CUIBUL ACVILEI DE MUNTE NR. 2 - THE NEST OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE 2 (AQUILA CHRYSAETOS) 2023

Hello @Raven! Thank you very much for all the details, I wouldn't have known about Glis glis's visit if I hadn't seen it here on the forum.

At around 21:53:33, something flies by the nest from the right going towards the rear behind the nest. Can anyone identify what it is? My first thought was a bat, but after watching a few times, I'm not so sure lol. Thank you!

Roma, that amused me too. Once upon a time, ancestors of this species may have adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle, in part, to avoid diurnal predators. How that might work was on clear display here at the eyrie. ;>>

Stelian, my pleasure. If it weren't for Johan pointing out the time stamp in chat, I wouldn't have noticed it. Team work is ace.

Tigress, that appears to be a species of crane fly. Perhaps, one of these. It appears larger than it is due to proximity to the lens.

Thanks Raven :: I knew you would see it better than I could lol If it is a species of crane fly....omg.. there's a lot to choose from! Lol

2023-06-23 - Day 47; Week 6

3 feedings total. 1 self-feeding. 2 deliveries. 1 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) fawn - Lucina, 1 northern raven (Corvus corax) - Caliman.

Eaglet wing exercises - 07:12:47, 07:50:53, 07:51:46, 10:18:43, 12:13:22, 12:15:50, 18:37:58, 18:38:31, 18:41:57, 20:32:41.
Talon-strike play - 09:02:51, 12:13:41, 18:39:30, 21:40:04.

04:42:11 - Lucina leaves silently to the right.









08:33:52 - Lucina returns after 3 hours, 51 minutes, with a fir spray in her left foot, and a full crop.
Eaglet notices a female cone attached to the spray, and seems to mistake this for prey. S/he rushes, and mantles it.

08:34:14 - Lucina hops to the lower hidden trunk branch.

08:34:43-08:39:46 - Lucina departs for 5 minutes. Returns with a fir spray in her left foot.
08:41:00-09:00:28 -Lucina departs for 19 minutes. Returns with a fir spray in her right foot.
09:01:16-10:13:49 - Lucina departs for 1 hour, 12 minutes. Returns with sticks in beak.



10:14:39 - Allopreens after placing sticks on eaglet.
10:15:20 - Lucina leaves silently towards the lower right corner.



12:15:50.







Lucina returns after 3 hours, 21 minutes. She delivers prey. A roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) fawn.





13:36:23 - She hops to the back right branch.
13:36:48 - Lucina leaves silently towards the right.



13:40:36-13:49:10 - Eaglet tears at the carcass with her/his back to us. Judging by the crop, s/he does not appear to have had much success.







15:42:45-15:50:35 - Again. Same result.

Caliman delivers prey from the right.



16:03:05 - Lucina returns from the right, having followed her mate. 2 hours, 27 minutes away.



16:03:27 - Caliman leaves towards the right.
16:04:31 - Lucina leaves silently towards the right.
16:07:33 - Eaglet pulls Caliman's prey from the front nest edge. It is a well-plucked raven with some grey down remaining.



1st self-feeding. 16:41:31-16:54:57 - Approx. 13 minutes. Little crop visible. Source - roe deer fawn.



18:10:05 - Lucina returns after 2 hours, 6 minutes.

She helpfully picks up the raven, so it is nearly standing. Perfect. Now we just need her to display a hooded crow for us in this manner.





2nd feeding. 18:12:34-18:24:27 - Approx. 12 minutes. Source: northern raven.





18:26:22-18:34:40 - Feeding continues. Approx. 8 minutes. Source: roe deer fawn.



18:39:01-19:37:29 - Lucina departs for 58 minutes. Returns with a lichen covered stick in her beak.

18:41:57.



3rd feeding. 19:41:26-19:45:41 - Approx. 4 minutes. Source: roe deer fawn.

That crop!



20:07:02-20:19:18 - Lucina departs for 12 minutes. Returns with trailing fir spray in her beak.



20:20:18-21:08:33 - Lucina departs for 48 minutes.



21:52:15 - Both eaglet, and Lucina begin closing their eyes. Time for sleep.

2023-06-24 - Day 48; Week 6

3 feedings. 0 deliveries.

Eaglet wing exercises - 07:40:41, 07:44:44, 13:34:02, 13:39:50, 13:41:29, 13:42:12, 16:51:26, 18:48:31, 18:57:33, 20:54:19, 20:58:40.
Talon-strike play - 16:10:46, 20:56:04, 21:00:21, 21:03:35.



04:42:50 - Allopreening.



04:43:16 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner. Silent, unless stated otherwise.





06:31:58 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner. 1 hour, 48 minutes away.

Compare feet. Same position, distance off.  



1st feeding. 06:34:40-07:00:30 - Approx. 26 minutes. Source: old northern raven.





07:03:32 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.

Crop check.





07:59:56 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner, after 56 minutes away. She spooks eaglet who then rattle-chirps on, and on.





08:20:56-08:53:50 - Lucina departs for 33 minutes. Returns with a fir spray in her feet.













09:02:28 - Lucina leaves towards the right.





09:49:30 - Lucina drops down from the back slope with a trailing fir spray in her feet. She drops it onto the far right thin branch, and continues on as if having miscalculated her approach.



09:55:05 - Lucina returns with another fir spray in her right foot, after 53 minutes away.
10:00:26 - She leaves towards the right.



13:27:25 - Lucina returns with a fir spray in her left foot, after 3 hours, 27 minutes away.







13:36:52 - Thunder crashes, and rolls, as Lucina retrieves the raven carcass.
2nd feeding. 13:37:30-13:40:21 - Approx. 3 minutes. Distancing thunder on last bite. Source: old northern raven.
13:39:15 - Tug-of-war with raven foot.

