The past couple of days have been full of sadness. Where did it begin? with WBSE 27? with Grinnell being injured by an interloper? with the death of Collins Street’s Littlest Bob from Trichomoniasis? Will this string of the unthinkable come to an end with the electrocution of Solly, such a successful and promising female Eastern Osprey? I sure hope so. Everyone needs to do some self-care —— because you care.
Karl II with tracker and Kaia on left. Spring 2021
There is some very good news and I had to share it with you. We have been following the migration of the Black Stork family of Karl II. Their nest is located in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. The female, Kaia, migrated early so we have watched the satellite transmissions forKarl II, Udu (male), and Pikne (female); the other male, Tuul, died. We know that Karl II has made it to his wintering sites in the Sudan. Udu took a different route that had him stopping in Crete and then having to fly across the Mediterranean. That is no small feat. Everyone worried but his tracker showed he was in the White or Western Desert in Egypt – an area that uses salt water for its irrigation as water is very scarce. At the same time, Pikne was along the Red Sea. Then all transmissions stopped. Many hoped that the issue was related to bad satellite connections but, under the surface, many worried that something had happened to Udu and Pikne. Cautious optimism.
The tracker of Little Udu came on and to the shock and dismay of all, he had made it across the desert – a distance of 2000 km. Tears flowed.
Oh, Udu is one strong Black Stork. First the longer routing and then having to fly across the Mediterranean when all others go overland. Udu could not stop, he had to just keep going. Then landing in such a desolate area – exhausted, thirsty, and hungry. Add to that he had to cross the Sahara. My, oh, my. This is just fantastic. For just fledging, Udu is an extremely strong flier.
This graph shows Udu’s stops before reaching what could well be his final destination in the Darfur area of Sudan at Wadi Salih.
The red indicator point is where Udu is. You will notice that he has found an area with trees and a body of water.
So what is a ‘wadi’? My simple definition is a valley or a ravine with steep slopes where water gathers in the rainy season. A more scientific explanation is, “Wadis are natural surface channels draining seasonal run off to a larger Wadi, a river or endoric basins. Wadis are typical drainage channels in arid and semi-arid areas.” This area of Sudan, like much of Africa, is suffering from a water shortage.
Many agencies including UNESCO are working with the people of the region to increase the sustainability of the wadis with the goal of having water security.
There have been no new transmissions for Udu. Nothing from Karl II and Pikne as well. It could well be spring before their transmitters begin working. Udu’s last transmission indicated that he has 78% battery capacity remaining. Fantastic. I think Pikne’s was only showing 21% on her last transmission. Each of us knows about problematic batteries! and areas where there is no cellular service. I am not worried now that Udu has reached what is hoped to be a good spot to spend winter.
This really is a cause for celebration. Black Storks are so rare in Estonia and this year had much sadness in both Latvia and Estonia. Little Udu gives us that ray of hope that we all need today. Congratulations to everyone in Estonia.
Thank you for joining me. I am so delighted to have some great news. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the Eagle Club of Estonia’s Forum where they are tracking Karl II and his family and also for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.
Oh, just look who showed up on the NorthEast Florida Eagle’s nest in Jacksonville today – none other than the resident male, Samson! It was 7:23. So very nice to see you, Samson.
Samson is the son of Romeo and Juliet. Samson hatched on this very nest on 23 December 2013. Samson fledged and left the area on 22 April 2014. He was 120 days old.
At the end of the summer in 2019, in August, Samson arrived at the very nest he hatched from and began bringing in sticks. His mate, Gabrielle arrived on the nest on 12 September. In May of 2020, their two chicks, Jules and Romey, named after Samson’s parents, Romeo and Juliett, fledged. In 2021, they fledged their only hatch, Legacy.
The picture below is of Mama Gabby and baby Legacy in February 2021.
Samson has been seen at the nest earlier this month when the technicians came to do the maintenance on the streaming cam. Samson remains in the area of the nest year round while Gabby migrates to a cooler place – although, as I have often said, I don’t know where that would be this year! She will return about the middle of third week in September. It will be wonderful to see her back. Can’t wait.
Samson may be working on a nest but the Peregrine Falcon couple, Diamond and Xavier, are expecting eggs in the nest week or a week and a little bit. Their scrape box is high on a water tower, 170 steps up, on the campus of Charles Sturt University in Orange Australia.
This is Diamond on the ledge of the scrape box today.
Diamond and Xavier’s 2021 fledgling, Izzi, was the joy of everyone. As the only little falcon he was loved and spoiled by his parents. There was some concern he would not leave the scrape box before this year’s eggs are laid. This is the latest message from Cilla Kinross, the head researcher on the Falconcam Project:
“Izzi has not been in the box now for 12 days, but we think he is still around from calls. Parental behaviour continues as normal, with up to three prey a day being delivered to Diamond and preparation of the scrape. Eggs are expected soon (within a week or two). Generally, Diamond starts to spend more and more time in the scrape and her backside looks large and fluffy.”
