Black Stork Nests in Europe

[balistar]

Congratulations to the parents and to all of you, observers and busy posters. : Love shower:

Now they are 4 little storklets, one sweeter than the other.
I'm not sure if I should be happy or not. I sincerely hope and pray that all 4 survive. I admit I'm a bit scared. But I want to think positive and wish them all the opportunities of the world and long enough the presence of the little fishies.

Solo, Liz, Michi and and and....: Thank you all very much for the beautiful pictures and great videos.

[UteL.]

right!

EDIT: UteL wrote, it is normal. They test their chicks and eggs. I think she is completely wrong!

They talk and test with their beak and their feet. We will discuss this later with Karl and Kati, there we have an archive and can understand it. That's the deal.

And now we keep watching.

[Liz01]

The third Storklet can hardly lift his head. There is the fourth in better condition!

Poor Storklets , they are hungry.

15:19 the third still has its head down

15:25 Sara settles on the chick.

[Liz01]

...We will discuss this later with Karl and Kati, there we have an archive and can understand it. That's the deal.

Anne and you can do that. It's your deal... not mine

[Liz01]

15:46 Sara stands up and is preening herself and the storklet

head down by the third

15:52 feeding ... black pile The storklets don't like it.

16:03 she steps again on the head from the poor third! and settles down.

[baska]

Hello Liz, Solo, Michi, asteria, Ute and everybody !
The fourth chick has already hatched ! That is marvelous !!!

Thanks to everybody for the nice pics and comments.

15:51 CEST

The third one hardly cannot hold its head ...

They talk and test with their beak and their feet.

Yes, they do test with their feet, Ute, but by TOUCHING the chicks or the nestlings !
Putting their feet slightly on them.
That, what Sara does again and again is an absolute "no go" ! She is a fool !

[UteL.]

Yes, they do test with their feet, Ute, but by TOUCHING the chicks or the nestlings !
Putting their feet slightly on them.
That, what Sara does again and again is an absolute "no go" ! She is a fool !

These are possibly two different things. We will see how it develops. Sara does what she can. We have to accept that.

[Michi]

The third Storklet can hardly lift his head. There is the fourth in better condition!

Saras behaviour, to step on the chicks, was so bad from the first hatched chick on. The storklet was 15 minutes old when Sara stepped on it for the first time. Then within 5 minutes two more times. Mostly with full weight.
I wondered then, that you all stayed so calm. I couldn't.

On the third storklet Sara stepped minimum twice. After all I will post my pic from 13:20 which I before had omitted. Here the head of the third - new born - storklet is buried completely under Saras left foot.


Solos picture from 14:00 (with yellow circle) I understand that way, that Sara has a part of her foot on the third storklets neck (it's not clearly to see). That's the second time in less than an hour.
I don't know yet if it is so, that the fourth storklet is really in a better condition as the third one. But it would be no wonder by the bad treatment of Sara to the third chick.
Nevertheless I hope, it soon can lift its head like the others. Maybe it only needs a bit more time.

UteL., what you say in this context, that the parent storks test the chicks with their feet, for me is - I'm sorry to say that - nonsens.
Everytime when it happened here, it happens unwittingly. One can see that clearly. Sara don’t want to step on her kids. If a stork wants to test something with his feet, he would step with intent. Here this is not the case. No stork and no other animal steps purposely on his offspring.

[Solo]

15:53 feeding by Sára, ate only 2 "big" storklets
https://s7.postimg.cc/prvgvwg0r/2018-05-04_155344.jpg and https://s7.postimg.cc/6a0tfyqsr/2018-05-04_155354.jpg
(palipapa, ggforum)

[UteL.]

...
What I mean are things at a later age. We discuss this when the time comes.

The two "big ones" develop in spite of "kicking" normally

[Michi]

What I mean are things at a later age.

You have said it in this context, - an hour ago.

[Solo]

I will write to BS expert from Gemenc about the question "steps on offsprings" .

yes, it seems also to me, that the little 3rd storklet has - big - problem (but the reason )

[baska]

Saras behaviour, to step on the chicks, was so bad from the first hatched chick on. The storklet was 15 minutes old when Sara stepped on it for the first time. Then within 5 minutes two more times. Mostly with full weight.
I wondered then, that you all stayed so calm. I couldn't.

Michi, we stayed calm after the first time, because it really happens quite often, also with other storks.
But not with this frequency, that is strange and inapprehensible.

And the tests with their feet they do normally, to find out if their chick is ill or too weak to live.
They can feel by this way the vital force.

[Liz01]

16:48 Tobias He settles on the storklets

[UteL.]

You have said it in this context, - an hour ago.

No, the context comes from another discussion..

[Solo]

16:47 change, Sára out - Tóbiás in

16:50


I am really worried about the 3rd storklet

[Liz01]

I will write to BS expert from Gemenc about the question "steps on offsprings" .

yes, it seems also to me, that the little 3rd storklet has - big - problem (but the reason )

Solo, I will ask Maris Strazds!

Solo, she stood exactly on his neck. I think she harmed the storklet.

[asteria]

Tobias has a stalk of grass on his leg. Eggshell is not removed yet.

[Solo]

Solo, I will ask Maris Strazds! Solo, she stood exactly on his neck. I think she harmed the storklet.

Liz, TY very much - 2 opinion or maybe 1, the same
I am really very worried about the little one ( )
16:46 (Sára) https://s18.postimg.cc/7d0tr89uh/16.46.jpg

[Michi]

Michi, we stayed calm after the first time, because it really happens quite often, also with other storks.
But not with this frequency, that is strange and inapprehensible.

And the tests with their feet they do normally, to find out if their chick is ill or to weak to live.
They can feel by this way the vital force.

Baska , it was already a quite high frequency on May 1st, when the first storklet hatched. Three heavy steps on its head and neck within few minutes! That's why I already then was so appalled. For the first storklet it was as bad as it is now for the younger ones. It only could cope better with it.
I admit that now the frequency is getting higher because there is less space and more storklets in reach of Saras feet. Also Sara is up very often.

Thank you for the explanation about the storks real tests! I have seen something like that at other animals. This is of course plausible. But - as you have said - they touch their offspring careful and don't step on them like Sara does.