Rain is beginning to fall. Flap, flap, flap.



13:40:55 - Lucina swallows a raven foot.
13:41:16 - Distant thunder.





14:25:30 - Lucina is on the nest. The stream skips. . .
14:26:33 - Lucina is off the nest.
15:00:09 - Eaglet briefly one-leg-stands. Rests it on the tarsus.
16:06:35 - Lucina is off the nest. The stream skips. . .
16:07:35 - Lucina is on the nest. Roughly 1 hour, 41 minutes away.



3rd feeding. 16:12:16-16:24:45 - Approx. 12 minutes. Source: northern raven.
16:27:11-16:46:50 - Feeding continues for another 19 minutes. Source: old roe deer fawn. Stream skipping.

Watching Mom swallow a bone.



16:50:05 - Lucina is on the nest. Stream skips. . .
16:51:06 - Lucina is off the nest.



17:56:06 - Lucina is off the nest. Stream skip. . .
17:57:07 - Lucina is on the nest. Roughly 1 hour, 6 minutes away. It is raining.







18:53:05 - Lucina is on the nest. Stream skip. . .
18:54:07 - Lucina is off the nest.







21:36:35 - Lucina is off the nest. Stream skip. . .
21:37:38 - Lucina is on the nest. Roughly 2 hours, 43 minutes away.
22:12:08 - Eaglet tucks her/his beak into the left scapular feathers.
22:13:38 - Lucina tucks her beak into her right scapular feathers.

2023-06-25 - Day 49; Week 7

2 "feedings" (mostly fawn hide, bone, and tendon); small crop. 0 deliveries.

Eaglet wing exercises - 06:23:55, 06:30:03, 09:17:23, 12:28:22, 12:29:20, 13:24:33, 13:27:21, 16:19:14, 18:56:21, 21:04:23.
Talon-strike play - 06:29:33, 06:30:30, 06:35:18, 13:24:12, 13:24:46, 13:26:10, 13:26:52, 13:30:51, 15:48:55.





05:53:10 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner. Foggy morning.



06:43:17 - Distant calling of hooded crows (Corvus cornix).
06:44:04 - And Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius).

Two-wing-up stretch.



09:25:50 - While eaglet attempts to strip apart the hide on the old roe deer fawn leg, coal tits (Periparus ater) zip by, distracting her/him as they flit about in the crown of the eyrie fir.

We can practically watch the feathers along the capital feather tract of the crown erupt, and grow. Their auburn tone is only just visible in this light.



S/he is looking a bit more sturdy, as golden eaglet Margit did at this age. Very similar body-type.
All of my Zenit screen shots are on an external hard drive in a box. Maybe I'll dig it out later, and add to this, but right now I am feeling mighty lazy.



Margit:



Edit. And here is little Zenit. Hmm. Well, not easy to judge scale among different nests, and distances to lens:



Lucina returns from the left, behind the lens. 3 hours, 49 minutes away.



1st feeding. 09:42:44-10:00:11. Approx. 18 minutes. Source: old roe deer fawn leg.

Crop drop.



10:01:22 - Lucina swallows a fawn leg bone.



10:02:55 - Lucina hops to the lower hidden trunk branch.
10:03:36 - She leaves towards the left.



10:20:40 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner. 17 minutes away. Rain follows her.





It is happening, dear eaglet. You are nearly too big for your Mombrella.





12:14:14 - After a good soaking, Lucina leaves to the right.





12:30:10 - Let the bone swallowing begin.
13:20:18 - Another.



13:24:46 - Most rambunctious of the day's talon-strikes.



These one-leg stands seem to be more one-leg stretches. Not something listed in the ethogram I have.
The eagles aren't resting long in these positions, and at maximal extent one can see the leg tense, and shake, before the position is released. A stretch.



13:59:59 - Lucina returns from the left, behind the lens. 1 hour, 45 minutes away.







Crop drop.



Eaglet is as small as possible. Mom allopreens.



15:06:27 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
15:36:52 - Eaglet spends plenty of time picking at another old roe deer fawn leg, but doesn't have much success.
16:31:27 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner. 1 hour, 25 minutes away. Rain soon follows yet again.
It may be difficult to hunt in, but keeping drought at bay is all the better to support the health, and abundance of hare, deer, and other prey (insects to feed the passerines, rodents for the mesopredators), on the well-watered understories that flourish in the long run.
2nd feeding. 18:26:16-18:43:45. Approx. 17 minutes. Source: old roe deer fawn leg.

18:34:45 - Eaglet finally swallows another long fawn bone, after the fifth or so try.



Anything softer to devour over here?





18:49:58-21:05:24 - Lucina departs for 2 hours, 16 minutes.
21:10:16 - Allopreening session.



Eaglet inspects Mom's empty talons whilst she one-leg stretches.



Not too big yet. Not. yet.



21:46:28 - Lucina tucks her beak in.

2023-06-26 - Day 50; Week 7

4 feedings total. 3 self-feedings. 4 deliveries. 1 domesticated bovine foot (calf) - Caliman, 1 unk. nestling/chick - Caliman, 1 unk. chick with reduced hallux - Caliman, 1 unk. bird (fledgling/mature) - Caliman.

Eaglet wing exercises - 05:39:59, 05:40:57, 05:41:13, 08:40:05, 08:40:21, 08:42:01, 08:42:18, 08:50:50, 14:17:27, 16:23:40, 19:32:52.
Talon-strike play - 08:42:18, 08:47:17, 08:48:08, 08:51:11, 08:51:43, 11:41:28, 14:44:14, 14:45:33, 14:47:20, 19:33:56, 19:34:47.

