Attenborough documentary on eggs

Just saw the first bit of it on iPlayer this morning. Like the bit in the intro with the swan:
"Just stand like this David?"
"Can you see the eggs OK?"
 
I believe it was a one off programme. Absolutely fascinating.
 
I've only just got round to watching this, and learned a lot. It sparked off several questions in my mind.

- what mechanism makes wild birds lay full-sized eggs from the start, whereas chickens start small and work up to bigger ones over a period of weeks?

- I never realised that small birds like bluetits eat snail shells to boost their calcium levels when producing what, for them, is a very large egg each day for days on end. The decline in thrushes means that there seem to be very few broken snail shells around in our dry garden. Would it be helpful to add snail shells and oyster shell to a bird table?

- Never knew that wild birds can to some extent extend or reduce incubation time, to coincide with the emergence of necessary caterpillars. I imagine them all looking up the Met Office site on their phones and discussing the prospects for the coming week. Do the caterpillars have any such mechanism, so they arrive at the optimum time to best survive the bluetits?

- I didn't realise that the albumen has so many protective elements, such a large number of substances which target potential infections that may have penetrated the shell. Would these be classed as natural antibiotics, and if so, is that another advantage to our own health when we eat eggs?

- I think you could go off guillemots. That man who spends his time abseiling down dangerous cliffs in order to get covered in projectile poo in the interests of science deserves a medal.
 
How I wish I could watch it but I don't have TV and now you need a licence to watch BBC on catch- up :( :x
 
I'm not quite sure how the Beeb block unlicenced users. I mean you could be watching it away from home on wifi. Unless you had to download a licence key for iPlayer.

If I remember rightly the point about egg white was that it was a 'dessert' for bactiria to cross. I thought he ment it had no food value but that can't be right - only when cooked?
I don't think it was antibiotic.
 
I suppose with birds they need to hatch a brood from the word go, and can't go through the building up to a big egg stage. I read that after a Blue Tit pair have hatched their brood by the end of the year only one adult and one young will still be around.
Eider ducks will sit on the eggs and only go to the toilet if a predator approaches and cover the eggs with a truly foul mess to keep the eggs safe. I guess that would be pretty unpleasant by day 20. Fulmars eject a foul smelling fish oil from the tubes on their noses to keep predators away.
That's an interesting thought about putting oyster shells on the bird table, be interesting to see if it was consumed if you did
 
You now have to register Rick and presumably have to sign in each time. I can't complete the registration process because at one point I'm asked if I have a license and when I say "No" I get the message about needing one. I used to watch a few programmes on catchup when I had time and can still watch commercial TV although I had to register to be able to watch Channel 4. Once the osprey eggs have hatched I won't be watching anything else!
 
It's on YouTube Margaid. Go to YT and search for Attenborough's wonder of eggs. You have to watch the end of Countryfile at the beginning and it's signed (sign language).
 
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