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

[Susanne]

... and even kind of tucks her in.



She goes back to sleep.
19:27 f.: Anna is chirping with her head tucked in her wings. (? Is she dreaming?)

Quote YT-chat: "Vija ​​19:51 Jūras ērglis?" I think, you are absolutely right, Vija - a WTE calls!!! To me, this doesn't sound like a black woodpecker's flight calls.

Anna is absolutely tense. You can see her breathing, but nevertheless she presses her body onto the eggs. Her eyes are literally "nailing" the unwelcome stranger somewhere in the back of the cam.

[Susanne]

May 18

Very rainy Sunday...
This has been Anna's day up to now:

[Susanne]

No food up to now. - Andris will have slowed down his activity accordingly. No bird really likes to fly in the rain unless they absolutely must.

[Susanne]

20:02:20: Anna flies over to the obs.tree (WC) and returns less than 30 seconds later. The nest bowl is perfectly dry.



She settles on her eggs, shakes her head - and continues to endure the rain.

[Susanne]

May 19

Anna's day starts like this:



Meanwhile, it has stopped raining.
08:37: Andris with the first delivery: a small rodent.



You can see Andris' wet belly: he's been roaming through the marshes and the grasslands.

[Susanne]

08:41: After breakfast, Anna takes up a bundle of pine needles ....



... and falls asleep with the pine in her beak.



She will drop it at 09:35.
11:55: Andris with a rodent - seems to be the same size as the previous one.

[Susanne]

Andris tries to 'take over' the clutch - but Anna softly trills him away.

[Susanne]

12:47:59: Andris with a vole (short tail).



Anna makes sure Andris doesn't come too close to the eggs - even standing on one leg and trilling.

[Susanne]

13:43: Andris with prey no. 4 - something "vole-ish".



13:44: And a fresh pine twig - he knows what she likes and cherishes!



15:05: Andris with no.5 - looks like a water vole, Arvicola amphibius (?).

[Susanne]

I noticed that there is some discussion in the YT-chat about one of the eggs: hole? - No, I think I can calm you down.

This is what you saw around 16:25:



This pic. is from May 01, the egg was laid on Apr 30.



The dark fat spot was always there! And I remember, that I thought to myself: whoa, it will be difficult to detect pips ...

[Susanne]

20:59: Nice - a late supper! This is prey no. 6 - and the first where I didn't have to use slow motion to catch the event, ha!



Andris flies over to the obs. tree-group. Anna trills and trills - ah, he procures her favourite greenery: a pine twig.



This was a good day for Anna after all this rain and involuntary diet yesterday.

Good night!

[Susanne]

May 20

07:58: Andris with food - a rodent, very hard to see, I couldn't even see Anna swallow it (which she actually did), quick business, as usual.



Andris picks up a pine twig and tries to to push through towards the eggs - no way, Anna trills and blocks.



10:01: Prey no.2, now better visible: a rodent it is.

[Susanne]

10:50: Anna flies over to the obs.trees and returns two minutes later with a fresh spruce twig, which she puts in the nest bowl.



11:00: Anna is focusing someone soaring above (probably Andris).



11:24: Andris with a vole (?).

[Susanne]

This time, Andris is allowed to walk around the eggs. Anna doesn't trill, she uses a soft high-pitch call.



Walk-around accomplished - now he may leave.

[Susanne]

13:05: Thank you YT-chat , quote: "12:34 PM Rūsa ​​13:05 Andris atnesa pusdienas! " - I would have missed this one.



14:12: Andris with a vole-ish rodent.



Anna swallows it, Andris flies away to the left and Anna flies over to the obs.trees at 14:14.
You can hear her: calling or rather 'whistling', it sounds interesting, because it's different from what we usually hear from her. She returns at 14:18, empty-handed, short call and begging pose (indicated wing flapping), directed at the left. Maybe she signalled to Andris: Stay in the area, I'll be back soon, thank you (acknowledgment), you may leave?

[Susanne]

16:54: Andris with prey no. 6: a rodent.



Anna allows him to touch, turn and roll the eggs - and cover them. For about 5 minutes. This surely saves Andris' day.



And, of course, it doesn't go without constant trills - like a soft, but persistent ringing.

[Susanne]

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.

[Susanne]

May 21

06:49: Anna flies away and returns at 06:52 with a fresh spruce twig.



10:56: First prey of the day: a smaller rodent.



Andris takes a closer look at the nest bowl, rearranges some twigs, and there is always Anna's ringing voice in his ears. But at least, she doesn't block him off - now.

[Susanne]

Enough, dear mate - you may leave now.



Anna looks more grim than she really is.
15:05: Andris with a rodent.



A light-bellied one.

[Susanne]

Andris needs to inspect eggs and nest bowl. Anna trills.



For the next 4, 5 minutes Andris manages to cover the eggs. Anna trills.



But then it's enough - she "rings" him away and is quiet the second he leaves the nest tree.
Then she takes up a bundle of pine needles - and chirps along.



15:26: She still carries the pine in her beak and chirps from time to time.