You can watch Diamond and Xavier here:
Peregrine falcons are nothing short of amazing. Bald Eagles are big but Peregrine falcons are fast.
The cere is the yellow part above the beak. Now look at the nostrils in the cere. There are small keratinous tubercules – they look like small little bumps inside the nostril. Can you see the one on the right nostril of the falcon above? Those are what help the Peregrine Falcon fly so fast. They serve as a baffle against the wind driven in so forcefully into the lungs of the falcon as they do their high speed dives. Otherwise, their lungs would burst.
Most Peregrine Falcons that you will see on a streaming cam lay their eggs in a scrape box like the one of Diamond’s, above. Some make their nests on the side of cliffs like this one in Japan on the island of Hokkaido.
Peregrine Falcons do not make their nest out of twigs. It is believed that this helps to stop the spread of disease from twig nests pests like flies and parasites.
Here is a short 8 minute video to introduce you to the speed and hunting methods of the Peregrine Falcon:
It’s a great day for Malin! We do not know Malin’s exact hatch date. There were three chicks and the youngest hatched on 18 June. Two chicks perished in the heat. So Malin is either celebrating his two month hatch today or his two month hatch and a couple of days, more or less. His first delivery came around 9am and the second was at around 10:14. Malin is really growing.
Here is Malin next to mum, Marsha, this morning. You can see that Malin’s feathers are growing in nicely. Look at the crossing of those wing feathers. Yippeeeeeee. This chick has really grown with the increase in feedings.
And look at all of the bands on those tail feathers – looks like a clean 7 – while, at the same time, there are no spaces in the wing feathers.
Oh, Malin, aren’t you beautiful?
Malin has gotten very good at self-feeding.
Malin is off to a great start on Wednesday. Terrific.
It is raining heavy in Latvia at the nest of Grafs and Grafiene. There are some concerns on the amount of energy used to keep warm by the nestlings.
This is the nearby ditch. It is 200 m long. A portion of the ditch has been closed off and fish have been placed in there along with the decoy of Grafiene. The decoy of Grafiene was painted by an active chat participant and installed by Janis Kuze, the ornithologist.
I hope you don’t mind if I correct just minor details. The beautiful decoy was painted by the active chat participant B.K. and installed by the ornithologist Jānis Ķuze.
These are the size of fish being put into the feeder for Grafs. So much effort. Now we need Grafs to find this spot for his three storklings. It is a very, very difficult time for everyone especially with the rain. If you would like to check on the Latvian Forum for progress, please go to this link:
The situation of the Black Storklings in the nest in Jegova County, Estonia appears to be better than in Latvia. Jan has come to the nest to feed the storklings 3 times today. The storklings have not almost completely depleted the fish that was brought on the 13th when they received their transmitters and bands. They appear to be healthy and doing well. It is not raining on this nest today.
The three storklings are 63 and 64 days old today. The average for fledging appears to be 71 days but then the young storklings are dependent on their parents for another two to three weeks before leaving the nest area. That only puts us at the end of the first week of September for these three to be totally independent of Jan — but, of course, those numbers are only averages. It appears there is time! We all must hope for these birds. They are very rare and very special and there has not been a lot of studies done on them.
The Forum with ongoing information on the Estonian Black Stork nest is here:
Karl II has been in to feed the one fledgling on the Black Stork Nest in the Karula National Park in Estonia. Oh, that fledgling was so happy. That was at 18:33. It is Urmas, the only chick still being fed by a parent. Kaia has left for her migration and the other two siblings appear to have left the nest area and might be travelling as well.
I know that there is much sadness and anxiety in the region for the two Black Stork nests that had late hatches. But, we must also celebrate the happiness of this nest in Estonia, that of Karl II and Kaia. Three fledglings, all healthy! We need to send the most positive wishes for Kaia and the other two siblings as they make their way through Europe trying to get to Africa. And, then, of course, for Karl II and this storklet when they begin.
I have tried to catch the number to confirm this storkling but it is nearly impossible.
The smudge is right in the way!
For those of you watching the North American migration, it kicked off Sunday, the 15th of August at Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. The first over the ridge that day was a Broad-winged hawk. There was a strong wind that day and the count was 4 Bald Eagles, 2 Cooper’s Haws, 25 Broad-winged Hawks, and 3 American Kestrel. If you would like to check on the migration in North American on the route over the mountains with all their thermals, here is the place to go for a day to day check in:
It’s 17:16 in Cumbria in the UK and our second great Osprey chick survivor this year – Tiny Little Bob on the Foulshaw Moss nest – is waiting for dad, White YW, to bring her the teatime fish! Every day is a blessing to see you on the nest, Tiny Little (Blue 463).
Thank you so much for joining me today. Please send all your positive energy to our friends in Latvia and to Grafs for him to find the feeder and for the safe migration of all of the birds. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following streaming cams and forums where I grabbed my screen shots: The Forum for the Latvian Fund for Nature and the Sigulda Black Stork Nest, The Eagle Club of Estonia and the Black Stork Nest at Jergova County, The Eagle Club of Estonia and the Black Stork nest in the Karula National Park, Collins Marsh Nature Centre, Northeast Florida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Foulshaw Moss Osprey Nest, and Cilla Kinross and the Falconcam Project at Charles Sturt University in Australia.
