Avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta)

For the 2nd time in 9 years our Avocets are laying eggs,11 this year alone, so I have a few questions ( better known as help) to those that have had breeding success with these loverly birds.
Mine have made 1 nest laid 3 eggs and moved to make another nest, lay 2 eggs they repeated this 4 times Is this normall?
Would all the eggs be fertile?
If hatching is successful, any information on rearing would be of help.
Parents are on insectivious food, (Wite mollan)but have access to Sea duck floating pellet, mixed millet.
Ornamental Waterfowl UK
 
No it´s not normal that they start to lay eggs at diferent places and I guess this comes through some kind of disturbance - more privicy could help.
The eggs could be very well fertile so try to incubate them in an incubator !
The food you provide the adultd sounds quite well and can given also to the youngsters, but it should be soaked and on top of the food you should place some living food ("mini"
mealwurms, crickets ).
Wish you all the luck and keep us informed !
 
avocets

Many thanks for the info, we have Herring gulls nesting on the house roof as most houses on the south coast have, they could be the cause of the distaction.
We have 9 eggs in incubators at the moment but left the last 3 in the scrape in the hope they will sit themselves.
thanks for the info on the food I will let you know how we get on.
I expect it will be a fight over the crickets etc with the Lilac Breasted rollers they like those as well.
 
The living food I mentioned is not very essensial as food itself, but by the moving of these little insects the young avocet are attracted to the food and they will eat - next to the few living creatures - learn to eat the none-living food ( insectivious food, soaked duck-food ).
 
PS a photo of one of the countless avocets I've hand-raised can be found in the Walsrode Gallery :)
 
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