04:50:11 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



06:19:06 - Northern raven (Corvus corax) calling in the distance.



07:31:33 - Eaglet stretches her/his neck out for a better view, and starts vocalizing.
07:40:47 - Long neck again. Still chatty. Eaglet watches someone pass by behind the lens, from left to right. It is either a Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius), or a jay is chasing after this passer by. We can hear it yelling.
07:41:55 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner. 2 hours, 51 minutes away.
07:43:13 - She leaves towards the right, off the back edge of the nest.





09:29:36 - Caliman delivers prey. It's the foot of Bos taurus, a calf. With a hoof of that size, this individual was likely scavenged.





09:31:42 - Caliman leaves towards the right.
09:34:07 - Eaglet starts picking at the calf foot, but is largely unsuccessful in every attempt.



09:53:34 - S/he tries luck with the old roe deer fawn leg. Nothing.
10:02:24 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner. 2 hours, 19 minutes away.

Eaglet checks her talons.



10:04:11-10:06:34 - She is away for a brief 2 minutes, returning with a fir spray in her right foot.
10:07:02 - Leaves off to the right.



10:40:39 - Caliman delivers prey from the left. I am second-guessing myself on whether this is a nestling passerine or the same species of chick delivered later. I made better screen shots of that one's foot.



1st feeding. Self-feeding. 10:41:17 - First bite.

10:41:20 - Caliman leaves. Eaglet ceases mantling.
10:43:04 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner with a fir spray in her right foot. 36 minutes away. Eaglet remantles.



10:43:23 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.
10:46:17 - Eaglet finishes feeding. Source: unk. nestling/chick.
10:49:01 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her feet. 6 minutes away
10:49:18 - She finds, and feeds eaglet a bite s/he missed.

Lucina carries the calf foot to her intended feeding location.



2nd feeding. 10:52:05. First bite of calf foot.



Caliman delivers more prey.





10:55:34 - He leaves to the right.



10:56:38 - Eaglet swallows whole, a chick with a reduced hallux.
10:56:51 - Lucina feeds another bite of calf foot.
11:00:58 - Eaglet finds bits of missed bird meat at the front of the nest, and gobbles them up.
11:14:10 - Last bite of calf foot. It is proving tough to dismantle, and such small pieces are torn away. Lucina mostly didn't bother to offer these, as she kept trying to tear away something more substantial.
As such, this was mostly another self-feeding. Source: unk. chick, calf foot.





11:22:07-12:27:11 - Lucina departs for 1 hour, 5 minutes. Returns with a bare fir spray in her beak.

Crop check.





Attempted feeding. 12:31:14-12:35:53. Approx. 4 minutes. Few, and tiny bites. Source: calf foot.



12:38:12 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



14:40:23 - Lucina returns after 2 hours, 2 minutes. Returns with a big bare branch. The thickest branch delivered yet!
14:41:17 - She leaves towards the right.

14:45:28 - Eaglet tries moving Mom's big branch.







17:02:30 - Leap.



17:43:54 - Hop, hop.



19:31:14 - Lucina returns after 4 hours, 50 minutes. Returns with a fir spray in her left foot.



19:32:21 - She leaves towards the right.



19:34:47 - Lucina's branch aids eaglet in her/his wing exercises. Sort of.





Caliman delivers the final prey of the day.



20:14:05 - He leaps to the lower left corner branch, out of view.

It is either a fledgling or a mature bird, as we see a flash of a primary feather under eaglet's mantling form.





20:15:49 - Caliman leaves towards the right whilst eaglet tears at the dead bird.

Lucina returns after 50 minutes with a lichen-covered stick in her beak.





20:22:59-20:36:28 - Lucina departs for 14 minutes. Returns with a fir spray in her left foot.
20:37:17 - She leaves towards the lower left corner.
3rd feeding. Self-feeding. 20:21:51-20:47:53. Approx. 26 minutes. Source: unk. fledgling/mature bird.

Crop check.



21:21:10 - Lucina returns after 44 minutes away.
21:21:19 - She moves the big branch.
4th feeding. 21:22:50-21:24:24. Approx. 2 minutes. Source: unk. fledgling/mature bird.



21:32:10 - Lucina finds a small bite of meat. Feeds to eaglet.
22:37:04 - She beak-tuck-sleeps.

Almost a pattern. We shall add to these notes at a future date.

On 16 July, 2021, Zenit (Day 7*?) began branching. He fledged 9 days later, on the 25th of July.
On 30 June, 2022, Margit (Day 66) began branching. She fledged 9 days later, on the 9th of July.

2023-06-27 - Day 51; Week 7

3 self-feedings. 3 deliveries. 2 meat chunks - Lucina, 1 Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Lucina.

Eaglet wing exercises - 06:37:48, 09:12:35, 10:58:45, 14:01:26, 14:01:58, 14:04:08, 17:37:40, 18:57:32, 19:00:00, 19:07:01, 19:09:13.
Talon-strike play - 14:38:58, 14:39:39. 14:41:09, 14:41:30, 18:57:51, 18:58:35, 18:59:36, 19:03:52, 19:07:23, 19:08:14, 19:11:35.

04:48:24 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.



06:43:18. Plop. Erm.



Crop drop.







07:09:08 - A shadow of someone alighting below the nest, is cast upon the sprays to the left of the trunk below the lower branches. The tree shakes with their weight.
07:09:51 - Rustle. The shadow moves, and the nest shakes again. A raven (Corvus corax) calls in the distance.
07:51:13 - Rustle. Tree shakes. Take off?
07:57:17 - Black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) calling.

Lucina delivers prey. 4 hours, 14 minutes away. It is a chunk of meat. They may be scavenging something large. Maybe that Bos taurus calf?