Black Storks have gorgeous plumage. Their back, head, wings, and neck are a glossy black breaking into iridescence on their neck and chest. Their belly is white. They have a red bill and red legs. The juveniles are simply a little duller overall. They are large birds weighing on average 3 kg. They range in height from 95-100 cm. They are monogamous during their breeding season. The female lays 3-5 white eggs that hatch between 32-38 days. The storklings will fledge around 71 days but, they remain dependent on their parents for food and protection as well as training for longer. They make their stick nests in coniferous and mixed forests.
Black Storks are very rate in Estonia. It is the northern limits of their range. Most researchers thought it was the Pine Marten eating the eggs in the nests that caused such low numbers but recent research suggests something else. In an article titled, ‘The black storks in Estonia are suffering from loneliness’ by the Estonian Research Council of 6 February 2019, the analysts said:
As a surprise, it came out that one third of the nests of the Black Stork in Estonia are inhabited by single birds who cannot breed due to lack of partner. Such single birds may leave their nests and annoy breeding couples. Thus, the Black Stork in Estonia lack partners who may have died on long migration routes or proceeded to breed elsewhere where living conditions are more favourable than here.
While not having a partner would significantly impact the breeding of the Black Stork, a more recent article suggests that the Black Stork is in danger of disappearing altogether due to low reproduction rates. Tests on storklings indicated a high concentration of mercury in their system. They believe that the levels in the fish that the storks eat is so significant to cause infertility. Two other issues are parasites and human intrusion (Low birth rates may spell black storks’ disappearance from Estonia’, ERR news, 16 March 2021).
There is a Black Stork nest in Karula National Park in Southern Estonia. The storks are known to have been using this nest since 2016. The current adults are ringed Karl II (715R) and Kaia who joined Karl in 2020.
In the image below, Kaia is waiting for her turn to incubate the eggs. Karl II is just getting off the nest. You can see his ring and number on his left leg.
Karl II is equipped with a backpack GPS transmitter. Kaia does not have one and she is not ringed. The GPS monitor tracks Karl II to his winter migration home in South Sudan and return every year. Here is a map of that route for his return in 2021:
No one knows where Kaia stays during the winter as she does not have a tracker.
In 2021, Kaia laid five eggs from the 24-30 of April. One of the five eggs was broken on 25 March. You can see that broken egg to the right of the nest. Another egg broke on 25 May leaving the couple with three eggs – a much easier number of chicks to keep healthy and strong. In addition, Kaia is a first time mom.
Karl II helps to incubate the eggs as well as nest maintenance and aeration. Here is an image of him aerating the nest. It has been raining a lot. This helps to dry out the straw and moss so there are fewer parasites.
While Kaia incubates the eggs, Karl II keeps himself busy bringing in nesting materials.
The weather in southern Estonia was not good towards the end of May when hatch watch would be starting. There were heavy rains often with hail hitting Kaia or Karl II when they were incubating. When the sun is out and the moss in the forest is dry, Karl II will bring in new moss to line the nest cup where the eggs are.
On 27 May, Kaia can hear ‘the egg talking’ – it is a bit of a quack, a high pitched sound:
The storklings continue to talk to the parents. Karl II continually brings in soft moss and dry materials to make the nest soft and dry as hatching gets closer.
This is Kaia. Her very first chick hatched at 8:51 am on 28 May. She is not ready to show us!
Awww. There it is.
Karl II comes in at 9:44 and both parents look at their lovely little chick together.
Here is a close up
Have you ever seen an adult stork feed a wee storkling not even a day old? Well, here is your chance:
Kaia brings in an adder, a snake, to the nest along with the little fish. The storkling is eating.
At 17:44 there are two storklings! This is super. They are both born on the same day.
Karl is really bringing in lots of food. There are tadpoles, earthworms, tiny fish, viper snakes, and now a second or third eel.
Kaia regurgitates food on the slope for the little ones to eat.
A crack in the third egg appears on 30th May. The little one looks down to see its sibling hatching.
At 18:20 on the 30th of May, the third storkling is out of its shell. Meanwhile, its two older siblings are gobbling up food from the side of the nest.
The trio is with Kaia, their mom, today, 5 June 2021. It is 10:09:21. Looking good!
I hope that there is plenty of food for everyone. It looks like that is the case. If not, Black Storks (as well as white ones) will toss the smallest from the nest if it means there would be three unhealthy chicks instead of two healthy ones. Fingers crossed. This little one is five days younger than the oldest.
You can watch this family in Estonia here:
Thank you for joining me today. I hope you liked reading about the Black Storks. They are so beautiful but, unlike the White Storks in Mlady Buky, they do not like so much to be around people. This streaming cam is a wonderful way to observe their daily lives and challenges.
Take care!
Thank you to the Eagle Club of Estonia and Kotkaklubifor their streaming cam where I grab my screen shots.
