Latvian black storks - 2020/2021

[Liz01]

8:18


8:20 monster crops on the cute storklets

[balistar]

Liz,

thank you very much, not only for the great reports with pics and vids

It's wonderful how Grafs and Grafiene provide food for the storklets
Wow, already three times breakfast and huge crops on the little ones, what a beautiful sight.


The big one yesterday casted a pellet and he and the middle one were wondering what that is.
They "investigated" it and then ate it in pieces

So, if it doesn't matter when i'm disturbing the chronology i'll put in some pics of it:

8.33 (June, 22nd)
oldest casted a pellet


oh, what's that ? i regurgitated like Mom and Dad


middle one is curious... picked it up..... "hey, something to eat, yeaah"

[Liz01]

wooow! great pictures, balistar

[balistar]

8.34 (June, 22nd)
hey, that's mine....


the youngest storklet noticed - oh, food - and immediately came in first row


#1 and #2 "ate" the pellet in pieces - the #3 asked...... and me ? you didn't let something for me"

[balistar]

8.36 Grafiene heard someone nearby in the forest.....


8.38 all 3 storklets are picking on the nest ground, the #2 moves a bunch of moss from the left to the right


suddenly Grafiene in defending pose

[balistar]

8.38 yep, it was Grafs coming home


and Grafiene was breathing like the day before but not so long (as Liz already reported and showed)


she was leaving



(Liz, i compared the breathing with the breathing of the day before and yep, this beating sound that i thought to hear in the background was indeed her breathing, no machine )

[balistar]

8.39 (June, 22nd)
Grafs asks "are you hungry, kids ?"


#1 and #3 "yes, we are, Dad. The #2 ate the pellet"


the #2 gets up "that doesn't count, it was only a morsel, i'm hungry, too"

[balistar]

the little #3 - "but i've got nothing of it, i'm hungry most"


then come to the table, kids - and as Liz already reported, Grafs served up a huge load of small fish

[balistar]

still 8.39 June, 22nd

the little #3 in front held his wing over the fish load


and he took at first the biggest lump of fish in his little beak



for the parents' change and the whole feeding see video by Liz on previous page....




(i try to be back later...)

[balistar]

now i'm going to continue with pictures of today, 23rd....

12.51 must be cloudy, no direct sun in the nest, but still hot


12.57 the two elder are up, one has still some food to digest


both have the beak open, it's hot - little #3 is laying behind them, still sleeping/resting

[balistar]

12.57 now also #3 is awake, it seems all 3 are asking for water


they were snoozing another round .... sun in the nest, Mom provides only a small part of shade

13.33 big one can't sleep anymore, he plucks a bit on #2's wing till #2 got up, too
Grafiene looks a bit up as if she heard someone


now everyone is awake - and thirsty

[balistar]

Mom said lay down and rest another bit, Dad certainly will come soon

13.35 #1's head is in the sun


13.36 they are lined up, #1 - #3 - #2, watching and waiting for Dad,
we can't sleep anymore, we are thirsty.... when does Dad come ?


13.36.56 ......and here he comes - with a bunch grasses in his beak, or is it moss ? it looks dry

[balistar]

13.36.56 Grafiene got startled again when he flew in to her back - one storklet even growled

she steps with her foot on little #3


little #3 - outch, Mom


13.36.57 she lifts her foot

[balistar]

13.36.59 little #3 sits up and complains


13.37.00 Dad comes around with the bunch dry grasses or moss but with wet roots


13.37.01 and throws it onto the storklets

[balistar]

13.37.06 Grafiene's behaviour was the same as the last two days, when she got startled by Graf's arrival


13.37.11 she was breathing and nodding heavily but not so long as the first time - then she left the nest


13.37.12 big #1 sat upright, watching her departure and was growling

[balistar]

13.37.19 he lay down again, the two others were covered with the moss


13.37.38 Grafs touches them.... are you hungry ? .... #1 and #3 got up


13.37.40 all 3 are up and responding - yeaah, Dad, we are hungry and thirsty

[balistar]

13.37 feeding by Dad

13.37.58 Grafs regurgitated two loads, first one small, then one big


13.37.59 it were dark small things, maybe tadpoles ? but also a few little fish


13.38.09 little #3 had to stretch for the food, but got also a little fish

[balistar]

13.38.50 Grafs was watching them eating - all 3 ate well


13.39.01 nothing left to eat back


13.41 now siesta

[balistar]

as for a late dinner snake was on the menue, served by Mom

all 3 storklets went to bed with a bulging crop


pics tomorrow....

EDIT June, 25th: no pics, Liz made a video of it, see next post.
Thank you very much, Liz

[Liz01]

balistar, thanks for the wonderful pictures and the comments on them. It is a pleasure to read. I had to laugh a lot!

as for a late dinner snake was on the menue, served by Mom

all 3 storklets went to bed with a bulging crop
pics tomorrow....

balistar, that was great! Thanks for the hint. He has emptied a whole viper nest - Kreuzotter!

Begin is normal view, then ZOOM