Looduskalender

Webcam opened 21.April 2011, when one egg was visible.
Mating behaviour was seen then.

22 April.
Intermittent heavy rain.
Two eggs on nest at 05.27
Mating behaviour.X 2 - 3.

Brooding of both eggs began this morning.

Forum members are having some difficulty deciding on the gender of each bird, when there is only one visible.
Majority opinion seems to be that the bigger bird, with bigger, darker beak is the male. Female has a tuft of longer or more prominent feathers on the top of her head. Thanks to Olga for that observation.

Juta gave names - Tiina and Tiit. Thanks Juta.

Detailed description of webcam and equipment set-up is at
http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/9977

Just posting to let you know I found this. I'll add a 11 pm post if the storks co-operate!

24.04
Wonderful Spring Day and Easter.
Third egg on the nest.
Forum members have almost learned how to recognise Tiina and Tiit.

Members report that the first cuckoo was heard on 24 April.

Black Stork Nest 2
25 April

Webcam was off-line from about 7.42 until about 14.12

Three eggs in nest. Calm, quiet day. Sometimes eggs are incubated. Sometimes they are exposed to the air. Each adult turns the eggs.

As camera turned on by itself (we did not act specially), that means it is a bit out of our control and similar situation could happen in the future again.
Clear it that disconnection was caused by missing of power in forest, so camera itself is OK, but power system on solar panels is unwilling to work perfectly...
We try to understand reason, at least theoretically!

Urmas wrote:As camera turned on by itself

Indeed, the camera works. Thank you, Urmas.

Tiina sits on the nest, and Tiit cleans feathers on the balcony. It must be very hot, when Tiina sits with an open beak.

26 April

Webcam was off this morning but -

Camera turned on at 13:42.
Four eggs in nest!

April 27

Olga's post gives the atmosphere of the day.

Everything is going on all right. Preening, incubating. The branch in front of Tiina seemed to bother her and she tried to move it but she could not... then she decided to let it be. It's not worth to do any heavy work this late in the evening!

21:12


21:19

April 28.

Much like yesterday.
Adults took turns to incubate. All is peaceful and proceeding without disturbance.

April 29.

Another peaceful day ends.

20:59





Good night

April 30

Camera is on, nest looks peaceful, is it Tiit?

April 30

May 1

Camera was off until macdoun reported it was on again 16.22

Incubation proceeds uneventfully.

May 2

North American members are not able to see much of this webcam, due to its "off-time" in heir evenings.




Video: Black Storks Tiina & Tiit Have Four Eggs

Tiina carefully turns her eggs.

Recorded at 6:44 PM local time

1st egg: 4/19 (?)
2nd egg: 4/22
3rd egg: 4/24
4th egg: 4/26

Estonian name: Must-toonekurg

Ciconia nigra

http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/

I have a hard time connecting to this cam... so it has been a week since I've seen the storks. If the egg-laying dates are wrong, please correct. Thanks!

May 10.

As far as we have been able to see, incubation continued peacefully.
No intruders, no nasty weather.
The webcam has an intermittent power fault and the webcam often turns itself on in the afternoons.

See how Tiina has built up the nest bowl!
Fireblade's video

May 10.

Comments from beans and from Urmas -

beans wrote:I wish I could see these storks in the morning.... I can never get on. Have to wait for the evening.

The same here!
We are planning the replacement of power system 'brain', to exchange with Lesser Spoted Eagle system 'brain'. But can't say now, when it could happen - there is quite difficult logistic and we can act on place only in darkness (better some windy night). Also we need to take fresh batteries with (about 40kg each...).

May 11

Bleggi's post
15:35 Cam is on

15:43

May 12

Bleggi's post
15:39

May 12

Urmas' post

The image is loosing the sharpness, that strange. But we can't do anything with camera, before the ringing time... Then will be needed some justification of focus.

May 13

macdoum's post

bociany wrote:Good Morning (have not seen live cam for several days now, )

For me its only off since today.
It is after all,Friday the 13th..anything can happen.