9 October 2022
After nearly an hour of being MIA, a parent landed back on the ledge of 367 Collins Street scrape. Thank goodness. The chicks were panting so fast and hard, their beaks wide open accompanied by frantic movements that, at one point, it looked like one might actually go off the edge. Instead, two of the chicks went down into the gutter with two in the scrape.
At one point in time on her return, Mum tried to pick up the two eyases in the gutter to get them back into the box. Eventually with that encouragement, one made it up. I believe that the eldest eyases is still below in the gutter. Mum has done the best she can – she initially alternated between the two groups of two to cool them off. You could see her trying to figure out how to get the two back up. There is only one down in the gutter as I write. Shade is covering the area and it seems a wee bit perky. Let us hope that it gets up with the others.
The question remains: what happened? It is highly unusual for raptor parents to be gone for an hour when their chicks are little. Normally, at this scrape, the male would come and going over and stand above the chicks. That did not happen this time.
Are there two adults? Were there intruders? We will have to wait to see if the male turns up with food. Right now I feel like someone has run over me with a truck…I cannot even contemplate having only one parent at this scrape after all that has already happened this season.
Continue to send this nest your very warmest and most positive wishes. It was good that all of the eyases were fed good this morning. They need hydration. Now we wait for the wee one to get up to the box and for the other parent to come with food. I am trying to be the most positive I can be.
We were worried about Port Lincoln getting fish and the Currawongs at Sydney. Concerned about Rubus getting enough to eat at Orange. I had relaxed and was enjoying Melbourne. This incident just shows us that we cannot assume anything. ‘A’ sent me a Buddhist saying, ‘The only certainty is uncertainty.’ So true. I want to be certain that this is still a family of six and not five.
Thank you for being with me. I will give a full update tomorrow. As I leave you, Mum is down in the scrape with the eldest. She is trying to encourage it to get up. Fingers crossed.
Thank you to the 367 Collins Street streaming cam by Mirvac where I took my screen captures.
Thanks Mary Ann . I just thinking that maybe Mom went looking for the new dad. Maybe he is missing. I’m worried too and praying he shows up and the little one gets back up there with Mom 🙏
He is back and all is well, thankfully. Indeed, both are there. We will never know but something sure caused her to be away and I suspect it could have been intruders.
Not great news from Sea Eagles in Sydney!
https://www.facebook.com/Sea.EagleCAM/posts/pfbid0QpkmWs8y9nNuRFjzd19e55PyVG9Y8gFxQpwrnwteNM1mTHFdVfibvgZLcLZfN37cl
Thank you so much. I am so sorry to hear this. We all wondered where 29 was when it did come back to the nest. I will go and read the posting now but I hope that 29 can be healed in rehab.
It was amazing to watch that mum in Melbourne today, problem-solving. Alternating between the two groups of two, shading first one pair, then the other. Helping one chick jump back up into the scrape. Eventually, she dragged the fourth chick (actually the largest, I think) back up into the scrape by picking it up by the scruff of its neck with her beak. Dad arrived about an hour later, and the eyases ate well (they needed the hydration)! Hopefully, the lesson has been learnt – it will be 4C hotter on Tuesday (22C). Please shelter this scrape for next year or remove it altogether! It could just as easily have been exposure to rain, soaking the babies to the skin. This was so nearly a tragedy that could have been avoided.
Clarification: By which I mean, leave the sheltered scrape at the other end of the ledge so that is the only option. Either that or provide similar shelter at this end of the ledge.
I am in absolute agreement with you!