1st self-feeding - 09:03:00 - She hops to the far right thin branch as eaglet mantles, and swiftly devours the meat. She soon leaves towards the right.



Growth progress of rectrices.



Lucina delivers prey. 1 hour, 49 minutes away. It is another chunk of meat.



10:52:42 - But, she is too intimidated by her eaglet, and flies off with it. The trouble with beak deliveries. Zenit lost out on some of these entirely.



10:53:05 - She returns from the right. We can now see that she has a full crop, and likely did on her last visit too.
2nd self-feeding.  Eaglet successfully grabs the meat from Lucina's beak, and gobbles it down.



10:53:10 - Lucina hops to the lower hidden trunk branch.



10:53:37 - She leaves towards the left.

Two-wing-up stretch.



11:00:11 - Eaglet nibbles unsuccessfully at the old calf foot.





13:59:05 - Lucina returns from the left with a fir spray in her right foot. 3 hours, 6 minutes away.

Eaglet closely inspects her empty talons. One must be sure.



13:59:42 - Lucina leaves towards the lower right corner.



Sporting proper wings now.





14:34:46 - Tearing at the old calf foot again. This thing is tough. Next to nothing nutritionally gained.



Talon-strikes it.





14:42:53 - Lucina delivers prey from the lower left corner.



14:43:07 - She moves to the lower left corner branch.
14:43:14 - Leaves.

Eaglet lifts the head of the prey. There are no tufts on the ears to help us rule out mustelid.



3rd self-feeding. 14:45:26 - Begins.



The way eaglet stretches its body out sure makes it look a bit like a Mustela sp. But cast your gaze to the teal lined close-ups on the right. The lowest box shows the long thigh, and dangling hindquarters. The upper two, the longer arms, and dark fingers.



14:53:48 - Forequarters in motion.



A reminder of the dimensions of Mustela nivalis.



Younger Sciurus vulgaris dimensions, if much, much younger. Long legs, even when pups. Coat coloration varies in this species, and they don't always present with tufted ears.



Okay, well, if not a short-legged least weasel, how about a stoat (Mustela erminea)?

Eaglet tears the tail loose. It is the long, bushy tail of a squirrel.



Here in the Nearctic, Mustela erminea is known as the short-tailed weasel. "A Short-tailed Weasels tail is 44% or less than the length of their head and body. . . A Least Weasels (Mustela nivalis) tail is less than 25% of the length of their head and body. Also when considering the tails it is important to remember that the. . . Short-tailed. . . have black fur on the ends of their tails, while the Least does not." - to know the land

15:03:08 - Eaglet devours the rest of the squirrel whole. Approx. 18 minute feeding.

Crop check.





16:15:35 - Lucina returns from the right. 1 hour, 32 minutes away.



16:17:30 - Mom starts picking at the old calf foot yet again. Rain soon begins to visibly fall.





16:27:11 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.
17:32:28 - Eaglet calls to a parent visible to her/him beyond the nest, for around 15 minutes.



19:12:24 - Rain hits the lens. Light. It soon dries.



19:21:35 - Eaglet tracks a small insect.



19:25:27 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner. 2 hours, 58 minutes away. Damp feathers.



After picking, and picking, and picking at the old calf foot, Mom is pleased to have the barest sliver to offer.



19:34 - Visible rain.

19:46:59. Just. A. Nibble. NO.



21:12:05.







21:22:44 - Eaglet beak-tuck-sleeps. Lucina closes her eyes.

2023-06-28 - Day 52; Week 7

5 feedings total. 1 self-feeding. 3 deliveries. 1 European hare (Lepus europaeus) - Lucina, 1 precocial chick - Caliman, 1 Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) - Caliman.

Eaglet wing exercises - 05:25:35, 05:50:12, 08:14:54, 11:49:43, 11:51:44, 16:52:09, 16:56:48, 19:07:03.
Talon-strike play - 08:14:00, 18:30:46, 16:57:32, 19:07:58, 19:09:16, 19:10:03.

04:51:56 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.

It must have been cold this morning. Eaglet was at near maximum fluff.



Her/his feathers were seen to tremble briefly, mid-back. The .gif creation process sheds too many frames to properly see it. The wing adjustments themselves are not shivering.



06:37:30 - Chirps shrilly. A parent must be near.
06:37:38 - Hops twice.
06:37:48 - Several triangulations.
06:51:47 - A raven (Corvus corax) calls in the distance.
08:08:34 - Raven "haa" calls, indicating either a feast or nestling/fledgling begging.
07:14:23 - A Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) calling.
07:14:39 - Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) calling too.

07:50:56 - Eaglet swallows a small bone.



08:09:27 - The cattle (Bos taurus) bellowing begins.
08:13:28 - Over, and over they bellow, on, and on.
08:18:47 - Something was very close to the mic, perhaps touching it.
08:25:48 - Staccato raven calls, indicating the chasing of a threat.

08:32:51 - A large shadow passes over the nest, front to back. Eaglet calls to its caster.



08:54:58 - Stops calling.
08:56:57 - Starts up again.

Lucina returns with a European hare (Lepus europaeus) from the right. 4 hours, 13 minutes away.



1st self-feeding. Eaglet is already tearing meat loose, and eating.



09:06:39 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
09:27:24 - Last bite. Approx. 23 minutes. Source: hare.



Lucina returns after 48 minutes away, alighting upon the lower hidden trunk branch, calling.



09:54:57 - Eaglet mantles.
09:55:27 - Lucina hops to the lower back right branch.

Crop check after self-feeding.



09:58:46 - She hops to the nest.
2nd feeding. 09:59:48-10:35:31. Approx. 36 minutes. Source: hare.

Mom insists on one more bite. She personally delivers it, crossing the nest to her eaglet.





