them out for the foxes. 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    B3 said:
    I keep finding eggs in my compost heap. The *%&£&% next door leaves them out for the foxes. 
    maybe the fox was trying to use the heat of the compost bin to slow cook them?
    Devon.
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