Looduskalender

14:28 The chick's always eager to eat


14:48 But the wait continues another 20 minutes


14:49 The little one's beak is wide open

14:51 The feeding is short, and Dad is off to the left-hand section of the ledge as is his habit


14:52 The chick's extended neck is a sure sign of Dad's departure


15:42 So what's up next?

16:05 Moments before this scene, the chick started begging - but this adult griffon is no parent!


16:05 The visitor looks quite like Mom, but (s)he's carrying no wingtags


16:07 Tension!

16:09 The visitor shakes his/her head nervously quite a lot. The chick stopped begging right after the stranger's arrival. The stranger, however, merely touches the chick's feathers (close to the tail) perhaps pulling one of them very gently once


16:13 The guest is mainly occupied with his/her own plumage


16:15 The chick turns a little to the left, but keeps his/her head down, not daring to look at the visitor

16:17 This strange uncle/aunt is carrying a huge crop - a pity the chick couldn't take advantage...


16:19 The chick can finally breathe a sigh of relief


16:46 The little one goes bananas again

16:47 The chick called correctly this time


16:47 No cigar! Mom dropped in just to check if everything's all right


16:48 Disappointed?

17:40 Wing exercises are back


18:39 The chick's melted like ice-cream


19:13 Past 7 pm, the chick bursts into action

19:17 (S)he's all over the ledge


19:19 There's a bit of walking, a little running (!), and even two or three very low jumps (off both feet)


19:23 Looks like the chick is now in the home straight (or at the start of the runway)

19:56 It may take two or three weeks for the little one to get to the other end of the runway and take off for real - fingers crossed


20:27 Just 7 days short of a hundred now!


Good night!

The stranger, however, merely touches the chick's feathers (close to the tail) perhaps pulling one of them very gently once

A peaceful, calm visit ... a nice experience for the little one.

And the thriller about the first flight continues... .

Polly wrote: ↑May 26th, 2020, 8:18 am A peaceful, calm visit ... a nice experience for the little one.

And very different from the two visits that took place on 30 April. I'll illustrate those unhappy encounters here when I have the time... First, though, it's:

26 May

01:19 Sleeping in standing position seems to have become the norm


10:12 Good morning!


11:07 But lying down on your belly is still fun

11:22 That's more like it!


12:20 A curious little mynah


12:30 Encouraging scenes

12:36 For once my intention was to capture a landing parent, but I was a fraction late (of course the chick had alerted me - and half the desert - of an adult's approach by shaking his/her semi-extended wings)


12:36 The chick's down and on the ground - just the head is raised towrds Mom's beak


12:37 That is a lion's share - not a little vulture's

12:38 The chick keeps digging in Mom's generous beak


12:39 I want more


12:40 A little uncharacteristically, Mom runs away to the left (that's what Dad would normally do - the lady generally takes off from the highest point of the ledge, just in front of the chick in the picture)

12:41 Now you can tell she's just left


12:42 But that is not enough to make the chick stop


13:14 Here's a happy chick with a nice round bowtie

14:54 Is the little one checking on the Egyptians?


16:24 Well, that's exactly what the camera decides to do (the older of the two chicks is seen clearly, while the junior chick is just to his/her left)


18:41 Are we going to see some exercises?

18:48 Or maybe not?


18:59 This looks like a definite "no"


20:37 Good night!

27 May

03:28 The chick will have done some walking in the dark, but is still sleeping standing up


10:09 Dad's home (left), the chick is snoozing


10:10 Dad runs to check on the kid

10:11 Dad turns around and goes back to his spot


10:11 And again


10:12 It actually looks as though the chick has eaten too much and regurgitates - Dad's quick to clean up

10:13 And then the chick goes back to his/her begging ways


10:24 Bouts of begging continue as long as Dad remains on the ledge, but they are sporadic and short


12:17 Time for action