looduskalender.ee

thank you vainamoinen!
i agree: the clip is short but that was all there is. the sound is strange, too. there was some disruption there, and a lot of other birds singing at the same time. i guess the bird only sang a short communication call and not a proper song, though. KBV!

it's getting dark but the birds go on singing...

today's playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB916D1BDA9CEBE7F
good night!

April 24th
godd morning!

it's raining and birds are singing but no-one is in the nest. the weather forecast promises weather more or less like this for the coming week, except two clear nights (Wednesday and Sunday)...

a little bird just had a look at the nest! this was one of those which can't be recognized without hearing the song properly (or by measuring the relative lengths of 5th and 6th handfeathers if one gets it in the hand! ) it was probably a willow warbler or a chiffchaff... i'd guess this was a chiffchaff. it said a few beeps which sounded like chiff's.

8.52: the buzzard came in quite quietly and brought a pine twig. then it looked aroud a bit, then took a vole from the larder and left.

then it had come back to the nest while i uploaded a video. this time it ate a vole (or of a vole) in the nest. this seemed fresh.

finally it took a stiff-looking vole and flew away. bad hunting presumably this morning, it's been raining. the bird itself looked rather dry.

i watched the video and now i'm not sure about the vole..? maybe it was only one, with almost black back and lighter belly.

the buzzard came at 9.33. this time it was kind enough to call a few times while it was approaching so i was ready to snap a shot.


then it kaa'ed a little, arranged nest stuff a little, kaa'ed again a bit and took off at 9.34. it was took quick to whether it brought something...

a great tit came to inspect the nest at 10.34.

at 10.37 the buzzard brought a big green pinetwig. this time it sneaked in quietly (but i got it anyway. ).


it made some arrangements:


...called a little and then took off at 10.41.

at 10.44 a new fresh pine twig! and some hard work with arrangements this time. it struggles with the big stick which is crossing the nest.




then to the back branch, some calling... and back to the nest.

10.49 another buzzard came and brought a mouse/vole!
i think the second is bigger&darker. the first (Halli?) lay as low as possible in the bottom of the nest bolw, as if it were kneeling in front of the second (Pruuni?).


the first got up on the back branch and left at 10.50.


Pruuni climbs to the back branch...

Mutikluti, Liis... names, please..

Pruuni came back to the nest after a while and right after that at 11.00 Halli brought a vole to Pruuni!


Pruuni took it and began to twitter.


then it took off. i think she wants to keep the nest tidy as long as possible (no blood&guts ) Halli stayed on the front branch for a while to get the breath down..

at 11.05 Halli returned to the nest.

... looked around carefully ....climbed to the right branch


and looked around....


and left at 11.07.

at 11.09 Pruuni (?) comes to the back branch, looks around and croakes a little...


and leaves at 11.10.

at 11.11 a very dark-looking bird comes to the right branch. i suppose it has to be Pruuni even though it at first looked strange. it has false eyes in the back of the head.




it began preening itself. it has eaten the vole and is happy now, "washing itself" after a meal like a cat.

EDIT (11.58): it is still sitting on the branch but it finished preening about 10 minutes ago. now it is looking around the forest and listening to other birds singing....
i think it has a whole false face in the back of its head.

i had another look at the videos above and it seems that Pruuni first brought a sample mouse to show Halli: "look, these i want you to bring me." then Halli took the advice and brougth a vole to Pruuni only 10 minutes later!

it also seems to me that it has been Halli who has been actively coming and going and bringing stuff to the nest. the darker Pruuni has so far come only now and then. now it has been sitting on the right branch since 11.11 and she's still preening herself. (i assume it is a she. i can't be sure though... we haven't seen them on top of each other so we can't be sure... )

That is female, in the birds life the male bird is more coloured, as you know.

the buzzard took off at 12.59

hi Loupe
in Passerines yes, the male is usually more colourful but it not so in birds of prey i think. they are usually equally colourful or colourless i think.

someone came at 13.08

this one called a few times and then began to arrange twigs in the nest. maybe it is the darker buzzard with the false face... but honestly i can't say which one this is.

again it is trying to get rid of the stick which is in the middle of the nest.... but no success. and then to the back branch.
- a flock of geese is flying over...

The darker one is maybe very young. Still not have the typical stripes.

the first stayed on the back branch till 13.29 when it came crashing back to the nest. and then right after that the other arrived! the first got back up to the back branch and from there to the right branch and ran out of hte picture. the second stayed in the nest till 13.32 when it took off.


more geese flying over...