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18.54 Eha feeding the older one. I didn´t seen the younger even moving.

18.58 Still feeding the older one.

19.01 Koit brought a prey, nice size mole, I believe.

19.12 Finally little one´s turn to get some.

19.13

June 17, 2013

3:53 am Eha flew off the nest and both eaglets sat up to look around.


3:55 am Eha returned


3:57 am after preening, Eha decides to feed left over mole and E2 is sitting up so he gets first dibs. E1 got up a little after.

June 17, 2013

4:56 am Calm before the storm. Had lots of rain around 8:18 am and it is still falling quite hard at 9:00 am.



6:11 am Eha got up to preen and then bring the rest of the mole over. While E1 was up for a bit, he flopped over and E2 got first dibs on left over mole. Eha would offer some chunks that were too large and then eat them herself. One chunk she did make a little smaller. After E2 was done being fed for several minutes, he went to nap and E1 for the rest of the mole, along with Eha.


E1 sitting up briefly.


One of several beakfuls of food that E2 got.

Now the pantry is bare. The rain isn't too good as it will hamper hunting by Koit. Eha flew off for a bit around 8:45 am and came back with a branch. She moved a branch around on the edge of the nest at the 9 o'clock position. The eaglets looked up and then both went back to sleep.

9:19 am Still raining.

June 18, 2013

3:43 am Eha is sleeping.


Do not see any leftovers on the nest. At 4:21 am Eha got up to go fetch another branch. While she was gone, both eaglets sat up. E1 started to bite at E2 and E2 did nothing. Eha came back and even bonked E1 with the branch but he didn't stop biting until she settled back down on them. The lack of prey seems problematic as E2 is not that much smaller then E1.

Edit: I snooped at Looduskalender and I was right about the rain not being good yesterday. Koit was only seen once in the morning and then not at all the rest of the day. The viewers did not appear to take the rain into consideration for Koit's inability to get any prey. They, like I, just wish that there was food for the eaglets. Eha needs food too.

June 17
17.35 Eha returns. She was away for a few minutes, I hoped she would return wit prey, but no. No sightings of Koit last evening either.

I think there are two factors why 2 chicks can´t make it in LSE nests. 1) Bigger one is naturally very aggressive for the first weeks. 2) LSEs mainly hunt very small preys (frogs, voles, moles or small birds). It´s very hard work for the male to get enough food for 2 chicks & the female. I have never seen big preys which would fill the pantry for a long time or would be enough for two big chicks. Last year I remember Koit brought once a bigger prey, I think it was a rabbit baby. I don´t remember seeing big preys on Tuuli´s & Remo´s nest either.

June 18
5.53 Eha and 1 chick is up. Still waiting for a delivery.

5.54 Eha stretching.

June 18, 2013

I did not get any scaps but I did see Eha feeding around 7:43 am. So Koit found something. Not sure what it was. E1 was more interested in biting E2 then eating. It's a shame, somewhat, that Eha was so patient in getting food into E1 because E2, when I compare the two, was more lively and vocal and coordinated then E1 was at the same age. E1 was sleeping or just looking like - duh - when Eha was trying to feed him. E1 only got more vocal lately because E2 was so vocal. If there hadn't been a 4 day gap between the two, things may have turned out differently.

Eha fed E1 again around 8:35 am or so.

Yes mia, I have noticed that Lesser Spotted Eagles go for smaller prey - voles, moles and frogs. I was never certain if that was because that was the most plentiful or if that was their food of choice. Remo brought some rather large moles for Stephi last year. But the rainy weather was not good for catching prey. Hopefully with the sunshine, Koit will be able to find more food. And of course, Koit has to find food for himself as well.

June 18, 2013

9:16 am Eha in an odd position. Hard to believe that she may have been an E1 herself, taking out a later hatched sibling. But I suppose it is what it is.