Now it gets more interesting

3:50:55pm
All go into alarm mode
A space invader flies by


3:51pm
Male takes off - notice the damaged tail feathers



3:51pm
Mom takes off after him vocalizing - Are they after the intruder or is Mom after the male?

Judy, I don't watch this nest on a regular basis; just hit and miss when I have time. When I first turned the cam on, it looked to me that the adult in the nest with the 3 chicks was a smaller bird and tried to get the fish away from the chick who was mantling it at the 1 position. The other adult flew in with a fish and there was a lot of flapping and mantling so it was difficult to tell who was who. I wasn't watching when the first fish was brought in. I'm still recording and waiting for the 2 chicks with the fish to decide they have had enough and let the 3rd chick eat.

ETA: Yay, the 3rd chick moved in from across the nest and grabbed the fish from the one eating at the 8 position and dragged it to the 11 position. So glad it will get a good feed.

3:51:08pm

Mom after the male - vocalizing


Both out of sight and now what looks like the extra juvie comes hovering over the nest


And then there were 3 chicks and 2 big fish and one mostly eaten fish

Thats the end of this sequence

I will try to compare the male to Dad

Thanks, BET -- no wonder I couldn't keep track of what was happening


The chick with the fish at 6oclock may have lost it as Kay said, or he decided to go back to 11oclock area with it. I was distracted and missed the details.

I wish I knew what all the wing flapping and tail fanning was about.... it seems at least one of them has been at it most of the time I've been here.

5:48pm chick at 3oclock spot contiues standing on his fish and doing the wingstretch-tail fan move

@5:40pm


5:52pm now both the chicks on the front of the nest are mantling together
the third chick is not taking part.
(no s'caps-- too many distractions at the moment )

5:58pm chick at 7oclock spot up and away down to the sandbar and circles screen left

missed the s'cap!! they are so quick and I have slow eyes today

I have uploaded the first video I recorded this afternoon from 3:46 to 3:57pm nest time. I will upload more videos after dinner.

Lots of mantling, squawking & flapping in the nest!!

Here is a comparison of Dad's head markings from images taken in June this year and today's male The wind was blowing the head feathers of the male today so not the best comparison - but that's all I have to work with.

Double click for larger view