Golden Eagle Webcam Nest 2022

[Ravens]

[Ravens]

13:31:07 - Two hours and eight minutes spent at the eyrie. Off Margit flies towards the peat bog.



13:31:46 - She circles back, flying high and continuing to vocalize.

[Ravens]

2022-08-04

Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea). Cloned, though there were a pair in the nest at one point.



Some vocalizations from Margit (one noted in an hour, incomplete):
06:29:00 - 08:35:48 -09:16:28 - 11:37:48 - 12:19:16 -13:44:53 - 14:29:55 -

15:17:05 - Margit is vocalizing again when a shadow passes over the tall, triangular conifer beyond the curved branch. Is it her's or the parent she is tracking?
15:17:16 - Her calls are excited and overlap with the shorter calls of a quieter golden eagle.

Perhaps she couldn't keep up with them, or has simply lost track. Margit alights in the nest.





15:21:54 - She leaves from the far left branch after four minutes. She is anxious to get their attention.

[Ravens]

15:22:22 - A minute later, and Margit returns, alighting above the nest.





One day she will be able to keep up with her parents, and learn where the hunting grounds are located.
For now, she continues to eagerly broadcast hunger and her own location.

[Ravens]

Onto the curved branch.



And off.



15:56:38 - Then up to the far left branch.

[Ravens]

16:16:30 - Margit leaves after fifty four minutes.



16:16:55 - She alights in a distant central conifer, less than a minute later.



16:28:11 - And away in twelve, calls growing fainter into the distance.

[Ravens]

Another twelve minutes, and a return.

[Ravens]

16:46:10 - Margit hops back into the nest proper for a short spell.



18:21:24 - Another species of bird audibly surprises her as they fly over. She calls to them anxiously, before realizing her mistake.

[Ravens]

18:22:53 - Motion catches her eye. A little momentary distraction.



A warble. Preparing to leave after perching for a while.



18:30:09 - Margit moves to the far left branch, calling.
18:32:02 - She leaves after two hours and two minutes at the eyrie.
Her vocalizations are excited, largely incessant. Did she finally lock onto Kalju or Helju's position? Good luck!

[akle]

Thanks for keeping Margit under close surveillance. For how long will she be expected to use her birth place as base?

[Johan47]

Raven,
Thank you again for your contributions. They're valuable! Funny comments every once in a while, we need that! All references to research on nature are very interesting additional information. Good luck!

[Ravens]

Thanks for keeping Margit under close surveillance. For how long will she be expected to use her birth place as base?

Raven,
Thank you again for your contributions. They're valuable! Funny comments every once in a while, we need that! All references to research on nature are very interesting additional information. Good luck!

You're both welcome. Glad you find it so, Johan. I can keep this up. Everything is fine. ;>> Hee hee! ouch.

akle, posts can get buried fast, can't they? I will partially requote the knowledgeable Urmas for you:

...In general, as much as we know currently, our juvenile Golden Eagles stay in home bogs up to Oct-Nov and then start to move south. Not far, but up to 1000km. Next spring they tend to move north of home country, but as northern border of Estonia means also sea, not the favor habitat for Golden Eagles, they have to choose eastwards way around the sea. Some (few) juvenile individuals stay here for winter. Many dangers on their ways, mostly power lines, wind turbines, traffic, shortage of food, parasites, food contamination (mainly lead of hunting ammunition), etc. To avoid all that during first five years of life before breeding provides challenge to every individual. And most probably, we don't know all the problems we humans provide for them.

2022-08-05

And now. The daily report.

Margit speaks (pssa, pssa, pssa!):
06:31:56. 09:28:14.

09:51:46 - Someone in eagle shape flies off towards the peat bog. It sounds as if it could be Margit, but I am uncertain. Either way, the trailing vocalizations issued prior to and a couple during this moment, are the last I could find from her all day. Did anyone else hear her calling at any time after this flight?

[akle]

Thanks Ravens,
Indeed I missed Urmas' informative post, it coincided with Covid catching me after 2,5 years and 4 shots of vaccin. I will continue following your reports on Margits doings forthwith.

[Ravens]

Thanks Ravens,
Indeed I missed Urmas' informative post, it coincided with Covid catching me after 2,5 years and 4 shots of vaccin. I will continue following your reports on Margits doings forthwith.

You're welcome. :> Oo, not a good time. At least you smartly prepared with all the protection available, and hopefully made it through the infection without lingering ill effects.

2022-08-06

I stayed awake listening for Margit and family until a little after 0100 PDT, which translates to 11:00:00 Soomaa time. I did not hear a peep from a golden eagle. This is a change from recent days as we usually hear her at least once by this point in the morning. However, I noted on July 18th and 19th that I did not hear her vocalize all day for the first time since fledging. Vocalizations picked up again on 20 July, and since her return to the nest proper on 23 July we at least caught a glimpse of her each day until 2 August, when she was heard but not seen (possibly; check previous posting for golden eagle flight .gifs). On the 3rd and 4th we saw her, and we may have seen her yesterday, the 5th, when an eagle was seen heading out over the peat bog at 09:51.

Having said that. I completely lost a little over three hours of the stream from 11:05:00-14:17:00 today. If anyone heard golden eagles in that window, please let us know! Actually, at any time on 6 Aug, if you heard them, please let us know.

Margit was 103 days old today. Just shy of 15 weeks, which she will be on 8 August. It has been 28 days since she fledged.

[Ravens]

2022-08-07

Margit vocalizations:
05:18:55 - 06:22:07 - 07:26:47 - 08:02:14

08:13:21 - Margit alights in the far central conifer.



08:25:01 - She leaves after twelve minutes.



09:02:23 - Margit had been vocalizing nearby off and on. It is at this timestamp where we hear her trail off into the distance, followed by a lengthening stretch of silence.

[Ravens]

Margit calling:
10:32:53 - 11:51:09 - 12:45:04 - 14:51:15

17:24:11 - She is circling the eyrie. Pssa, pssa, pssa!



17:24:38 - Pssa, pssa, pssa!



She hits the nest fast, alighting at a far edge.

[Ravens]

Went searching for notes, was logged out, and thus my text devoured. Lost track of time. Ah well.

Kalju drops in beside Margit less than a minute later. A duck is clutched in his talons. The backlighting made bill and feet appear dark initially, but when a flash of sunlight reaches rhamphotheca and scales, an orange tone is revealed.



"Throughout our study, the appearance of a parent resulted in increased juvenile calling compared with when parents were absent. Increased calling in the presence of a parent is commonly observed in raptors (Alonso et al. 1987, Ikeda 1987, Hiraldo et al. 1989, Bustamante 1994a). Calling by juveniles may facilitate juvenile location by parents (Ikeda 1987). Calling also informs the parents of the nutritional status of their offspring (Trives 1974)." Postfledging Behavior of Golden Eagles, Laura T. O'Toole et al.

The eaglet does eagerly claim this prey. However, judging her level of hunger based on these excited vocalizations can be misleading, as we shall soon see.

[Ravens]

17:26:38 - Kalju leaves towards the peat bog.

17:27:20 - Helju is on the wing nearby too.





17:31:49 - Margit makes an initial pluck of the duck. The wind catches the tuft of feathers and she watches it carry them away.

Family still near.

[Ravens]

Margit stands quietly over her duck. She almost appears to be in a sort of trance at times, or maybe I am projecting.



The duck is finally dragged towards the center for processing. Pluck, pluck.

[Ravens]

In the midst of plucking, Margit pauses to preen.