Video: Morning stick antics and a stick dance. The kids need to practice duck-and-cover drills. 😀
Video: When your sibling gets ahead in the lunch line, pull his tail!
Video: #3 finally started instigating sparring matches (a healthy development!). #2 seemed reluctant to participate, at first, but then reminded #3 who’s the boss for now with a beak grab and two missed pecks. #3 immediately–and wisely–cried uncle and took the submissive posture.
In this vid, mom loses a live fish in the rails and sends dad for another one. He gets back in about three minutes! There is also a very short bout of bonking/rivalry, more blackbird antics, and a full meal. 🙂
Feedings (7+)
05:45 Small meal from a dry tail
07:55 Fresh fish and a good meal.
09:03 Dad fed mom and #3 for a long time before mom took over.
11:09 Live fish.
13:14 Live bluegill. (after losing one in the rails at 13:08)
14:10
16:42
(more feedings with times not documented)
Other events
#3 got accidentally knocked to his back at 17:09 by mom (from the side of the nest cup down into the cup). Mom and #2 then snuggled down. He was trapped for just shy of an hour before mom got up. Her digging disturbed #2, who moved to the side, and a minute later, #3 was able to struggle upright. Whew! (Suffocation in that situation is a risk.)
Video: Live fish in the nest cup, plus #3 topples #2. (The chicks were unharmed.)
Week 2 Aggression
#3 is seven days old today, and #2 is nine days.
Week 2 is the peak time for aggression and sibling rivalry even when there are no fish shortages. This is a normal stage of development and, because of the abundance of fish, tends to taper off after week 2.
Typically on this nest, “bonking,” sparring, and aggression take place between meals and at the beginning of meals, with the meal itself being peaceful once the less dominant chick assumes a submissive posture with head down. This subdued, head-down posture does not mean the chick is injured, only that it is is signaling, “Okay okay okay! You win for now!”
Once dominance has been established, either the dominant chick will eat to satiety, then the less dominant will get some leftovers, or the meal will proceed as if nothing had happened, with the chicks eating side-by-side. If the rivalry starts up again during the meal, the cycle may repeat. This is a normal pattern among osprey chicks.
The behavior serves an overall survival purpose for a brood in general, though brutal on the smallest individuals. When there is plentiful fish, the behavior typically tapers off. But in a nest with scarce food resources, the aggression may be brutal from the beginning (with no cooperative feeding) and continue well beyond the first two weeks, even to the point of siblicide. This helps assure survival of the strongest chick or chicks. From a nest-success perspective, it’s better to have one or two thriving fledglings than three or four weak ones. Nature can be just as harsh as she is beautiful!
Over the next few days, as #3 enters his second week, we’re likely to see him defending himself sometimes and even picking a fight on occasion. Hopefully, by the first days of June, they’ll be in a gentler period.
In the first video, #2 first “attacks” mom, then pecks at #3 a few times, seeming to miss as much as hit. #3 takes the best action under the circumstances and goes into a still, submissive posture. #2 is starting to do the pinch-and-twist move, now, rather than simple pecking. A milestone!
In the second video, mom accidentally steps on #2’s head, and #2 gets up and lashes out.
Feedings (10)
06:38
07:40
09:00
10:00
12:38
14:07
15:24
17:23
18:35 Live fish in the nest!
19:35
Other events
An intruder landed with a fish at 12:33, and mom drove him off. This was not the visitor from a few days ago. (vids from both cams coming later)
Dad let a live trout loose in the nest and it ended up in the cup with the chicks–a new experience for them! Mom chose to eat an old, dry tail, but eventually retrieved the trout.
The day dawned with the welcome glow of sunshine, and apart from some wind in the afternoon, seemed a near perfect weather day for our osprey family. The nest seems to have dried out and the forecast for the near future is bright.
The chicks had seven meals and both ate heartily. There were a couple of episodes of short-lived bonking, but not during meal times. #3 was quite nimble (for an osprey chick!) in climbing out of the cup and had no trouble reaching the rail for fish, often ahead of #2. Though there is still a considerable size difference, it doesn’t seem as pronounced today.
