Broken iguana eggs

Today I found a pile of broken iguana eggs and several holes in the backyard.  The big iguanas lay their eggs in holes in the sand and cover them for safekeeping.  I don't know how they do it, but the birds somehow find the nests, dig them up and feast on the eggs.

Once before I heard a real racket in the backyard and looked to see dozens of birds in a frenzy, fighting over a nest of iguana eggs that they had unearthed.  Each would pick one up in his beak and fly off with his prize.  Oddly enough, the iguana was nearby watching this go on.  Mother iguanas don't protect their nests or participate in child rearing.  The babies are on their own from the moment they hatch.

In today's case, some birds must have eaten the eggs right on the spot and left the shells.

Broken iguana eggs lie by the hole they came from

Today I saw Muscovies Black Foot and Sweet Cheeks walking around in the front of the house, and crossing the street to get to a neighbor's front yard.  It's really rare for them to venture away from the water like that and I worry that they will have an issue with the cars going by.  But my neighborhood does not have heavy traffic so I guess they just have to look both ways when they cross the street and they won't have a problem.  When they did get to the backyard later, they actually did not chase Blackie away today!  Instead they were chasing the mottled ducks, which is a real change that I'm sure Blackie enjoyed!

With all the fighting between the mottled ducks lately both on land and in the water and even in the air, there have been quite a few injuries.  Several of the males are limping, some very badly.  I saw one today favoring his left leg and one in the photo here with a right leg that is almost useless.  He really can't bear any weight on it and it just hangs down when he flies.  He doesn't leave it down when he's in the water but tucks it under his wing.  Poor thing.  His mate is staying with him in spite of it all, though I don't think he could possibly mate in that condition.

Mottled duck male with injured right leg with loyal mate by his side

The gallinules have all disappeared except for one of them that comes over for some bread in the evenings and into the backyard for some seeds.  I have seen him across the canal alone.  I guess the others left to find mates and raise families.  I'd love to see some babies again this year but it is not looking promising.

Lonely gallinule across the canal