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

[Susanne]

15:39: Andris brings a frog - nice variation in the diet.



And he needs to take another look at the eggs. - Anna trills.



And this, sorry: really is sweet. When Andris pokes in the nest bowl and Anna comes really close, trilling at him, Andris answers this closeness with preening her around the beak. - These two are special, indeed, regarding their individual peculiarities.

[Polly]

Quote YT-chat: "7:42 PM Baiba 20:41:10 kāds no vistu vanagiem nolido gar ligzdu" - "One of the goshawks flies past the nest."

Swift as lightning - it's hardly recognizable in the pic. Anna had been sleeping when she suddenly heard the goshawk and followed it with her eyes. The goshawk disappeared to the right.

Hello Susanne and all observers!

Please note that there seem to be a number of Goshawks here.
Mona keeps getting visitors, and not all of her excitement has been resolved yet.
This means that even if unfamiliar Goshawks don't show up on camera, they can still hang around in the area.

I'll have to update page 1 with all the visits from the strange beauties when I have more time.

The last visit was a few days ago. The plumage looked like juveniles, and the Goshawk (sex unknown) followed Mona to the nest. Then it sat in the nest tree for a while.
viewtopic.php?p=956408#p956408

Just a suggestion that passing Goshawks aren't always Mona or Miks.

Thanks for your wonderful documentation, Susanne!

[Susanne]

Polly! Yes, you're absolutely right. I should have stated "a goshawk" instead of "one of the goshawks"

19:38 ff.: Anna hears someone/something near the nest. This unknown potential danger is moving beneath the nest. It touches the middle branch at the front entrance - the branch swings a little, but I can't see the origin of the movement.
Anna goes into full defense mode:





She is very vigilant and has changed her position, head to the front - you never know, right?



At 21.28, she feels secure enough to fly to the obs.tree and returns after less than one minute.

[Susanne]

21:47: One more disturbance - she had been sleeping, and something startled her - defense mode.



But she calms down quickly and goes back to sleep after about 5 minutes.

[BDrieliņi]

What worried Anna?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajf7Zg5lAnk

[BDrieliņi]

May 22

Good morning!

5:56 Andris with big vole



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP1YYLezoSM

[Susanne]

Good morning!
Thank you very much for the video, Baiba!

Once again, Andris needs to take a look at the eggs. Anna concedes, trilling and ringing, of course. But it is a rather friendly act. They are not pecking, these LSEs (compared to WTEs, for example, we all know our Milda from Durbe). I would really like to know better the meaning of these trills accompanying the male's occupation with the eggs and the nest bowl. I guess that it might be a mix of information: 'you may' (body language, she's not blocking in this moment), but determining at the same time: 'I am in charge' (this is just my interpretation). One should take a closer look at the quality of these trills.

Andris returns once more with a dry branch.



06:55: Prey no.2 - Andris with a vole.



08:42: Andris with no. 3 - again a vole(?), a rodent, for sure!



- So much food in the morning - the rodents are jumping and are easily available.

[BDrieliņi]

May 23

Good afternoon!

12:29 Andris brings a frog and wants to incubate the eggs. Anna gives him kisses and doesn't let him stay in the nest for long.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKWME6bnzjU

[Susanne]

Thank you so much for the video, Baiba!

Yes, Anna granted him the (roundabout) 5-minute session on the eggs trilling and ringing, but not in a harsh voice.



Then she gently advances and moves him to please! leave now.



13:31: Andris with a junky vole-ish rodent. (Oh Anna, couldn't you please think about viewer-friendliness? Sideward position, less speedy hand-over, so we can see your precious food in full light and glory?)

[BDrieliņi]

16:00 A goshawk flies past the nest.

[Susanne]

Wow, thank you again, Baiba!
This was really, really close.
Anna at around 15:35 - she sees something soaring in the sky which makes her head turn.



16:00:19 f.: A goshawk. After speeding past the nest, there is a long and loud goshawk call.



16:03: Andris with a rodent.

[Susanne]

A goshawk calls.

[Polly]

Susanne, Baiba and @all!

A goshawk calls.

Screenshot 16:03)

Could have been Mona. If it sounds like begging calls (I haven't verified via the camera of the eagle).
Mona wasn't in the nest at the time, but she could be heard calling in the forest.

Sometimes I wonder if she's asking Miks (for food or something else) or if she tends to repeatedly assert her territory with calls. There's a lot going on here, and it's conceivable that it's always necessary to assert territories (Goshawk also marks the boundaries with calls).

I hope Mona and Miks behave... may a little eagle miracle fly out like in recent years.

[Susanne]

Polly, thank you for the info! Yes, from time to time, the real neighbours fly by.

20:34: Anna flies to the obs.trees. She tjük-tjüks from time to time.
20:35: Hossa! Andris with a mouse. Anna joins him a few seconds later.



She trills and seems to give him an order (my anthropocentric interpretation, u-hum.)



A pine branch for his lady.

[Susanne]

And Anna is happy.



Good night! I hope there won't be any disturbances tonight.

[Susanne]

May 24

Good morning! It seems there was no disturbance in the night.
Anna is busy with preening:



09:24: A wood pigeon (left branch) visits the nest tree and flies away to the right.

[Susanne]

11:55: Lunch for Anna - Andris delivers a vole, prey no. 1.



She actively invites him to take a look at the eggs, trill-trill, and makes room for Andris.



But today he just passes by, he's in a hurry.

[Susanne]

Anna's signature :



13:41: Andris with a little something of a rodent (it has a naked, shorter tail):



And once more Anna makes way for Andris - proper egg and nest bowl inspection this time.

[Susanne]

She is trilling and ringing, but friendly, I'd say.



And she has a very good feeling for the time span she grants Andris: it's always around 5 minutes at this stage.
The 5 minutes are over:



13:48: Andris returns once more with a fresh pine twig.



- Oh my, the next prey is on its way -

[Susanne]

14:15: Andris with a rodent - longer tail, so perhaps a rat (type Rattus norvegicus).



14:55: Andris with a junky rodent.



Again, she gives him access to the nest bowl - 2nd time today!