Saddest of news from Latvia

It was a miracle when the two eggs of Milda and Raimis hatched on 21 and 24th of April. The male had not been seen on the nest and was presumed dead on 27 March. Milda incubated the eggs for eight days before she gave in to hunger. Then a male White-tailed eagle appeared who was finally accepted by Milda. He incubated the chicks and brought in a little food. Yesterday he brought in a Hooded Black Crow and the two miracle hatches were fed. Milda had no food. The weather has been incredibly bad. The last time the babies were fed was around 15:00 on the 25th.

On the morning of the 26th with freezing rain falling, Milda left the nest after making feeble calls to Mr C. He was not on the branch protecting and her voice appeared weak to me. Milda left her babies at 6:20:30. At 8:00:17 the right wing of the oldest moved and again at 8:08:52. Its wings still moving at 8:11. By 8:30 there was no movement in the oldest; the younger had passed earlier. Milda stood and looked at her babies a long time in the dark last evening. It feels like she knew that this had to happen.

Mr C stands over the babies protecting them from the Crows who would take their tiny bodies.

There is no food and Milda cannot do this without a good partner actively engaged in finding lots of food and helping her. It is so sad that what became a miracle has ended so sadly. Fly high little eagles!

I hope that Milda finds a good mate and raises more little ones. She is brave and so wanted these babies that belonged to her and Raimis to survive. She risked her own life for them. It is 8:30 and she has not returned to the nest. She has been gone for longer than two hours. It is with a very heavy heart that I post this sadness.

Thank you to the Latvian Fund for Nature for their camera – that is where I took my screen shots.

The feature image is of a happier time today when Milda was feeding her little ones.