Here’s to a great and fish-full weekend!
Feedings (7)
🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟
06:56 Mom fed both chicks from a huge fish until stuffed. At one point, #3 grabbed #2’s beak and toppled her into the nest cup. #2 was right up front and not shy about grabbing for bites.
08:54 Dad brought back the big fish and mom had a good meal before feeding the chicks again.
09:46 After mom had more fish, she fed the chicks a snack-meal. They weren’t begging much, having had two good meal earlier. There was a bit of bonking before the meal, and #2 got most of the snack.
10:39 Bonking before the feeding started, then mom was blocking the view during most of the feeding, but from what could be seen, both ate until they fell asleep.
12:40 Lunch time! Both chicks ate voraciously. #3 had a bite that was too big, and #2 stole it from him. (noted by Beth)
16:41 The youngsters came right up to the rail to gorge on a big fish. There was a little bonking shortly before the fish arrived, but the meal was peaceful.
18:55 #3 fast-crawled out of the cup and to dad on the rail with a fish. Dad fed mom and #3 a few bites before mom took the fish and fed both chicks.
Other events
Non-osprey. A cormorant caught a fish and was trying to subdue and swallow it when a pelican glided in to steal it. I don’t think the pelican got the fish, but I suspect the cormorant lost it. (vid below)
From the OSMP (Boulder City) nest: A pair of ravens harassed the brooding female, likely in an attempt to steal her single egg. They failed, but it shows how vulnerable the eggs can be to predation. (vid below)
#2 hit dad with a squirt after dinner. (vid below) 😀
Video: Pelican tries to steal a fish from a cormorant.
Video: Ravens harass the brooding OSMP female.
Check out the shadows in the lower left corner when the ravens are out of view to see them flying over the nest.
What a difference a day makes! After yesterday’s worries with wet chicks and hypothermia, today gave us the chance to breathe a sigh of relief. The morning started off with a visitor (possibly and offspring) spending some quality time hanging out with mom. The rest of the day was calm, with ten feedings and both chicks eating heartily.
#3 is a little behind the curve in size, but should catch up soon. He didn’t have a lot of fish his first couple of days, then there was snow and fewer feedings, then he had the issue with an obstruction and missed a few meals. He’s been eating like a champ since yesterday morning, and will be growing fast!
#2 hit a milestone of the first “bonking” (striking with beak at a sibling’s head). On this nest, the most prominent time for this is from day 7 though the second week. (More info below.)
There was a bit of rain before sunset, but all in all a glorious day for our osprey family.
Morning visitor
05:41 Male visitor lands on the nest. Mom makes a couple of get-off-my-nest moves, but no lunges. Then she goes to the rail and is calm.
05:42 Mom is calm on the rail. Visitor does nestorations.
O5:45 mom returns to chicks. Visitor on the rail.
05:46 Visitor puts a stick on mom.
05:54 Visitor picks up leftover fish and eats.
05:55 Visitor departs with fish.
06:10 Visitor returns with fish and mom fish calls to him.
06:11-06:47 Visitor putters around the nest and hangs out on the rail.
06:47 Visitor flies off and then returns. mom is fish-calling.
06:48 Dad arrives with a fresh fish. Visitor is interested. Dad lets go of the fish and visitor heads for it, but then dad picks up the fish again and flies off.
06:49 visitor flies off.
08:02 Visitor lands on nest again briefly with mom giving excited guard calls. Stays only a moment and flees dad.
Handsome visitor chills on the rail.
Video: Visitor places a stick on mom, and she is not impressed.
VIDEO: The visitor is on the far left at the beginning, then flies off and returns on the right. Mom started fish calling as she saw dad (off-nest) with a fish.
Dad brought in a fish, and was giving the soft peeps he does when all is well. He released hold of the fish, and it looked for a moment like the visitor might take it, but dad seemed to think better of it, reacquired the fish and flew off. The visitor followed. (A short time later, both mom and dad warned the visitor off when he returned.)
