1. Delia Smith approaches the nest with hesitant steps, fi- nally entering. There she sits quietly for a long time, often for half an hour or more. She closes an eye or calmly places straw on her back, steadily becoming more excited. Now and then, Delia Smith raises her tail and spreads the feathers on her bot- tom. These movements gradu- ally become more regular.
2. Under her tail is a small opening - a horizontal slit about an inch wide. It is surrounded by a ribbed rim, arrayed with skin and feathers. This is called the vent.
3. Suddenly Delia Smith stands upright, her feet spread apart, tail raised, bottom-feath- ers splayed outwards and up- right. As her vent opens slight- ly, a red membrane begins to emerge.
4. As Delia Smith lowers her bottom, her vent widens rapidly and the rim is stretched further. The membrane forms a pinkish dome around the egg (which is not yet visible at this stage).
5. Delia Smith strains at intervals. With each push the egg protrudes a little more. As it is expelled, the membrane opens to form a scarlet collar around the wider middle por- tion of the egg. The membrane remains extended a little way from its ribbed edge.
6. The moist egg plops out. Sometimes it will emerge blunt-end first, sometimes point first. For a few seconds after the egg is laid, a small red cone of membrane remains exposed, but this is retracted almost im- mediately into the vent as it closes once again. Delia Smith stands high above the egg and rests. Her beak is open, panting after the heavy work.