Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) nest in Zemgalē, Latvia 2025

[Susanne]

May 13

05:16: Anna does some "Eagle Yoga".



12:23 ff.: Still waiting for food. No prey delivery until now.



@Polly: Yes, this piece of prey looked unusual to me as well. Did it have wings? (It reminded me of peregrine falcon/goshawk prey: I think they sometimes pluck off the wings.) Maybe Andris found it because another one had to let it drop? I don't know whether LSEs try to actively steal prey from other birds of prey. It would be very risky, and they usually don't seem to depend on someone else's prey. Just my two cents!

[Susanne]

14:00: First prey of the day - Andris brings a Striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius).



You can well see the dark stripe on the mouse's back.

[Susanne]

14:34: Anna with her beloved bundle of pine needles in the beak (in my fantasy, this is what she dreams of when wintering in Africa ...)



14:36: You can let it drop - Andris with another rodent.

[Susanne]

19:25: Andris with a rodent.



Anna swallows it - Andris controls, if everything is alright.



19:26: Andris leaves and flies over to a tree opposite the nest (view hidden by the nest tree trunks). Anna trills in his direction. At 19:28, she heads over to the obs.tree -> signal for Andris to return to the nest - and cover the eggs.

[Susanne]

19:33: Announcing her arrival with a few tjük-tjüks from the obs.tree, Anna returns with fresh spruce.



She shoos Andris softly away from the eggs - and even deposits a portion of pine needles within beak-reach, when she finally is on her eggs again.



19:35: Andris flies over to the obs.tree.
19:54: Anna is still calling from time.

[Susanne]

May 14

Good morning!

It has rained a little, a moisty morning.
But Anna is fine :



She's holding the pine needle bundle in her beak since 09:26. It somehow gives her "good vibes", I've no other explanation

[Susanne]

10:08: Andris with a small frog.



He is really wet!

[Susanne]

12:02: Andris with a vole. Sorry, the pic is awkward, it went so quickly and Anna almost completely blocked the view. When she gulped it down, you could see the rodent's tail sticking out.



- Currently, it's raining. Personally, I'm happy about every rain drop. Anna won't melt!

[Susanne]

14:21: Andris with another vole.

[Susanne]

May 15

05:39: Andris with a pine branch.



Anna goes back to sleep and is still waiting for breakfast.

[Susanne]

10:58 ff.: Anna calls and trills - Andris is around.
11:00: He brings a pine branch.



Then branches at the left and preens. Anna trills and trills.



He leaves at 11:05, still around in the area, if you follow Anna's eyes. She continues to call. (Rightfully so: a pine branch! Something for her crop would be very welcome. But maybe mice aren't "jumping" yet ... what about a frog snack???)

[Susanne]

Very rainy day in the Baltics. This of course has an impact on hunting and the delivery of prey.



16:41: Finally - Andris delivers a rodent.



Look at Andris - now, that's what I call a really wet wet eagle ...

[Susanne]

Still raining. Maybe not comfortable - but they are made for living under the open sky.



Good night!

[Susanne]

May 16

It still is raining the proverbial cats and dogs ... and hunting is hard, very hard.

12:46: Andris with a - rodent (presumably), delivery and hand-over of prey is a matter of seconds.

[Susanne]

Anna is calling on a regular basis since the prey delivery. Maybe Andris is somewhere near? Or is she calling for a change (-> poop business)?

13:55: Andris with a vole!





The only dry spot on this bird is Anna's belly.

[Susanne]

May 17

Anna's morning - still very, very wet.



Slow, slow she's drying up.



11:09: A quick preen.

[Susanne]

12:03: Andris with the first delivery of the day - a rodent.



He already looks prim and proper - no wonder, he has spent the time with flying and drying (and hunting, of course).



12:17: Ha, Andris with prey no.2! Another rodent, quickly swallowed, like the previous one.

[Susanne]

Anna and her personal "spa" - the obligatory bundle of pine needles in the beak. To be precise: From 12:21 until 12:44.

[Susanne]

15:45: Andris with a vole.



She trills and blocks the access to the eggs.



- Big thank you! to the YT-chat for any timestamps!

[Susanne]

19:13 f.: Anna is still fast asleep when Andris circles in ...



... with a rodent.



He then works a little in the nest (Anna trills all the time, but nicely) ...