Feedings (9)
🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟
07:52 Mom ate before starting to feed the chicks. Both ate voraciously.
09:41 Both ate from a fresh trout. #3 had the most.
10:46 Another feeding! Both ate, and all is calm.
11:57 Lots of fish to be had, along with a close up of the chicks.
13:34 Both chicks ate well and had full crops.
15:34 More fish! #2 took the lead after possible “bonking.” #3 came in late, but mom was done with the feeding and swallowed the tail.
16:44 The chicks ate, but neither was enthusiastic. They are soooo full of fish.
17:44 A good feeding with both (already stuffed) chicks getting bites, though #2 got the lion’s share of this one. Mom repeatedly tried to feed her a long piece of entrails, but she couldn’t manage it. 🙂
18:41 Mealtime! #2 bonked #3 a few times, then they settled in for a food meal. The chicks are so stuffed, they ate didn’t bother to get up for a lot of the bites. Like having dinner on the sofa!
20:14 Last meal (probably!) of the day. Wow. The chicks ate and ate. Where do they put all of it?
VIDEO: Mom and #3 eat fish eyes. Mom eats the first fish eye, then feeds the second to #3, who drops it. Mom dutifully retrieves if and re-feeds. #3 had no trouble with it the second time!
Notes
We had the first incident of “bonking” this morning. Historically for this nest, the sibling rivalry stage runs from about day 7 through the end of the second week. (Chick #2 is seven days old today, so right on target!) There may be incidents after that, but that has been the peak period in previous years. This is a perfectly normal developmental stage, though it can be tough to watch sometimes. On this nest, there is usually plenty of fish, so the behavior has never persisted or grown deadly. We’ll observe to see what this season brings!
After a cold, wet night when both chicks were at serious risk, the day held promise. Both chicks ate, though perhaps not as voraciously as expected until the evening meal. Intermittent sluggishness seemed to be the most noted behavior, with the overnight and morning cold likely to be the culprit. There were improvements throughout the day, with the 6pm-ish feeding being the most normal since yesterday morning, and both chicks looking good at the same time for the first time today. At the 7pm feeding, both seemed robust with full crops. Whew!
Hypothermia risk: During the night (with temperatures in the 30s) and in the morning, #2 exhibited signs of potential hypothermia (see notes below). We don’t know for sure if hypothermia wass the cause, but based on the conditions yesterday and through the night plus behavior, it appears to be the likeliest explanation, but still best-guess speculation.
With mild to moderate hypothermia, there shouldn’t be any long term complications, and the outward signs abated once she got adequately warm and dry.
Moderate hypothermia: slow, weak pulse, slowed breathing, lack of co-ordination, irritability, confusion and sleepy behavior
The above is for humans, but it parallels what was seen in #2 overnight, as well as this morning, though less pronounced. The bolded parts could be observed. The others may have been present, but we have no way to know.
The body of chick #1: Today, mom carried off the body of chick #1. She first removed it from the nest cup, then shortly thereafter, flew off with it
It’s almost always a full day before she removes deceased chick’s. I don’t know what triggers her decision/instinct to remove it, but she seems to fixate on it once that moment hits.
Sometimes the deceased chicks are carried off, and sometimes just moved to the rails. When she carries them off, she starts out with them in her beak, unlike with a fish where she would leave the nest with it in her talons. This year, we had the benefit of cam 2, which showed that as soon as she left the nest, she transferred the body to her talons.
As for what she does after that, my best guess would be that she drops the body at a distance from the nest. Today, she returned quite quickly.
VIDEO: Mom removes the body of #1 from the nest (full version — scroll down for the safe/non-graphic version) (Trigger warning: This video shows both the deceased chick and mom moving the body. Please don’t click on the video if you don’t want to see it.)
VIDEO: Mom removes the body of #1 from the nest (“safe” version) (No graphic imagery and is from cam 2 only)
Feedings
06:45 Both ate, though #3 had trouble with some of the bites. #2 fell asleep after a the first bites, but woke up to eat more. She appeared a tad sluggish overall.
