Eastern Imperial Eagle

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts: Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum):

7.38 Altyn arrived with a large bundle of hay. (RU)/
7.38 Altyn arrives with a huge bouquet of straw. (LV)



Jumps into the nest. (LV)



Altyn literally pushes Altynai out. (RU)/
Literally pushed Altynai out of the burrow [nest bowl]. (LV)



Altynai flies away. (RU)/
Altynai departs (LV)

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum):

(LV)
8.00 Altynai returns. Altyn immediately gives way. And himself flies away.



(RU)
8:00 Altynai returns.
Altyn grumbled, and very reluctantly gave way and went to the left branch. Altynai sits down to incubate.

8:04 Altyn flies away.

8:58 Altynai gets up to stretch, inspect the eggs, clean the hole and turn the eggs over. And sits down to incubate again.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum)

9:08 Change (LV)



9:08 Altyn flies by from left to right. And turning around, he flies into the nest. Did (he) bring some kind of rag or a package again(?) (RU)

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Valda, via Latvian forum):

(LV)
9.38 change. Altynai brought a pine branch and sat down to brood. Altyn climbs on a branch, and flys away.



(RU)
9:38 Altynai returned with a pine branch. Altyn groaned and stood up.

The branch Altynai brought got stuck. She started fighting it. Altyn groans and waits. Altynai spat out (?) this stuck branch and jumped into the nest. Altyn gives way to her. Altynai sits down to incubate. Altyn went to the edge of the nest and works with a branch for a while.

9:41 Altyn flies away.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

From Tanajako (notes from VK chat):

12:50 Finally, Altynai gets up. Kneads her paws, examines the hole, rolls the eggs, & again sits down to incubate, changing position.

13:00 Altynai gets up again. Already for a longer rest and warm-up. Listens to the eggs, loosens and cleans the hole, rolls the eggs & incubates again.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum):

(LV)
13:43 Altin finally goes to the shift.



Puts the twig down.



Altynai changes.



Altynai departs.


(RU)
13:43 Altyn with a huge birch branch. He laid it on Altynai. She certainly could not resist such a gift))) And gives way to Altyn. Altyn sits down to incubate. Altynai flies away.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum):

(LV)
14:22 Altynai returns.



14.23 Altinaya sows brood and Altin departs.



(RU)
14:22 Altynai returned with poo. ​Shift change. Altynai sits down to incubate. Altyn flies away.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

From Tanajako (notes from VK chat):

15:26 Altynai gets up to warm up. He looks at the eggs, cleans himself. rolls eggs. And sits down again to incubate.

16:06 Another minute of rest - warm-up, airing, checking eggs and rolling.

17:37 And again a minute of rest. Stretch your cramped paws, inspect the eggs. Flip them over.

17:55 And again a warm-up with listening and rolling eggs. And back to work.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum):

(LV)
18.24 Altin departs for the evening shift with a bushy branch.



Altinaya flies away.



Altin's sitting brood.




(RU)
18:24 Altyn with a bouquet.

Shift change. Altynai is flying away. Happy Altyn sits down to incubate.

[Max Sonthonax]

21 May 2022 (Saturday):

Composite post from different accounts, Russian (Tanajako, via VK chat) & Latvian (Serafima, via Latvian forum):

(LV)
18.43 Altynai returns with a tuft of Moss.



Altyn is leaving.



(RU)
18:42 Altynai returned with poo.
Pushed Altyn out and sat down to incubate.
It wasn't a turd, it was moss.

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

02:27:05 - Altynai stands & repositions (back to us again). More nest bowl business, resettles.

03:10:01 - Altynai wakes up.

Looks like all Blue Hour was spent sleeping, otherwise.

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to post)

03:15:32 - Altyn's 1st arrival at the nest today (right branch), twig in beak. Only him sticking his head right into the nest bowl makes Altynai stand up from the eggs!

Her body (close to the camera) blocks whatever he's up to in there. One thing is clear: she's not leaving the nest! Yep, satisfied he's got to see & spend time with his eggs, Altyn hops onto the left branch.

Altynai slowly moves back onto the eggs...

03:19:42 - Altyn flies off.

Still screen captures from Latvian forum (by Serafima):

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

03:30:00 - Altynai is awake & looking about.

03:32:35 - Altynai leans to her left before standing up. (She reorients so her back is to the camera while she does some nest bowl business). She reorients more, then resettles.

03:40:44 - Altynai stands & reorients, resettling without any egg or bowl work.

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to post).

03:59:22 - Altyn returns, via left branch, hops straight into the nest, to which Altynai hops straight off & flies straight out of the nest! All fairly unusual!

Altyn actually brought a large, multi-branching twig/branch with him, but it got stuck in the tree limb ("left branch").

So Altynai went from being unwilling to yield incubating duties to wanting to get out of there immediately only 45 minutes later. No sign (nor sound) of intruders that I could see or hear).

Still screen captures from the Latvian forum (by Serafima):

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to post)

04:06:50 - Altynai returns via right branch, walks straight to the bowl, which Altyn yields immediately, hopping onto the left branch.

She paws & rolls the eggs with her beak while he perches.

04:08:02 - Altyn flies off. Altynai continues nest preparations, then settles.

Still screen captures from the Latvian forum (by Serafima):

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(I should make a clip & post it here)

04:49:47 - large bird flies high over the nest (visible), spotted & tracked by Altynai.

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to upload & post)

06:13:32 - Altynai stands & stretches wings before jumping onto the left branch to take off (flying).

(This is a very incomplete report, especially considering a video screen capture was made at the time. I am wondering if the following messages actually got deleted accidentally)...

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to upload & post)

[Mystery message] 06:06:54 - Altynai returns via left branch, with a splodge of manure in her beak, which she deposits once Altyn is clear of the nest bowl.

Both with their backs to us, Altyn heads slowly towards the right branch while Altynai considers the bowl before settling on the eggs.

So far it's been very difficult to get a glimpse at the egg shells, as often today the eagles end up with their backs to us between the camera & the eggs.

Altyn has a good gnaw on his ol' gnawing branch.

Altynai starts be-bopping into position as Altyn jumps up to the right branch.

06:44:42 - Altyn flies off.

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to post)

I see that long branch that got delivered & stranded on the left branch is still there!

07:24:25 - Altyn arrives via the left branch with a foliated twig (I still don't know the plant type they seem to be favouring now), which he drops on the periphery of the nest.

(One of them is doing that low goat-like sound)

Altyn patiently waits in front of Altynai, they meet beaks, then he presses his interest in a change-over, to which Altynai stands. Well, backs off awkwardly. She walks around him & makes for the left branch.

07:25:30 - Altynai flies off immediately on reaching the branch.


Still screen captures from the Latvian forum (by Serafima):

7.24 Altyn brings some more greens.



For which [he] gets the opportunity to sit on pebbles [the eggs].

[Max Sonthonax]

22 May 2022 (Sunday):

*(Note: clip made, yet to post)

07:52:32 - Altynai arrives back on the left branch. You can see Altyn anticipate her arrival with a head-tilt towards her incoming flight.

He starts to rise off the eggs before she's even hopped to the inner branch.

She has brought another small amount of manure, which she deposits into the bowl. He has already started heading to the right branch, via some more beak gnawing on a large twig near his favourite gnawing branch.

0753:35 - Altyn flies off, after hopping further down the right branch, gliding down & to the left, directly ahead of our view.

Still screen captures from the Latvian forum (by Serafima):

7.52 Altinaya returns.



Change.



Altyn is leaving.