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June 22, 2013

Someone at Looduskalender posted a pic of 2 LSE juvies. The only thing I can think of is that they hatched with only a day inbetween.

It is overcast this morning and it doesn't appear that Koit has been able to find food.

E2 keeps returning to Eha for warmth and comfort and gets bitten hard by E1 for his efforts. E2 was up around the 10 o'clock area of the nest. He is now trying to get away from E1. Eha actually moved away when E2 went towards her. She was standing and preening. E2 peeps and most likely it is because he is in pain. He is now at the 3 o'clock area of the nest edge. If E2 had not been so strong after hatch, maybe, this would not be so hard. Of course, I think that if E2 had hatched only a day after E1, the outcome would have been much different. Wonder if I would have felt sorry for E1 then.

8:51 am through 8:53 am

I suppose many birds are no nonsense. Black birds kick babies out if they have any deformities. Theory being that they don't have enough resources to feed one that isn't going to make it anyway. A breeder friend has had the parents eat the babies if they detected anything wrong with them. Maybe birds tend to be realists. And food isn't that plentiful in Estonia. The dads can find food in spurts but I guess two growing eaglets might be tough to find food for. Plus mom. Like now, gloomy weather, prey hiding.

Yes, cainism is in their genes. And other "Aquila"-eagles practice cainism as well, for example Black Eagles. http://www.africam.com/wildlife/cainism ... rnecessity
Even though it´s horrible to see, I want to believe there is a reason behind it. Perhaps it´s better to raise one well-fed eaglet than two malnourished eaglets.

18.07 Koit made a vole delivery.

19.03 E1 has been sitting on E2 for some time. Earlier today he abused E2 very badly, I hope E2 has gone to "eagle heaven".

One eaglet that I see anymore. I don´t know about the feelings of the birds. But I personally think Eha "loved" E2 too and would have kept him/her. But it was just impossible.
21.40

22.01

22.41

22.52 Eha is still touching E2 with her beak...

22.57 E1 crawling under Mom.

23.00 Eha is still gently beaking E2, maybe debugging.

June 23, 2013

From mia's observations and the observations of those on Looduskalender, E2 went to the 'Rainbow Bridge' sometime in the early evening of June 22, 2013. One week of life. But at least no more suffering. This morning, Eha has been aerating the nest around E2's body. It is interesting that she seems nonplussed over what occurred as opposed to disinterested.

4:05 am to 4:12 am








4:16 am and she is still aerating around E2.

June 23, 2013

4:22 am Eha is now sleeping.



My last sight of E2 was of him doing a poop shoot yesterday morning at the 3 o'clock side of the nest and then scurrying under Eha. A sweet but sad sight since E1 was also there.

Quote by: mia

Yes, cainism is in their genes. And other "Aquila"-eagles practice cainism as well, for example Black Eagles. http://www.africam.com/wildlife/cainism ... rnecessity
Even though it´s horrible to see, I want to believe there is a reason behind it. Perhaps it´s better to raise one well-fed eaglet than two malnourished eaglets.

I have read up on the Black Eagles because I was watching Emoyeni and was saddened when neither of her eggs produced a viable eaglet. Those birds have an intense Cainism drive when young. I thought that would have been my first exposure to this. Nature is, as some say, beautiful and cruel all at once.

Someone at Looduskalender posted a poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye - Do Not Stand by My Grave and Weep. (Apparently an altered version as my search turned up something different.) Because there are copyright concerns here, I won't post it here but anyone can look it up with the title I just gave. It is apropos for E2.