08:50 Both ate, though #2 was sluggish and didn’t eat much. #3 seemed to eat his fill.
10:17
11:30 Both chicks were a bit lethargic, and it was a light feeding with neither chick begging much. #3 had a bite or two. #2 had more, but not a full meal, and her crop still looked empty at the end.
15:33 #3 went to mom for fish, but didn’t beg and slept.
17:50 Both chicks ate well and looked the best they have since yesterday morning.
18:55 Both ate a bit, but their crops were full at the beginning. Looking robust! Finally!
First feeding after a tough night
Notes
01:25-01:34: Mom got up and knocked #3 to his back. The movements looked abnormal, to me. When righted, he didn’t lift his head, and he seemed awkward when moving. Given the bone obstruction from earlier, was concerning.
During this time, #2 had her head up and did some fairly continuous beak gaping, which was unusual. She even worked her way out from under mom to gape in front of her. Not normal. Anything unusual is worthy of watching closely and is worrying. The gaping continued beyond the time frame noted above for a total of about 15 minutes before finally being under mom again.
Hypothermia is a very real possibility, especially if #2 is damp, and the gaping is reminiscent of #1 right before they perished.
(I’m using him and her arbitrarily just to help distinguish between the two.)
02:29 UPDATE: #2 worked her way out in front of mom again, did some gaping, then mom got her back under about three minutes later.
03:07 UPDATE: Mom got up to go to the rail for a minute. Both chicks stayed fairly still in the nest cup at first, then #3 jerked his head up and flopped to the side, before righting himself. #2 didn’t move significantly until mom stepped on her when she returned to the cup, at which time she lifted then dropped her head and wriggled a bit.
05:20 Mom is off. Both chicks are moving with nothing obvious wrong. #3 did a little begging when mom and dad were near. #2 didn’t beg, but did track them. As of 5:30, mom is back on and dad is gone, hopefully to get a fish. Mealtime will give us a lot more info.
Mom has mud on her beak from aerating the cup, indicating that the bedding is damp to wet.
07:18 The first feeding (06:50) after that very tough night was a success. #3 seemed feisty and robust, so we can assume the problem bone digested. Whew!
#2 ate, but took a break in the middle of the meal and appeared a tad sluggish.
#2’s abnormal gaping (trigger warning: the body of the deceased chick is visible in this video, so please don’t watch if it will distress you)
We may start to see the beginnings of sibling rivalry over the next week, a stage that typically tapers off at this nest by the end of the chicks’ second week.
The tragic demise of #1
It seems the demise of #1 this morning was ultimately due to hypothermia, but it was an unhappy accident that led to it. When mom left the nest cup, there was a tall wall of snow around it; # 1 wouldn’t have been able to climb the barrier. However, mom found the old large trout tail from yesterday and pulled it up out of the snow, creating a clear pathway for the chick.
#1 climbed into the snow “canyon” and had a meal while bounded on both sides and in front by wet snow. This situation not only chilled the chick and got it wet, but made it extremely difficult for it to move or turn around, making a return to the nest cup in time an impossibility in the end. RIP, little one. 🙁
The snow wall around the nest cup when mom left. Mom pulling the fish free from the snow. The narrow “canyon” created. #1 in the snow canyon while eating #1 blocking #2’s way (a small blessing)
We lost #1 in the early morning hours of May 21, due to exposure, just after the first feeding. (scroll down for more info)
Both chicks ate for the morning feeding (May 22). #3 looks robust. #2, a bit sluggish, but ate.
Timeline from the evening of the 21st through morning of 22nd
19:37 UPDATE: #3 is having a serious issue. He took in a very long and thin fish bone during the 17:54 feeding, which could be seen protruding from the throat into the mouth area. This caused head shaking, and though he continued to try to take bites, he would shake each out. This went on for some minutes until mom sat down again, with him still shaking his head. He came out for the next feeding, still head-shaking, but went toward mom and the fish. He was still having trouble, and a minute later was in clear distress after trying to take bites. Mom is on the chicks again, so we’re monitoring closely to see how this unfolds when she gets up.
