Estonian Eagle Owl Nest 2022, 2023, 2024

[Liz01]

Askja, thanks for the tip. It could have been Hanna

14:19 the oldest has lost almost all downy feathers


14:25 look at those big wing


15:14

[Liz01]

17:15 the boss is clacking with its beak. all are alarmed


Arrival Hanna


prey is brought.. a sweet little bird a owlet took it #3!

[Liz01]

the little bird

[Liz01]

17:17 crows are calling . Hanna is hooting and kind of "begging" so there was a food handover

another prey by Hanna or Hugo this time a bigger one


the prey. a owlet took it


it is no longer so easy for Hanna to go to the nest.

[Liz01]

Hanna is still in the nest . she's feeding #3 for 1 -2 minutes




I noticed that the two older ones didn't want Hanna to feed the sibling. They pushed Hanna and were clattering with their beaks

[Liz01]

17:20 she is gone after another break


17:35 crows are calling all time. #3 is hissing . I think Hanna is near. It is begging "cat song"

18:46

[Liz01]

18:54 owlet took the white-black feathered prey




and starts eating

19:16 I need a break

[Askja]

Good evening All! Liz, thank you again for a long day's work!

19:49 All owlets are stretched out flat and sleeping.
19:49 The nest is a mess you can hardly discern between sleeping owlets and half eaten prey

(PostImage isn't working. I try later again)

The stream is so bad that one has to wonder if customers must pay good money for such a performance.

20:30 still all three down :)

[Askja]

21:00 the owlets have woken up one by one. They do a PS, preen and stretch; one starts eating what lies about in the nest, one checks the pantry and the third looks out of the "window".
21:22 #2 (or 3) is eating white-feathered prey.

22:00 the owlets are very active now but I can't say what they are doing. I see only flash-like shreds of video.
22:31 #1 has got the large black bird out of the pantry; a few minutes later he starts eating from it.

23:02 The owlets are seeing something to the left, they're all lined up :)
23:04 yes, it's Hanna. She lands on the nest board with a small prey, something like a mouse. #2? swallows it immediately and clacks for more. Hanna looks briefly at her owlets, then flies away.
23:08 night view comes on.
23:13 #3 is hungry. he goes to the large black prey and tries to get some meat off it. He pulls on it, dragging it to the right. Nothing comes off for him, so, he gives up. (Is he not strong enough yet to hold the prey with his talons? It seems such a long time now that #1 has been able to feed himself. #3 is only 6 days younger... )

[Askja]

10.06.2023

00:00 the owlets have been sitting in exactly this same position for 20 minutes


01:00


01:13 Hanna arrives with a prey but I cannot see it. One owlet takes it and goes to the "back-window" with it. There he stands with his back to us and is busy with the prey. So it cannot have been a small one-bite prey. Hanna leaves a minute later.
01:16 #2? brings the new prey forward, it is a pretty small prey, perhaps a blackbird again? #1 is eating something else by the back panel. EDIT: First, I think it's probably #3 eating. Sec., It seems not to be a bird, rather perhaps a rodent like a water vole?

01:19 #3? eating a vole?, anyway, it is very cute to watch and my heart goes out to this little fellow, and I whisper to the screen "yes, hold tight, you can do it!" Btw., one owlet looks out of what I term the "back window". Descriptions aren't easy in this nest.

[Askja]

1:22 Owlet #3? learning to hold on to the prey if you want to tear a bite off. First: pull up... hmm, the whole thing comes up... Second: hold on... oh, that's hard work! Third: maybe if I stand on it...?


After that the stream went off for 3 minutes and I couldn't see how and if he could eat successfully.
01:40 all owlets are sleeping in a heap.

02:00 still sleeping
02:18 Hanna arrives with a larger prey. She takes it to the back panel. I couldn't get a decent screenshot of it.
02:20 Hanna flies away.
02:30 #1 pulls what looks like an older prey out of the pantry and starts eating.
02:45 #1 has finished eating.

03:07 #2 (left) has been eating from the older prey. #3 sneaks in from the side and finds that he can tear off little pieces....


...He then grabs the whole prey and pulls it away from under #2's nose. #2 looks somewhat astonished... even forgets to clack!


One question that goes through my mind: When do owlets learn to hoot? I couldn't find anything about that in studies and articles. I find it strange that we hear no voices of the owlets at all. From other nests I remember a lively twittering, especially when food arrived.

Good night!
03:09

[Liz01]

Askja, thank you for the great night report

Good morning all

3:40 they are resting in the left corner


4:45


5:57

[Liz01]

6:25 still there


7:09 .. there are break in the stream. Nothing happens till now.

[Liz01]

8:03 Crows are calling. Hanna came home




She is feeding her "baby" #3


8:18 she's still feeding

[Liz01]

8:12 is not easy for her. #3 is strong


8:19 little is still hissing. Hanna has finished feeding. she jumps on the right branch


8:20 she flew away

[Liz01]

8:38 the stream is pretty unstable and already after Hanna leaves

8:55 The stream is terrible. I stop for a while

[Liz01]

...One question that goes through my mind: When do owlets learn to hoot? I couldn't find anything about that in studies and articles. I find it strange that we hear no voices of the owlets at all. From other nests I remember a lively twittering, especially when food arrived.

As soon as the young owls have left the nest in the tree, in the nesting aid or on the ground, they start calling. This call can now be heard every day until they leave their parents' territory. And that reputation is actually what it's all about. It is not a begging call but a location or contact call that is used to tell each family member the respective location. Begging at an advanced age (over 70 days) can now also be heard and seen. They're still plucking their feathers, only now they're flapping their wings and trilling, rattling their beaks and even squeaking at times. This begging behavior and the sounds that accompany it are unmistakable.

https://www.brodowski-fotografie.de/beo ... guhus.html

[Liz01]

10:29 the stream stopped

I saw Hanna in the nest.. just one frame.. she is feeding #3

OK I found it.

11:11 Hugo brings a prey to the Kiddos.It's a small chick Looks like the chick he has brought yesterday. Little ducklings?
#1 took the little duckling




Hanna pushed Hugo out of nest She came like a fury around the corner behind the neat

[Liz01]

Then Hanna is feeding #3



11:20 little is eating a whole bird leg


11:21 Hanna jumps on the right branch . Little #3 is busy with the prey

11:23 Hanna flew off. Then I heard beak clattering. stream is off and on...

[Liz01]

video from the duckling delivery later...



Too bad the stream doesn't work well enough. Everything is a bit choppy

all are eating something
11:33 now the stream is off again