10:43:09 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner..

Crop check!



11:24:04 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her left foot. 41 minutes away.



11:42:40 - She leaves towards the right.

Caliman delivers prey. A blur, but we can see its head dangling downward. Light yellows, and dark patterned down.



Reduced hallux, non-webbed. That pattern with that foot, it could be a phasianid, scolopacid, maybe a charadriid.



11:45:38 - Caliman moves to the lower  left corner branch.



11:46:10 - He leaves.



11:59:28 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray. 17 minutes away.

She brings the precocial chick closer to her eaglet, who bites onto a foot, and just possessively holds onto it for several long moments.



3rd feeding. 12:03:33-12:10:13. Approx. 7 minutes. Source: precocial chick.









12:15:43 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
12:15:58 - Staccato raven calls in the distance.

Caliman delivers more prey.



13:38:29 - He hops to the lower left corner branch.
13:38:34 - Lucina returns from the right, calling. 1 hour, 23 minutes away.

A flash of blue barred wing coverts reveal this to be a Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius).



13:39:44 - Caliman leaves.



13:42:46 - Eaglet moves to be close to Mom.















13:46:19  - Lucina leaves towards the right.
16:33:49 - She returns from the lower left corner with a fir spray in her feet. 2 hours, 47 minutes away.



4th feeding. 16:40:39-16:50:05. Approx. 10 minutes. Another brief glimpse, this time of evenly growing feather shafts, indicating that this is either a nestling or a fledgling. Source: Eurasian jay.

16:50:24 - Lucina accidentally steps on eaglet's toe, and it hurts. S/he rattle-chirps, and wing slaps.



Another wing-slap. Not sure why Mom "attacked".



16:51:33 - One fed bite of hare.



16:55:11 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



18:24:58 - Lucina returns from the right. 1 hour, 29 minutes away.
18:28:06 - Lucina tsyuks to Caliman as he passes by beyond the lens.
5th feeding. 18:56:35-19:06:11. Approx. 10 minutes. Source: hare.
19:07:23 - Staccato raven (Corvus corax) calls. Lucina listens, observes.
19:07:33 - Lucina leaves towards the right.

19:09:16 - Talon-strike!





20:24:29 - Eaglet calls to someone passing above the eyrie.
20:28:11 - Eurasian jays alarming.
20:33:03 - A common buzzard calls.
20:35:52 - More buzzard vocalizations. Jays continuing to alarm.
20:58:46 - Lucina returns from the right. 1 hour, 51 minutes away.



21:51:57 - Lucina beak-tuck-sleeps.

Thank you Raven for the great video close ups. It's lovely to see our eaglet in more detail. And of course, I am loving the close ups of the allopreening They are just adorable 🥰. To be such big, powerful birds, Lucina shows how gentle they can be with their young ones.

Once again Stelian, thank you for giving us the opportunity to watch these beautiful eagles and for your hard work

I give my full support to the Tigress post above. Thank you Raven for your tireless work here in the forum. Very interesting and time consuming I would think. There is no better documentation to look back on if needed.

A heartfelt thank you, to you both.

Lucina revealed that I made a big mistake yesterday. What I thought was fawn coloration, and stiff long legs, albeit in a blurred frame... actually belonged to a European hare (Lepus europaeus). I have since fixed the record. She pulled a couple feet loose today (29 June) that eaglet then picked at, and I saw my mistake.

Yesterday was a nightmare of a day for me. I haven't meant to reveal much of the personal, but life is honestly very trying this year. What I thought was finally secure, is not. A rug has been pulled out from under me yet again. I don't even know how I managed to share what I did yesterday. I will keep working at this the best I can, but if I falter, you'll hopefully understand. Data from hatch to fledge would be wonderful, so. . . knock on wood.

Thank you again. Your timing was mending. And yes, thank you, as ever, to Stelian.

Please don't worry Raven, of course we will understand! And if we can help in any way, please just let us know. I hope and wish whatever is stressing you, passes by quickly for you and things improve promptly. You know that we are thinking of you

Thank you, Tigress.

2023-06-29 - Day 53; Week 7

3 feedings total. 1 partial self-feeding. 1 delivery. 1 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pup, upper half - Lucina.

Eaglet wing exercises - 06:15:07, 08:22:45, 09:01:24, 14:23:38, 15:12:28, 15:15:50, 16:35:22, 19:35:16, 19:35:57.
Talon-strike play - 08:20:29, 08:21:48, 08:43:15, 08:44:23, 08:46:00, 08:50:40, 13:54:37, 16:35:20, 19:40:43, 19:40:51.

04:54:08 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.
08:00:12 - She returns from the right with a fir spray in her right foot. 3 hours, 6 minutes away.
1st feeding. 08:02:38 - First bite from old European hare spine.



08:07:36 - Lucina hops to the lower hidden trunk branch after realizing that eaglet has begun self-feeding.
08:07:46 - She leaves towards the left.
08:17:29 - Last self-fed bite. Approx. 17 minutes. Source: old hare.

Balancing post talon-strike.



Crop check.



08:39:16 - Lucina delivers prey from the right, calling. 32 minutes away.

It's the head and upper legs of yet another red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pup. The 12th this season.



08:39:51 - Mom moves to the lower left corner branch.
08:40:00 - She leaves towards the left.
08:40:30 - One self-fed bite of fox gut.



08:44:23. Slow motion talon-strike.



Closer view of crop before second feeding.





08:53:33-08:57:33 - Eaglet tears at the pup some more, but recovers little of substance. Her/his crop is already pretty poppable, anyway.
09:20:10 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her feet. 40 minutes away.
09:21:59 - She leaves towards the right.
09:51:04 - Returns from the right with a fir spray in her right foot. 30 minutes away.



