Estonian White-tailed Sea Eagle Nest Camera 2023

Webcam Watching over White-tailed Eagles nest

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Name for the Estonian WTE female in Matsalu 2023

Poll ended at April 10th, 2023, 2:40 pm

Elis
4
14%
Ella
10
34%
Elve
1
3%
Erna
2
7%
Esta
11
38%
Ester
1
3%
Eve
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 29

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ame
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Estonian White-tailed Sea Eagle Nest Camera 2023

Post by ame »

Estonian White-tailed Sea Eagle Nest Camera 2023

new topic for new season! Image

bielikoholic was the first who noticed that the camera is back online:
viewtopic.php?p=887673#p887673
Triin wrote: February 16th, 2023, 7:38 am 15 Feb 2023

The camera is working, but YouTube livestream needs fixing. Camera link on Kotkaklubi channel https://www.youtube.com/kotkaklubi

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Triin
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Post by Triin »

Estonian White-tailed Sea Eagle Nest Camera 2023
Matsalu


Livestream from the white-tailed eagle nest: https://www.youtube.com/Kotkaklubi

Introduction

We have been following the white-tailed eagles in Matsalu National Park (https://kaitsealad.ee/en/protected-area ... ional-park) since 2021. This is one of the oldest known white-tailed eagle breeding territories in Estonia (the first reports date back to 1870s (Sits, 1937)). The eagles built this nest in 1996 and it has been inhabited ever since. It is a very suitable nesting area for white-tailed eagles as there is also a second pair of eagles nesting less than a kilometre from this one. Between 1996 and 2020, a total of 30 eaglets have fledged from this nest. In 2021 there were two chicks, but both died of bird flu H5N1 in May. The adults Eve and Eerik have not been seen since. In 2022 several eagles visited the nest, but there was no brood. By the end of the season we could see a couple forming. Hopefully they'll be back for 2023.

24 nestlings out of 30 have been ringed here and as many as eleven of them have been seen later. An eaglet from 2012 was seen in front of the then white-tailed eagle webcam in Läänemaa in 2018 and an eaglet from 1995 visited the eagles winter feeding camera in 2012 and 2013, but that bird was found mortally injured only 10 km from the place of birth in 2019. The last eaglet in this nest was ringed in June 2020 and was seen in north-western Estonia at the beginning of February in 2022.

White tailed eagles often start decorating the nest with fresh twigs during the winter. One to three eggs are laid in March, the nestlings hatch in the second half of April and usually fledge in early July. The young will stay near the nest until September. Of course, if all goes well.

The nest in 2002. Documentary "Estonian eagles" (Gaviafilm, 2005)
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Ringing the chick in 2020 (Photo Kaarel Kaisel)
Image
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Triin
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Post by Triin »

History of the nest

2021 - Eve and Eerik

20. March - 1st egg is laid
24. March - 2nd egg is laid
28. April - 1st chick hatches
30. April - 2nd chick hatches
12-13. May - Both chicks die, cause of death was avian influenza H5N1 (https://kotkas.ee/uudised/the-cause-of- ... uenza-h5n1)

The breeding pair of 2021 was named Eve and Eerik. They had no coloured leg rings, so we don’t know their history. Eve and Eerik started nesting relatively late, at the end of February. The broadcast began even later, on March 7. The first egg was laid by the female Eve on March 20. After a month of incubation, two nestlings hatched on April 28 and 30. However, we did not see them fledge – they died on May 12 and 13. The cause of death was identified as bird flu H5N1 at the Estonian University of Life Sciences (see here https://kotkas.ee/uudised/the-cause-of- ... uenza-h5n1). Although several white-tailed eagles visited the nest afterwards, we didn't see Eve or Eerik again. They didn't return in 2022 either and their fate is unknown to us.

Eve and Eerik feeding the chicks a few days before the chicks deceased (WTE camera, May 9, 2021)
Image

2022

Forum member Susanne posted a comprehensive summary of 2022 here viewtopic.php?p=885421#p885421 and viewtopic.php?p=885422#p885422

Eve and Eerik did not return to the nest in 2022. Several white-tailed eagles (adult and subadult) visited the nest and fought for the ownership of the nest throughout the season. A female eagle with coloured leg rings M1201+E321 (ringed by Renno Nellis in 2015) claimed the nest at the beginning of March. Several unringed males fought for the nest and the female in March, but were unsuccessful. A new couple tried to take over the nest at the end of March. The male had rings M1215+E340 (ringed by Renno Nellis and Dr Madis Leivits in 2015), but the female was unringed. The ringed female E321 returned to the nest with the ringed male E340 at the second half of April, but was later chased away by an unringed female. By June the ringed male E340 and unringed female had claimed the nest. We'll see if they return for 2023.

