Latvian Osprey Nest 2014 - Pērkons & Lauma

[Maggy]

We should cherish the moments we get to see good mum Lauma...

We do! It's great to see her every time she comes...who knows how long all of them still gonna be around...maybe a week or 2?

[Maggy]

20:42 Snurre leaves her fish and leaves
20:43 Snips jumps on the nest and takes Snurre's fish
20:55 Snaps leaves
20:58 she is back
21:03 Snaps leaves first, then Snips, the old fish is still on the nest

[Owlie]

There is a lonely big fat fish on the nest - the chicks seem to think that it is So Last Season - no-one claims it - no wonder if the ravens have a sight on this plentiful 'fishing ground' ---

[Bea]

Oufff - finally the "Raven-drama" from today midday is uploaded

12:33
First attack of the raven - siblings come to help for Snaps


12:38
Second attack of the raven


12:54
Snaps defends the fishes - during the last minute of the video one can see the raven/s circling in the background


13:13
Snaps is permanently pestened by the raven/s - and bravely defending the fish on the nest .... but one raven managed to steal her fish in the end, and Snaps leaves the nest

Video is a bit long - but so interesting that I didn´t divide it in parts

13:27
A raven comes to get the second leftover fish from the nest, is eating and then leaving with it.
It has to work to get morsels from the fish, ospreys can rip it faster ... their beaks are better for fish :)

[Hellem]

Thank you Bea, great videos

[Owlie]

Thankyou, Bea, for the awesome videos! These stupid crows/ravens are so beautiful, stylish and clever ...
I am sure the Lauma/Pērkons family can afford to feed also these clowns - let them have the leftovers ...

[Kukelke]

Great videos, Bea


These ravens must sense that they deal with inexperienced osplets rather than with experienced Lauma & Perkons. When Lauma was incubating earlier this season, the neighbouring ravens came close too, but as soon as Lauma rose up the ravens were gone, and never dared to land on the nest itself.

[Owlie]

You mean that the ravens have to do with the offspring only in this situation? So Lauma and Perkons are not involved at all in this scenery tonight?

[Kukelke]

Ravens, like all corvids, are clever birds. So I think these ravens must sense that Snips, Snaps & Snurre aren't much of a threat compared to experienced adult ospreys like Perkons & Lauma, and that it therefore is relatively easy and without much danger for them to steal fish from the nest.

Had Lauma and/or Perkons been on or near the nest, then I don't think the ravens would have been pestering so much, as Lauma/Perkons would most likely have gone after them and showed these ravens who's boss.

[Owlie]

How would ospreys and ravens fight in a 'real' threatening situation? With beaks, talons, or just alarm sounds? How violently?

[Bea]

You are all welcome!

Watching these events again during cutting the videos, I found both parties admirable.

I had not thought that a relatively young ospret would defend its fish against other species so vehement like Snaps did it.
As far as I saw it, Snaps didn´t use beak or talons to defend, but wing-flapped the ravens pretty vigorously.

And the Ravens were so smart! They made their first attempts to get the fish via the backside of Snaps/the nest.
How clever!

[Maggy]

thanks, Bea!
August 6
Good morning!
4:48 the fish is still on the nest

5:17 calls from the cam stand, Snurre jumps on the nest on the fish

5:18 there are calls from the cam stand

[Maggy]

5:26 Snips jumps on the nest



5:32 Snips jumps back on the cam stand and keeps calling from over there
5:53 Snurre is still eating the fish on the nest and Snips is still calling from the cam stand

[Maggy]

6:02 Snurre is still eating the fish, Snips comes to the nest again
6:04 Snurre leaves with the fish
6:05 Snips takes off after that
6:06 Snaps comes
6:07 somebody is flying around

6:09 some osprey is also flying around

6:10

6:17 Snaps leaves
6:18 back on the nest
6:22 takes off

[Maggy]

6:33 Snaps is back on the nest
6:42 she is leaving

7:11 she is back on the nest
and leaves at 7:12
7:13 calls from the cam stand
7:24 Snaps is back on the nest, calling, and there are calls from the cam stand
7:25 she takes off again and flies around

[Maggy]

7:57 Snips is coming to the nest

7:58 he leaves
8:01 Snips is back on the nest, somebody lands on the cam stand
8:16 leaves and lands on the cam stand
8:17 and jumps back on the nest, calls from the cam stand

[Maggy]

9:20 Snaps jumps on the nest, Snips right after him

fish delivery, Snaps gets huge black fish

[Maggy]

10:00 Snaps is still eating the fish, Snips comes closer
10:08 Snaps stopped eating and standing on the fish, Snips comes and grabes the fish under her

she leaves, Snaps starts eating the fish

[Kukelke]

11:14 - the two ravens (lets call them Hugin & Munin after Odin's ravens) were back on the nest in order to perform their daily cleaning service:

[Hellem]

12:08 Snips and Snaps are on the nest, calling and mantling. Snips has a big headless fish.
12:17 Snaps flew off and Snips began to eat the fish.
12:30 Fish delivery by Lauma, a halfeaten big fish. Snaps landed with mom and got the fish.
12:48 Snurre landed.
12:51 Snips finished eating and walked away.
12:53 Snurre took his fish and began to eat.
12:57 Snaps and Snurre are eating, Snips is still on the nest out of cam view.
13:13 Snaps finished eating and took off, rests of her fish are on the nestbowl.
13:26 Snurre flew off with the fish. Empty nest with a goodsized fish tail(waiting for ravens ).
Since 13:16 cam off and on all the time