09:52:55 - Lucina talks softly towards the upper left corner.



2nd feeding. 09:57:17-10:24:34. Approx. 27 minutes. Source: red fox pup.



10:29:35 - Lucina leaves towards the lower right corner.

Crop check.





13:35:15 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner with a lichen-covered stick in her beak. 3 hours
During this visit she feeds from the fox pup. Eaglet is stuffed, accepting nothing, but chats at Mom aplenty.

Tail-grab. A bird after my own heart. ;> A bit of an aside to be sure, but tail-tugging is a common corvid tactic to distract or annoy often dangerous predators or scavengers from a feast. Raven weaponry is all in the beak. One must do what one must do.



14:14:10 - Hungry Lucina, picking at the fox some more.



14:28:15 - She leaves towards the right.

14:49:47 - And here is when I began to recognize yesterday's mistake. Eaglet drags a hare's hind foot over to the pile of red fox legs. Scanning back, we find Lucina pulling it from the "fawn" remains. Oops.



Crop drop. Making room for more.





19:09:36  - Lucina returns with a large fir spray in her beak. 4 hours, 41 minutes away.



3rd feeding. 19:12:27-19:37:00. Approx. 25 minutes. Source: red fox pup, old hare.
19:39:28 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
20:08:19, 20:08:22 - Human shouting. A child? Maybe: Tata!



21:30:27 - Lucina returns from the right. 1 hour, 51 minutes away.
21:45:35 - She beak-tuck-sleeps, right scapulars. Later a switch to the left. There does not appear to be any real preference. Is there a right or left foot preference? We may check over this data later.

2023-06-30 - Day 54; Week 7

4 feedings total. 2 self-feeding (minimal success). 2 deliveries. 1 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pup - Lucina, 1 Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Caliman.

Eaglet wing exercises - 06:25:56, 07:29:24, 07:54:29, 10:21:22, 10:31:40, 12:55:33, 20:04:30 20:05:47, 20:57:01, 20:57:44, 21:16:33, 21:21:08, 21:25:02.
Talon-strike play - 10:31:01, 10:32:14, 10:32:44, 10:33:03, 10:33:28, 12:46:28, 12:47:58, 12:49:46, 12:50:23, 12:56:22, 14:35:38, 14:36:27, 14:37:16,14:38:54, 16:39:17, 20:04:56, 20:09:01, 20:51:00, 20:53:53, 20:57:48, 21:13:42, 21:15:44, 21:16:58, 21:17:08.

05:00:15 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.
07:20:38 - Eaglet calling towards right, tracking a parental flier.
07:23:24 - Lucina returns from the left with a large fir spray in her beak.
07:23:31 - She can't see beneath it, and accidentally steps on top of her eaglet with the full weight of her left foot. Walks over eaglet, basically. Eaglet rattle-chirps, stands, and wing slaps once at Mom.
1st feeding. 07:25:10 - All is forgiven. First fed bite of old prey. Maybe from the old red fox pup. Lucina is hungry, feeding mostly herself.
07:33:19 - Lucina grabs the old hare's foot.
07:36:54 - First fed bite of old hare.
07:51:16 - Last fed bite. Approx. 26 minutes. No visible crop. Source: old red fox pup? old hare foot.
07:52:30 - Lucina leaves towards the right.









12:43:49 - Lucina delivers prey from the right. 4 hours, 51 minutes away. It's the 13th red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pup of the season! Wow! Golden eagles are keenly resourceful, prey-switching to the most plentiful species they can find should their primary prey become scarce. This season, in this territory, that happened to be red fox pups, likely representing at least two different litters. The parents live on to breed another season, and maybe make more experienced choices for their den sites. They must weigh things like predatory threats against prey availability. Little comes easy for wild beings. But the natural deaths of these mesopredators who have kept rarer eaglets fed, will release some pressure on whoever it is they eat in turn, and the fox puppies, and eaglets of next season may have more bunnies to eat. To put these ancient relationships simplistically. To be slightly less simplistic, if fox mortality remains largely compensatory as natural predation tends to be, there may not be much change in the composition of mesopredator nor prey populations at all.



12:44:06 - She leaves towards the lower left corner.



12:44:09 - Three seconds later, eaglet ceases to mantle.





12:49:15 - Eaglet nibbles at exposed fox meat.





Crop drops.







A flier passes overhead. Eaglet calls to them.



14:33:49 - Caliman drops in with empty talons.



To left corner branch of safety! ;>



Whew.



14:34:47 - Caliman leaves towards the left corner.

14:35:38 - Take that! Whoa, hey, how do you let go with these things?
If a perching bird pulls a foot up towards the knee, their tendons automatically pull all the toes closed into a vice-like grip. All the better to not fall off of a perch whilst sleeping, nor allow struggling prey to escape. Eaglet must master the art of releasing this grip.





2nd feeding? 14:40:37-15:00:18. Approx. 20 minutes. Minimal success. Source: red fox pup.



Panting. Warm afternoon for eaglet.





Rectrices preen.



Caliman delivers prey. It's a Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).



18:06:44 - Lucina returns from the left corner as well. 5 hours, 22 minutes away.







18:07:58 - Papa Caliman leaves towards the lower left corner.



18:11:18 - Lucina is offering bites of fox. Eaglet shows some interest, but has his/her talons in the squirrel at the moment, and doesn't wish to relinquish it.

3rd feeding. 18:11:46-18:29:57. Approx 18 minutes. This large piece could not be passed up, and so, the feeding began. The only crop-stuffed feeding of the day.



Eaglet considers the squirrel again.



18:32:28 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



4th feeding. 20:38:54-20:50:41. Approx. 12 minutes. Eaglet's back is to us, thus impossible to judge success. Especially since the crop is already full. Source: red fox pup.