The first couple of 2022. The male has no rings, the female was ringed as a nestling in Western-Estonia by Renno Nellis in 2015 (the rings are blue-white M1201 on right leg and black E321 on left leg)
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The second couple of 2022. The female has no rings, the male was ringed as a nestling in Western-Estonia by Renno Nellis and Dr Madis Leivits in 2015 (the rings are blue-white M1215 on right leg and black E340 on left leg)
Image

2023 - Ella and Elmar

29. March - 1st egg is laid

The couple from 2022 returned. They were named Ella and Elmar. The male Elmar has rings M1215+E340, female Ella is unringed. The only egg was laied on March 29th. We expect hatching at the beginning of May (incubation period ~38 days).
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Post by Triin »

Technical information

The nest camera was set up by Urmas Sellis (Eagle Club Estonia) and Omar Neiland (Beta Grupp OÜ). We use AXIS F41 camera with a custom-made microphone from Omar. The main body of the camera is below the nest on the tree trunk, but the lens and sensor are at the nest level. We tried to camouflage the camera as much as possible and hid it inside a dry aspen branch. Therefore, the camera remains relatively inconspicuous when seen from the nest. The camera is powered by solar panels. We transmit the camera image via 4G mobile internet, so in case of intensive network use, there may be interruptions in the transmission.

The camera is streamed through the Eagle Club Estonia’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/kotkaklubi. We recommend following Kotkaklubi channel in case the broadcast needs to be restarted due to technical errors, which may change the direct link of the broadcast. As the season progresses, Kotkaklubi channel will also feature all other nesting cameras of Estonian eagles and black storks, as well as a capercaillie camera.

The use of the stream from the nest for non-commercial purposes is not prohibited, but please let us know if possible (send a message to urmas(ät)kotkas.ee). Contributors are welcomed with each camera, as some components need to be replaced every year and we do not have any project support for hardware costs.

The camera lens and sensor are hidden inside a dry aspen branch (Photo Urmas Sellis)
Image

White-tailed eagle nest camera team and supporters:

Eagle Club Estonia – nest related actions, camera installation and information
Beta-Grupp OÜ – camera testing and setup, microphone construction, technical support
Looduskalender – forum on the Web
Estonian Fund for Nature – server support
Akukeskus Tartus – battery assistance
Several private donors – to cover unexpected and expected hardware costs

Thousands of viewers – the most important, because otherwise the cameras would not make much sense!
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Post by BDrieliņi »

Thanks so much for coming back live streem!🤗💖 :loveshower:
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sigge
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Post by sigge »

:hi:
Thanks for a superb microphone now again :nod: :2thumbsup:

Around 07:35 Goshawk singing, raining (timestamp not visible in blurred image)
No owls heard in the night.
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Post by Susanne »

15:03:50 f.: Faint eagle calls. ( :headroll: )
15:33: A Blue Tit.
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IceAge
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Post by IceAge »

Many thanks to you :thumbs: .
Let's hope we have a nice and successful season.

The popular plastic part is hidden under branches :whistling: .
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*Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.* Albert Einstein
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Post by Susanne »

IceAge wrote: February 16th, 2023, 3:45 pm The popular plastic part is hidden under branches :whistling: .
For how long? :mrgreen: Well, the human tried his very best...
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Post by Liz01 »

Thank you for opening the new topic, ame :loveshower:
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Post by Susanne »

Unfortunately, I've caught a terrible bronchitis, so I won't be able to continuously follow today which is really really annoying. :offtobed:
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Post by IceAge »

February 17.

16:03
a couple
Image

E 340
Image
The other one lands in the tree.
*Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.* Albert Einstein
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Post by IceAge »

16:49
unringed WTE comes and E 340 flies away.
Image

Image

16:53
the unringed WTE flies away.
*Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.* Albert Einstein
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Post by IceAge »

17:08
WTE lands on the branch.
Image

17:09
WTE flies to the right.
*Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.* Albert Einstein
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Liz01
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Post by Liz01 »

IceAge wrote: February 17th, 2023, 4:18 pm ....
16:03 a couple
IceAge :hi:

thanks you for pics and time stamps :2thumbsup:

two pics
Image

Image


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Post by Liz01 »

16:49 female starts calling and male is calling too. Female jumps into the nest ..
16:50 male is calling from far. Female is calling in the nest. It sounds like a female. :puzzled: "female" it doesn't really sound adult

"Female" has interesting tail marks

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Post by Susanne »

E 340 spends a lot of time preening on the p-branch.
16:49: The female on the branch at the right begins to sing, E 340 joins in, then she jumps onto the p-branch and E 340 has to give way and perch one floor below.
She hops into the nest and continues her calling.

Image

16:50: E 340 (?) answers from farer away ( I didn't see him leave).
16:53: The female leaves after having watched the sky very closely, I couldn't see her tailmarks clear enough. (I tried to get a look at the right side of her beak in order to check if she still carries a little scar beneath her nostril, but I'm not certain yet.)

17:07: The female returns to the p-branch, PS at 17:08.
Best impression of her tailmarks so far:
Image

17:09: She leaves - deep dive over the meadow straight to the woods, position: 1 o'clock.
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Post by Susanne »

Feb 18

Good morning everybody, good morning Matsalu!

07:37 f.: Both eagles are singing, thank you YT-chat for time stamps!

I have managed to get a better look at the female's tailmarks:

Image

These are 'Smiley's 'tailmarks, as documented by IceAge on Oct 25,2022:

Image

As far as it concerns me, I'd say it is very likely that we still see 'Smiley' here on this nest, together with E 340.
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Post by Susanne »

17:16: Very agitated and rather loud calls, 2 eagles.(not very far off, but still out of sight).
17:18: And again.
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Polly
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Post by Polly »

@Susanne
I wish the WTE and you a good season without tensions and incidents with a good overview!
You're doing well here and you too deserve to finally accompany chicks here until they fly. :thumbs:
"Throw your heart across the river and swim after it."
Indian proverb
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