Fingers, toes, and talons crossed that he can clear the obstruction. Bless his little heart.
21:30 UPDATE: There was another feeding a little after 8pm and #3 participated, seeming to swallow some small bites. There were still signs of some distress, but little head shaking. He looked much better than the earlier two feedings, so it’s possible the end of the bone is digesting. We remain hopeful that this will resolve, but the little one isn’t out of the woods, yet.
23:16 UPDATE: Both chicks have been spotted wriggling when mom moved enough to give a quick peek. We may not know much more until the next meal.
23:27 UPDATE: Mom took a brief break and #2 seemed normal. #3 made some jerky head movements, but it’s unknown if this is related to the obstruction issue.
23:48 UPDATE: Another quick peek, and #3 again made jerky movements.
01:25-01:34 UPDATE: Mom got up and knocked #3 to his back. The movements looked abnormal, to me. When righted, he didn’t lift his head, and he seemed awkward when moving. Given what has gone before with him today, it’s concerning.
During this time, #2 had her head up and did some fairly continuous beak gaping, which was unusual. She even worked her way out from under mom to gape in front of her. Not normal. Anything unusual is worthy of watching closely and is worrying. The gaping continued beyond the time frame noted above for a total of about 15 minutes before finally being under mom again.
Hypothermia is a very real possibility, especially if #2 is damp, and the gaping is reminiscent of #1 right before they perished.
(I’m using him and her arbitrarily just to help distinguish between the two.)
02:29 UPDATE: #2 worked her way out in front of mom again, did some gaping, then mom got her back under about three minutes later.
03:07 UPDATE: Mom got up to go to the rail for a minute. Both chicks stayed fairly still in the nest cup at first, then #3 jerked his head up and flopped to the side, before righting himself. #2 didn’t move significantly until mom stepped on her when she returned to the cup, at which time she lifted then dropped her head and wriggled a bit.
05:20 Mom is off. Both chicks are moving with nothing obvious wrong. #3 did a little begging when mom and dad were near. #2 didn’t beg, but did track them. As of 5:30, mom is back on and dad is gone, hopefully to get a fish. Mealtime will give us a lot more info.
Mom has mud on her beak from aerating the cup, indicating that the bedding is damp to wet.
07:18 The first feeding (06:50) after that very tough night was a success. #3 seemed feisty and robust, so we can assume the problem bone digested. Whew!
#2 ate, but took a break in the middle of the meal and appeared a tad sluggish.
#2’s abnormal gaping (trigger warning: the body of the deceased chick is visible in this video, so please don’t watch if it will distress you)
Ages
#2: 5 days | #3: 3 days
Feedings, May 21
05:57 Mom was eating an old fish tail on the rail when #1 climbed out and into the snow. #1 ate for a while, then became sluggish.
09:37 #2 and #3 had a good feeding from a fresh fish.
10:43 Mom fed a few bites.
13:09 Mom fed the chicks from the last of yesterday’s fish tail.
14:40 A trout meal for both chicks. Crop development on #2 is evident (though still has a few days to go), and there are hints of one on #3.
16:13 Fresh fish for a good meal.
17:54 #3 took in a fish bone that lodged in his throat and caused head-shaking and distress.
19:10 #3 continues to be in ditress during theis feeding and unable to swallow bites properly.
20:30 #3 seemed able to swallow some small bites and was in much less distress than the previous feeding.
A meal for #2 and #3
We may start to see the beginnings of sibling rivalry over the next week, a stage that typically tapers off at this nest by the end of the chicks’ second week.
The tragic demise of #1
It seems the demise of #1 this morning was ultimately due to hypothermia, but it was an unhappy accident that led to it. When mom left the nest cup, there was a tall wall of snow around it; # 1 wouldn’t have been able to climb the barrier. However, mom found the old large trout tail from yesterday and pulled it up out of the snow, creating a clear pathway for the chick.
