Looduskalender

visit wrote: May 17th, 2019, 11:33 am one of the youngsters i've named Rambo (= K1) because in the beginning he had already struggled with K2 a lot. hope they keep friendly to each other...

Is K1, K2... the correct way to address the storklets? Yesterday I used K2 as a shorthand for Karl II, as he ate back the rest of the food, but hopefully it was clear from the context who I meant.

visit wrote: May 17th, 2019, 11:33 am ...
one of the youngsters i've named Rambo (= K1) because in the beginning he had already struggled with K2 a lot. hope they keep friendly to each other...

visit

There is no mutual aggression among storklets. They do not attack each other.
Of course, every chick tries to eat as much as possible, as quickly as possible, so there is food competition.
Sometimes they pull the same fish until the strongest (or luckiest) can take it.
But they don't hit each other, in contrast to birds of prey.

So the largest and fastest chick(s) is (are) usually in a privileged position.
Very exceptionally, these 3 chicks hatched on the same day, and all 3 look healthy and lively.
I think it will soon be difficult to distinguish them.


Did someone hear the 4th egg, recently?

Hello pazi,

ah ok, then that was a misunderstanding - i thought, you had named them k1 and k2 ;)
not really so important for me, because the identification is at the moment not as easy as perhaps later - and perhaps everybody is able to recognize "a Rambo" in another one of them :)

here are some videos in case somebody can not sleep in the night and want to watch storks g
the video with eating so many nest material as i thought, i didn't found - or more probably, i really had not watched correctly at the first time.
there is a lot of eating, vomit, eating again (the same g), etc.
and faszinating what big portions the little portions are able to eat :)

https://streamable.com/3iye5

https://streamable.com/hn5kl - are that all lampreys ? or leechs, too ?

https://streamable.com/1z8e9 - end may be more interessting

https://streamable.com/3iok0

https://streamable.com/vkanj

https://streamable.com/ns5fq

Hello Anne

There is no mutual aggression among storklets. They do not attack each other.

may be on one of the first videos, at the beginning they struggeled a little, but no serious problem :)
but i thought of the possibility to kick one out of the nest sometimes. but hope, we won't see that.

visit wrote: May 17th, 2019, 1:45 pm Hello Anne
may be on one of the first videos, at the beginning they struggeled a little, but no serious problem :)
but i thought of the possibility to kick one out of the nest sometimes. but hope, we won't see that.

BS chicks do not kick another chick out of the nest, but a parent may indeed decide that it is necessary to do so.
Yes, we have seen it twice that Kati threw out a chick.

Therefore, I really hope that egg number 4 will hatch today. Or not hatch at all.

- In 2016 there were 4 eggs. 3 hatched. One of the 3 chicks had serious growth retardation and did not develop normally. That chick clearly had a health problem and has been eliminated by Kati. The other 2 were well-nourished and fledged successfully.

- In 2017 there were 4 chicks. Although the youngest looked healthy, it was eliminated by Kati.
The reason why bird infanticide occurs on a nest is well described here:
viewtopic.php?p=516905#p516905
The remaining 3 storklets were well-nourished and fledged successfully.

- In 2018 there were 4 eggs, but only 3 hatched. All 3 storklets were healthy and well-fed. All 3 fledged successfully.

Possibly, 3 chicks are the maximum that can be successfully raised in this specific territory.
But the food conditions are different every year, I suppose.
So I also hope that there will not occur such a drama this year.

Many thanks for your videos, visit

Anne7 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 2:05 pm Therefore, I really hope that egg number 4 will hatch today. Or not hatch at all.

It may have happened that this egg remained uncovered throughout the whole cold night.

Summi wrote: May 17th, 2019, 2:12 pm It may have happened that this egg remained uncovered throughout the whole cold night.

Yes, that's right, Summi. It is possible.
I try to hear if egg number 4 is talking.
Did someone hear it today?

It could be that I heard the egg at 13:58, but I'm not sure.

13:58:31 Karl II is preening his chicks.


13:58:42 Still preening the little ones


13:58:49 He turns the egg. Are these cracks or is it moss?


I have to go

Anne7 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 1:02 pm 12:33:03 When Karl II took back the food, I saw this. Is it a reptile or an amphibian? ..

It was a salamander/ amphibian. No idea what the correct word is in English
Something like that - picture deleted.. is not a salamander .

EDIT- long legs and long tail.. what can it be pictures soon




head is on the right -tail on the left. Leg is long and the tail is very long. Could it be a lizard?

16:07 Kati comes home. Egg talking. I hear it since early morning.
I had the impression that he did not want to leave his chicks




he dives to the left

16:37 Kati is feeding the little ones


16:13 Feeding is over. Kati covers the storklets.

If an egg has been lying in the cold for a long time, it takes a long time for the chick to hatch.It costs the chick much strength. By lying without covering,some things has changed in the egg. The climate, the humidity and so on ..
Due to the long process, a chick can be greatly weakened.

17:16 preening


17:21 she stands up and is preening herself. There is loud egg talk
Storklets are sleeping.

17:24 still egg talk

She often gets up. I think there is a hole


better visible

17:30 she stands up again ... She is not relaxed at all.
17:34 up again ... poor Kati

Some pics from the feeding

Liz01 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 4:39 pm 16:37 Kati is feeding the little ones

Thanks, Liz, for your reporting and pictures.

That was a very good feeding! Many small food items, accessible to all.
All have eaten a lot.

16:38:34 I think they are standing in the order of hatching. 1- 2 - 3. (Not sure though)


16:40:20 #1 is nearly in a food coma and needs a little support.


16:40:41 #3 also needs a rest. #2 seems to be an excellent pillow.

17:32:49 the egg looks like a"Schweizer Käse? "

I see a hole and a "long hole"




I look for better pictures

Anne, thanks for the very cute and beautiful pictures. They are so sweet... in a row

Liz01 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 5:32 pm 17:30 she stands up again ... She is not relaxed at all.
17:34 up again ... poor Kati

I wonder what is bothering Kati?
Are the 3 storklets moving too much under her belly?

17:34 She is restless, indeed.

Anne7 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 5:41 pm I wonder what is bothering Kati?
Are the 3 storklets moving too much under her belly?

Nööö, all is ok with her. the fourth will come soon

Or take a look here:
viewtopic.php?p=656746#p656746

Liz01 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 5:43 pm Nööö, all is ok with her. the fourth will come soon

That would be wonderful!
Yes, a "Schweizer Käse"

Anne7 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 5:45 pm That would be wonderful!

Anne, If you can, look at the egg rolling 17:32:42. You can see the "holes"

Liz01 wrote: May 17th, 2019, 5:48 pm Anne, If you can, look at the egg rolling 17:32:42. You can see the "holes"

Yep, you are right!

17:32:49 Come on, little storklet #4, carry on! You are nearly there.


When Karl II comes home, and gives it a thorough roll, the chick is out.