Black Stork Nest in Karula - 2018

[Anne7]

15:04 Poor storklets.



It will probably rain till midnight, at least.

[Lisbeth]

Hello!

Is there no ringing for the storklets this year?

[Anne7]

Hello!
Is there no ringing for the storklets this year?

Hello, Lisbeth!
I'm quite sure the storklets will be ringed soon.
I suppose it will happen within about a week? When they are more or less 6 weeks old?

Last year the chicks were ringed on June 28, when the oldest storklet was 39 days old.
And in 2016 the oldest chick was 42 days old.
Today, the oldest storklet is 37 days old.

We are waiting for further information from Urmas.


15:44 Raindrops on the lens.

[Urmas]

There is not sense to disturb nest life twice, so ringing will be together with installing of transmitters. But transmitters we can install as late as possible, mean before they can jump off the nest.
That is difficult to determine this time exactly, well fed chicks stay in nest in older age by my mind. Probably they weigh too much to fly or they simply are more phlegmatic of good condition? Even if they jump out, their wings are strong enough to land safely, but accidents can happen. Therefore better if they stay in nest and we bring them to the ground in sack for tagging procedure.
We ordered transmitters (backpack type) from Ornitela producer and they suggested to use that classic type, because new leg mount type is not tested enough to use it on Black Stork, yet.

[Anne7]

Thank you very much for this information, Urmas!

[Timea]

16.40:

Good day

Oh my, they're really very wet!

[Timea]

Thank you very much for this information, Urmas!

Anne, are they installing a transmitter on 1 of the chicks?

[Anne7]

Anne, are they installing a transmitter on 1 of the chicks?

I'm not sure, but I believe all storklets will get a backpack.
That will be a lot of work for Urmas and his friends.
The leg mount type is much easier and faster to attach.
Nevertheless, if "this new leg mount type has not been tested well enough to use on BS", as Urmas said, I'm really happy they chose the classical backpack type.

16.40: Oh my, they're really very wet!

Yes.
And it will continue to rain for many more hours.

[Timea]

I'm not sure, but I believe all storklets will get a backpack.
That will be a lot of work for Urmas and his friends.


Yes.
And it will continue to rain for many more hours.

Yes, and very stressful for the Storklets. All for scientific purposes?? I don't want to watch it. I hope they fledge succesfully and have a long and healthy life. Bye Anne.

[Anne7]

Yes, and very stressful for the Storklets. All for scientific purposes?? I don't want to watch it. I hope they fledge succesfully and have a long and healthy life. Bye Anne.

Timea, these transmitters are not (only) intended for purely scientific purposes.
We all know that many young BS perish during their first year(s).
Transmitters are providing a wealth of information on what, where and why things happen to BS.
Worldwide, ornithologists need that information to be able to (try to) organise protection.

Just wishing our storklets "all the best" and not knowing what happens next, is like burying our head in the sand.

[Jo UK]

Well said, Anne7.
Turning away from a problem does not solve it. The Kotkaklubi men want to gather as much information as they can in order to improve the life expectancy of all endangered birds.

[Liz01]

There is not sense to disturb nest life twice, so ringing will be together with installing of transmitters. But transmitters we can install as late as possible, mean before they can jump off the nest.
That is difficult to determine this time exactly, well fed chicks stay in nest in older age by my mind. Probably they weigh too much to fly or they simply are more phlegmatic of good condition? Even if they jump out, their wings are strong enough to land safely, but accidents can happen. Therefore better if they stay in nest and we bring them to the ground in sack for tagging procedure.
We ordered transmitters (backpack type) from Ornitela producer and they suggested to use that classic type, because new leg mount type is not tested enough to use it on Black Stork, yet.

Urmas, thank you for the information. Yes, it will be better to do it on the ground. I saw it at Latvian nest. Everything went well! I hope that it will happen here without injury to the storks You can not think of everything! They react very differently.
It was already my last year's fear that the Leg transmitters are not tested adequately. I'm glad they get a backpack!

[Solo]

... We all know that many young BS perish during their first year(s). ... Just wishing our storklets "the best" and not knowing what happens next, is like burying our head in the sand.

Anna7, this time I have another opinion as you. I will to believe that "my" - "our" storklets are O.K. ... (I will protection my emotional health.)

... Transmitters are providing a wealth of information on what, where and why things happen to BS. Ornithologists need that information to be able to (try to) organise protection. ...

I am following storks migration path, you know (many years and not only storks here in the LK forum) ... but they are storklets not from "my" nest, obviously not from nest with stream and also it is most usually hard to know when they perished (if we have not that info, we can still hope)

[UteL.]

I don't want to watch it.

I'll probably want to get under the desk in fear. I'm afraid for all four up there on the tree! I know that Urmas works fantastic prudently, but the animals' behavior is not always predictable.
As for the transmitter, you will already know all the arguments ... .
But I have another request for Urmas. If the time is still there, it would be nice if you then set the camera setting so that you can see the young storks jumping higher. I find these exercises of storks fantastic! All the best!

..............................................................
Everything looks quite fluffy from under the wings! Keep it together, that's good!
The chicks are already over the mountain, maybe 5 hours of rain

18:11:35

[Anne7]

17:38 Very wet storklets. This is not their happiest afternoon.

Everything looks quite fluffy from under the wings! Keep it together, that's good!
The chicks are already over the mountain, maybe 5 hours of rain

I love your optimism, Ute.

Anna7, this time I have another opinion as you. I will to believe that "my" - "our" storklets are O.K. ... (I will protection my emotional health.)
I am following storks migration path, you know (many years and not only storks here in the LK forum) ... but they are storklets not from "my" nest, obviously not from nest with stream and also it is most usually hard to know when they perished (if we have not that info, we can still hope)

I fully respect (and understand) your feelings and your emotions, Solo.
If something should happen to these storklets, it will not be my happiest day, either.

But for me, my personal feelings of sadness are less important than the possibility to improve the long term survival rates of the BS species. Furthermore, not knowing what happens to them, isn't changing what happens. Unfortunately.

[UteL.]

Anne remember: The glass is half full ...

[Swenja]

Thank you @Urmas and and thank all users for the interesting thoughts!

The little storks are coping well with the many terrible rains. They are very brave. Karl already knew this morning why he had to feed the little storks a lot. They now need a lot of energy for the long rain.

Tomorrow is a better day!


18:41 feeding by Karl

[Liz01]

Well said, Anne7.
Turning away from a problem does not solve it. The Kotkaklubi men want to gather as much information as they can in order to improve the life expectancy of all endangered birds.

I think a good example of help is yearly cleaning of the area where Karl hunts
More food is available this year. In the first year it was not so good to see as this year. It will take a while for everything to be in balance again.
I know it from my childhood. We cleaned our brook once a year. After that there were always a lot of fish and other water animals.

[Anne7]

18:41 Feeding by Karl!
Good, clever Karl!

Thanks for the video, Swenja and Liz!

Karl looks very wet too.
The hairdo of our chicks is really bizarre, right now.


It was a very good feeding. Karl regurgitated several times. Fish for all!
This will certainly brighten the chicks.

[UteL.]

Karl

He uses the short rain break..

18:41:57