#1 climbed into the snow “canyon” and had a meal while bounded on both sides and in front by wet snow. This situation not only chilled the chick and got it wet, but made it extremely difficult for it to move or turn around, making a return to the nest cup in time an impossibility in the end. RIP, little one. 🙁
The snow wall around the nest cup when mom left. Mom pulling the fish free from the snow. The narrow “canyon” created. #1 in the snow canyon while eating #1 blocking #2’s way (a small blessing)
07:09 #1 and #2 ate. #3 was at the back. Dad fed one small piece.
08:20 #1 climbed out of the nest cup to where mom was on the rail. #2 almost made it out of the cup, but the feeding was over by that time. #3 stayed in the cup.
10:35 Dad brought in half a fish, and at 10:41, fed mom some bites, after which she got up to take the fish. #1 and #2 ate, then #3 got a couple of bites after they fell asleep (a fairly typical feeding pattern for the youngest).
12:11 All three had bites this time.
13:03 Dad fed mom some bites before she got up for the fish. Dad gave a single bite to #2. Both #1 and #2 climbed out of the cup and went to the rail for their meal. #3 didn’t get any bites this time.
14:59 Mom fed leftovers, and the skin of the big trout was very tough, though the flesh looked good. #3 had a bite at the end, but I don’t think got it swallowed.
15:57 Mom fed a few bites of a new, smaller trout. #3 got one of the bites, but didn’t swallow the whole thing (part got stuck on their beak).
18:08 This was a feeding from the leftover 14:59 trout. #1 ate the most, followed by #2. #3 tumbled onto their back and out of the line up three times and ended up with no bites.
This was a dreary day, for our osprey family with rain and drizzle and not a hint of sunshine. That didn’t stop dad from bringing in fish, and there were a total of eight meals. #1 and #2 ate heartily. #3’s best meal was at lunchtime, with only a bite or two received at a few other meals. The first days are always tough for the smallest of the brood, but historically on this nest, they have lived to thrive.
Both #1 and #2 hit the developmental milestone of clambering out of the nest cup to go to mom on the rail for fish. This left #3 at a disadvantage for those meals, but that will hopefully change in the next couple of days.
Tonight’s forecast calls for snow (1-3 inches) with light snow and drizzle on Tuesday and a high in the mid-forties. It seems the Longmont chicks always get a taste of May snow when they are wee ones.
Overall, it was a quiet day that left us wishing #3 had had a bit more fish, all while knowing what they had was adequate (supplemented by the remnants of the yolk sac), if not abundant. If all goes well, they’ll soon be shouldering between their siblings on the rail and demanding first bite!
We may start to see the beginnings of sibling rivalry over the next week, a stage that typically tapers off at this nest by the end of the chicks’ second week.
Other Activity
08:50 Dad brought in a new piece of plastic.
Rain rain rain. Drizzle drizzle drizzle.
#3 gets some good bites of lunch.
Images
VIDEO: A nip and tumble! As #1 and #2 were crawling out of the cup, #2 nipped at #1’s head and the both got off balance and went tumbling back into the cup. It took them a moment to reorient, but they were soon back up and out of the cup.
#3 tumbles three times at dinner feeding
VIDEO: Lunch feeding at double speed
VIDEO:Mom took a break at about a quarter past 3 in the morning.
What a great first full day for #3! There were a total of ten feedings, with #3 getting bites in about 75% of them, and the other two eating well. It takes about a week for a chick’s crop to develop, and the crops of the older two are starting to show a bit. In another few days, we’ll be seeing them with the familiar swallowed-a-pool-ball look.
Quite a few sticks were brought in as mom and dad continue to fortify the railings in preparation for the chicks’ adventures in the nest bowl. Safety first! There were a couple of intruder fly-bys but nothing unusual. Mom and dad were spooked off the nest at one point, likely by a flyer (possibly an eagle–easier to defend if airborne), but mom also alarmed over something on the ground after dark and flew off the nest, giving #3 a tumble in the cup in the process.
