Black Stork Nest in Karula, 2021

[Heloise]

09:27 Udu is jumping and s/he is full of energy... (on the right)



... for example, to fight a bit

[Heloise]

09:30 they looking for food, collect and eat "something"...



Ah, Karl II, where are you?
Karl II is waiting for them somewhere by a brooklet?
In fact, it is a little worrying.



They are preening, walking a little... they do some nest work...

[Heloise]

Mom? Dad?



10:47

[Anne7]

Good morning, Swenja, Tatiana and Heloise

Still no parent(s).
I will take a look at OrniTrack, soon there should be a new data session.

[Heloise]

Hello, Anne7!
Thank you!


The weather is cool and windy.



They are trying to find some activity, but right now no one wants to fly anywhere...

[Anne7]

OrniTrack morning information

Flown distance till now: 24.1 km
Battery level: 61%

Karl II spent the night in a tree at about 4.5 km from the nest.

His working day started at 05:08.
He flew to a little brook at about 4 km from the nest.
Next he flew to a brook near a lake at 9 km from the nest.
Next he flew to a brook at about 20 km from the nest.
At 10:37 (last known data) Karl II was still fishing on that brook.


It looks like he doesn't find enough food for his storklets at the moment...

[Heloise]

Many thanks, Anne7!

And only recently was there a day when Karl II brought food very often...

-----------

Do not disturb! I really want to sleep...



11:20

[Tatiana60]

It seems that Pikne has found an interesting point for attacks from Tuul - these are his legs and tail, but this is not a beak, where you can get a response... at least there is time to move away...
It's not raining today, but the wind is blowing... quite strong for children's flights...
The time is filled with Tuul's courtship of Udu and the fact that Pikne walks around the nest, periodically breaks the camera and touches those who pass by...

11: 12: 31 Tuul at the camera, Pikne to the right of him, Uddu on the right edge of the nest

Sometimes the Internet goes off somewhere at home, but I try not to miss anything, because soon the flight of the chickens and, possibly, the last arrival of Kaia.

[Anne7]

Many thanks, Anne7!
And only recently was there a day when Karl II brought food very often...

I received a couple of emails from Urmas on Saturday evening and during the course of Sunday.
As I did not know if I was allowed to share this information (and these pictures) on the forum, I sent him the question on Sunday afternoon.
I have not yet had an answer from Urmas. He is currently very busy and is most probably rarely on his computer.

So I take the risk and share what he told me. It may explain why suddenly there is less food available on the nest.


On Saturday:

" ... We were cautious with food shortage in Black Stork home ranges, therefore started some additional feeding in few sites. Today Karl the 2nd found one of those sites where automatic camera and therefore would like to share those pictures also to you. According brief look it seems to me that twice Karl brought from feeding place fish to nest. Chicks are full now, but I suppose Karl will do once more feeding today, maybe? Here herons did not find feeding place, yet. If they find, there is few chances to feed storks later...

Photos with time code enclosed (those are sent remotely from camera, therefore low quality). It is about 10 km of nest and we would like to get know if there are feeding more Black Storks (other pair maybe, like local farmers told). ..."

[Anne7]

On Sunday

"... picture of today, rain at night rised water level, but still fish in cage ..."



... and after feeding chicks in 7:35 back in feeding place. Sunny place that time. ...

[Anne7]

Also on Sunday

"... Some more visits of Karl, can be related to feedings on nest. After 10km flights there and back. ..."








I suppose that the herons found this feeding site since then...

[Heloise]

Thanks a lot, Anne7!
... that may really be the reason...


It's a pity that seemingly adult birds can't get food for themselves (and they don't dare try to fly)...

(I have no idea how they learn to get food. Are they with Karl II then?
Or do they have to experiment with how to find food themselves?)

[Tatiana60]

11: 36 Some birds near the nest... it looks like big crows


The north wind is strengthening.


11: 53 the wind is a little quieter. The chicks are cleaning their feathers, Tuul is looking for something in the nest...

[Heloise]

11:30


A "little" visitor almost covers the screen

[Anne7]

(I have no idea how they learn to get food. Are they with Karl II then?
Or do they have to experiment with how to find food themselves?)

I think the storklets do not learn how to fish from their parents.
They have to discover it all by themselves, in the first weeks of their independent existence.
By trial and error...
I remember a post about this by Urmas, a very long time ago.
And it is also mentioned in a scientific article.

I will have to search hard to find these references back.

[Heloise]

Anne7, maybe I'll find articles in Estonian myself, thank you!

[Heloise]

12:04 Udu is "flying"

https://i.postimg.cc/TPCsDXwL/Screensho ... u-Tube.jpg

And Tuul...
12:12



S/he landed on the curved branch!



Swenja, this pic is for you

[Tatiana60]

12: 12 somewhere not far to the right, a tree collapsed...

[Liz01]

(I have no idea how they learn to get food. Are they with Karl II then?
Or do they have to experiment with how to find food themselves?)

Heloise

Adults will show them how to find food. Without that- they don't ! They would starve. We have seen it on FB.
a juvenile that was taken from the nest because it could not fly.
It was released after the winter ... at the end of March. It was found, almost starved to death! I was not able to find food

[Liz01]

....
" ... We were cautious with food shortage in Black Stork home ranges, therefore started some additional feeding in few sites. ......[/color]....

Anne, thank you very much for sharing