Crop check.







Eaglet has been rambunctious. Very active with wing exercises, talon-strikes, and hopping about the nest this way, and that. Here, s/he lifts The Thickest Branch Mom Has Ever Brought.





21:29:42 - Lucina returns from the right, dropping down from the back slope, and mildly surprising eaglet.





22:13:51 - Eaglet is already sleeping. Mom beak-tuck-sleeps. ZzZzzz. . . Good night dear Bucovina!

The following observation by Keith Broomfield reminded me of the early season, when Caliman was bringing Lucina frogs that she seemed to find unappetizing. One even "escaped" over the edge, if you'll recall. I wonder if the scene that Keith paints was similar to what Caliman got up to: "I once encountered a male eagle in an Angus glen that had adopted the unorthodox tactic of hunting on foot. The resourceful bird had found a colony of spawning frogs and was wading through the shallow boggy pools and gulping the amphibians down with gusto!" - NATURE: The marvel of the Golden Eagle, one of Scotland’s most supreme predators

@Raven Hello! Thank you very much for all your work in this great effort to publish all these details. I don't know how to repay you for all you do. I'm sorry to hear that you have difficult situations to overcome. I would like to help you if possible.

Hello, Stelian. :>

You're very welcome. I volunteer effort because of my passion for these birds. It helps me to keep focused, and integrate my observations in a more disciplined manner, than I might accomplish if recording solely for myself. My hope is that others may enjoy learning along with me, and that this might aid the species in some small future way. Or better yet, like a fractal, with small changes in initial conditions leading to more drastic changes, somehow, somewhere, somewhen. Small beginnings, big endings! Not at all likely. Just hope, for the meager things we do out of love. I volunteer effort because I cannot afford to donate, to financially support this rare, and beautiful stream you are providing. This is how I give back. This is my thank you.

My difficulties I struggle to overcome are ultimately rooted in my psychology, but they haunt me in the really real world, with matters financial. I'd rather not delve too personally, though. There is a potential light at the end of the tunnel, if not a guarantee, and I must afford to keep my roof until then. I appreciate the sentiment.

2023-07-01 - Day 55; Week 7

3 feedings total. 1.5 self-feedings. 1 delivery. 1 Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Caliman.

Eaglet wing exercises - 06:58:39, 07:55:29, 10:30:44, 11:32:12, 13:58:56, 19:20:55, 19:23:40, 20:41:28, 21:25:49.
Talon-strike play - 13:58:10, 13:58:14, 13:58:29, 13:58:33, 14:28:31, 15:38:33, 15:39:51, 15:40:13, 19:30:51, 20:38:58, 21:15:16, 21:15:30, 21:15:47, 21:20:49, 21:25:14.

04:43:51 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.

06:39:04 - Lucina tsyuking in the distance. Eaglet responding.



06:43:44 - She returns from the left, behind the lens, calling. 2 hours away.



06:44:12 - Oh hi Mom. *casts pellet*





1st feeding. Plus partial self-feeding. 06:46:45 - First fed bite of old red fox pup.



I'll just go over here, then back over here.



Eager eaglet gets right in the middle of things, and starts trying to self-feed. Lucina assesses the situation.



She grabs the fox head, and eats alongside her eaglet.



Lucina offers a bite, and the feeding continues. If one looks carefully, eaglet's eye can be seen peeking over her head.







07:40:49 - Last bite. Approx. 54 minutes. Source: old red fox pup.
07:42:41 - Lucina leaves towards the right. The top of the brain case tumbles to the edge after her.

Observing the world below.



Warm temperatures again.



10:07:14.



Crop check.



11:17:24 - Lucina returns from the left with a large fir spray in her beak. 3 hours, 35 minutes away.
She bumps the camera during her landing. For a single frame we can see the inside of the upper camera housing.
11:18:07 - She leaves towards the right.
11:31:33 - Eaglet manages to scratch behind the left ear whilst maintaining balance. Well done.









Another day of playing with the thick branch.



13:51:21 - Eaglet tries balancing on the loose branch. Early branching practice. ;>



S/he found the motion of the branch interesting, as it rocked under his/her weight, and peered at it this way, and that.



13:58:28 - Martial arts training? ;>~



2nd feeding. Self-feeding. 14:30:21. Eaglet begins tearing at the head of yesterday's Eurasian red squirrel.

Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her feet. 3 hours, 32 minutes away. This interrupts eaglet, who mantles briefly.





14:52:25 - She moves to the lower left corner branch.
14:52:32 - Leaves towards the left. Eaglet continues tearing at the squirrel's head.
14:53:59 - The final self-fed bite. A good sized one.





14:57:58 - Lucina returns from the lower left corner with a bare branch in her beak. 5 minutes away.
14:58:08 - The branch pokes at eaglet who flails, but does not rattle-chirp. Oo, check out that spruce/fir cone.





14:59:49 - Mom grabs the headless squirrel, revealing eaglet's fine work. Good job, E!
3rd feeding. 15:00:36 - First bite of old red squirrel.



15:02:45 - Eaglet accepts an offer of squirrel guts, but it is apparently unappetizing, and eaglet is not hungry enough for that. Mom does the eagle version of a shrug, and devours it herself.
15:09:33 - Figuring out how to get this squirrel tail down, though! Guts gross. Furry, bony tail? Yum, yum.



15:10:47 - Continues fussing with the tail whilst Lucina downs the hide.



15:11:02 - Eaglet finally gulps down the tail in full.
15:12:34-15:27:20 - And on to the old red fox pup portion of the entrée. Full feeding, approx. 27 minutes. Source: old red squirrel, old red fox pup.

15:28:36 - Caliman delivers prey hidden in vegetation held in his right talons.