All in all, it was a good day for our osprey family, with plenty to eat and minimal disruptions–though it looks like they are in for hail and some rain for the night.
Thanks to all the chatters who tracked various activities while I’m not feeling well.
Hatch Info
#1: May 16, 11:11
40 days of incubation.
#2: May 16, 16:37
37 days incubation
#3: May 18, 17:33
36 days incubation
Feedings 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟
06:06 #1 and #2 ate well. #3 was gaping, but only got one (possible) bite. (see note below on food for the first day)
07:49 #1 and #2 ate. #3 had a small bite, but it’s unclear if they swallowed it.
09:13 #1 and #2 ate, with #3 getting a couple of small bites (and swallowing them!).
10:24 All ate! We are beginning to see some crop development in the older chicks.
11:40 Likely feeding (only viewable via cam 2)
14:16 Feeding with dad blocking the view. 🙂
15:23 Mom found a leftover fish tail, ate some herself, then fed all of the chicks.
17:04 This meal was a small and messy catfish. Dad blocked half of the view, but enough could be seen to confirm the chicks ate plenty.
18:03 Yet another fish and another meal! #1 and #2 ate.
19:03 A large, fresh fish, but mom fed the leftovers instead. The kids are so full at the beginning it looks like it is a lot of work to eat. 😀 #1 and #2 ate.
Just a note about food during the first 24 hours or so after hatch . . .
Before hatching, the chick pulls whatever is left of the yolk sac into its abdomen. It will be “eating” on that for the first day or so after hatch, so, even though eating fish is great, there’s no need for concern if a new chick doesn’t eat much fishy goodness during the first day.
On this nest, they usually do eat on the first day because of the abundance of fish and good parenting, but no worries if it’s a lighter meal.
Other Activity
A number of sticks were brought in throughout the day.
There was a close pass by an intruder at about 16:57, just after dad landed on the perch with a catfish.
At 20:40, something on the ground caused mom to give alarm calls and fly off. A strand of bark was tangled around her foot and #3, and the chick got tumbled when she flew off, but was okay after that rude awakening from sleep.
Stick antics x 2! One fat stick and mom helps with the small one.
Identification from behind
Size
#3 is (currently) the smallest
Coloration
#1: the lightest
#2: the darkest
#3: dark, but not quite as dark as #2
Dorsal stripe
#1: wide and consistent width
#2: narrow and consistent width
#3: narrow between shoulder and wider near tail
***
Left to right: #2, #3, #1
Images
To play as a slide show, simply click the first image and it will autoplay.
07:18 Fish delivery with chick feeding starting at 07:19 after mom had a quick few bites. Both chicks ate well. (5 min feeding)
08:34 Dad brought the fish back, and mom had another snack before starting to feed the chicks a couple of minutes later. (5 min feeding)
09:40 Mom did another feeding with the last of the early morning fish. These little ones are well fed!
11:36 Dad brought in a large, headless fish. Mom ate a little before starting to feed the chicks.
13:56 Dad returned with the last of the large fish, and the chicks had another meal.
16:36 Dad brought in another large, headless fish, and the chicks are ready to eat again!
18:00 Not long after #3 hatched, #1 and #2 had another meal before settling in for the night.
Other Activity
There were quite a few sticks brought in during the morning hours.
12:45ish Rain started, and mom hunkered down. It only lasted an hour or so.
14:24 Intruder in the area.
15:31 Ground report by Jenny: Mom had a bath! She arrived shortly thereafter wet on the perch.
The big news of the day is that chick #3 hatched at 17:33. Welcome to the world, little one! There was a meal at 18:00, but it was too soon after hatch for #3 to participate.
There were seven meals from three large fish, and the “twins” ate themselves to sleep multiple times, including falling asleep in the middle of lunch only to wake up and eat more.
Sunday is a big day, with it being the first full day for #3, including its first meal. Exciting times!
Fortunately, ID will be easy with these two for a while. #2 is darker than #1 and has a narrower stripe. #1 (near) and #2 (far)
Images
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