15:28:44 - He hops to the back right branch.



15:29:49 - Off he goes to the right.

Crop check.



Mom drags out Caliman's prey. It's another Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).



15:33:48 - Lucina leaves towards the right.

15:38:53 - Fir/spruce cone play time! Eaglet picked it up, and threw it down many times. It was delightful.





Weeee! It very nearly goes over the edge, but Eaglet gets one more toss out of it.







Big leap!







20:56:02 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her right foot. 5 hours, 23 minutes away.
21:00:19-21:03:17 - Some bites are fed from the hind paw of the old fox pup. Lucina continues plucking the fox hide until the nest is covered in tufts of fur.



21:15:29 - Eaglet plays with the thick branch a little more, talon-striking it.
21:18:47 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
21:27:23 - Eaglet picks up, and drops the thick branch towards the front edge of the nest. Did it go over?



21:50:22 - Night mode kicks on. Eaglet is spending her/his third night alone. The first night spent alone, occurred on 31 May at 24 days old. Second night, occurred on 08 June at 32 days old.

Goodnight, Bucovina.

Great post tonight Raven! I love how you describe our eaglets antics with humour I especially loved the "martial arts" description of the eaglet playing with the branch.... made me chuckle! Thank you!

2023-07-02 - Day 56; Week 8

4 feedings total. 2 self-feedings. 1 delivery. 1 domesticated chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) - Caliman.

Eaglet wing exercises - 06:14:08, 06:47:54, 08:18:32, 10:07:14, 10:07:44, 10:31:20, 12:40:21, 12:40:32, 15:06:28, 15:07:00, 15:07:34, 15:07:41, 15:10:17, 20:27:41, 20:28:03, 20:32:01, 20:34:33.
Talon-strike play - 06:12:58, 06:14:30, 08:17:44, 11:05:23, 11:39:41, 11:42:03, 15:10:57, 15:15:33, 16:58:56, 20:27:01, 20:27:21, 20:28:22, 20:29:00, 20:33:11, 20:33:54, 20:34:23.

05:43:55 - Eaglet sits up on the tarsi with a two-wing-up stretch. Good morning.
06:15:44 - Tracks a coal tit as it flies up into the eyrie tree, and sings.
06:19:09 - Bird watching, insect watching.



06:20:02 - An even smaller passerine species darts downward, catching eaglet's attention.



1st feeding. 06:22:49-06:46:59 - Approx. 14 minutes. Source: yesterday's red squirrel.

Final bite of breakfast.



06:48:25 - The coal tit alights on the back left branch, eaglet in rapt attention.

Crop check. Well done.







10:01:52 - Lucina arrives from the right with a stick in her beak. 12 hours, 43 minutes away.
10:08:24 - Eaglet is rather screechy voiced. S/he bites at Mom's tail as Lucina busily feeds herself at the back of the nest.



10:11:30 - Eaglet has entered Lucina's space. S/he "steals" what Mom was tearing at, and immediately loses interest. Eaglet is too sated for such scraps.
2nd feeding. 10:13:18 - Unless they are offered in perfectly bite sized pieces, that is. One bite of tough, old red fox pup remains.



10:16:30 - The feeding picks up.
10:22:48 - Eaglet swallows a degloved fox paw.

Hrmm.





Hm.



10:23:38.



10:24:47 - The feeding continues.
10:27:30 - Last bite. Approx. 14 minutes. Source: old red fox pup.

10:28:46.



Them legs!



10:29:26 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
10:29:48 - Eaglet calls to a parental flier.

Crop check.









10:36:09 - Crop drops.





11:05:23 - Talon-strike hunting practice on the old cattle hoof.









Caliman delivers prey.







11:27:20 - He leaps to the thin far right branch.

The prey is a domesticated chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). A phasianid. Reduced hallux, no killing claws.



11:28:14 - Caliman leaves towards the right.
3rd feeding. 11:32:25. First bite of chicken.
11:43:39 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her feet. 1 hour, 14 minutes away.
11:44:16 - She leaves towards the right.
12:01:25 - Eaglet's last bite. Approx. 29 minutes. Source: chicken.
12:02:32 - A large shadow passes over the eyrie, lower left to upper right.
12:03:09 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her left foot. 19 minutes away.

Caliman also returns from the right, if with empty talons.



12:04:26 - He hops to the lower left corner branch to evade eaglet.
12:04:41 - Leaves towards that corner.



Eaglet throws up the wings with nary a flap nor talon-strike not uncommonly.



12:11:39 - Lucina begins eating chicken.
4th feeding. 12:12:50-12:27:53. Approx. 15 minutes. Source: chicken.

12:31:47 - Lucina swallows a chicken leg whole.
12:39:41 - She hops to the back right branch.







13:20:47 - After 41 minutes at this perch, Lucina heads off towards the right.













15:10:40 - Feel the wind in your feather.



16:20:00 - Here comes the rain.



Calming.



Zzzz. . .



Feather maintenance.



19:13:00 - Lucina returns, alighting upon the lower hidden trunk branch. 5 hours, 53 minutes away.
19:13:12 - She hops to the nest.

Lucina is fussing about in the pantry with scraps. Must be hungry.





19:17:49 - She leaves lower right, behind the lens.
20:27:01 - Eaglet has become quite rambunctious with flapping, leaps, and talon-strikes, from one edge of the nest to the next.
20:28:03 - S/he gets a little carried away. Brake test, whew.



20:33:10 - Playing with a loose branch. Not as nice as Thick Branch, but it will do.
20:35:03 - What else do we have around here. . .



Zoooom!



Contentment.



21:31:53 - Lucina returns from the right. 2 hours, 14 minutes away. Eaglet never bothers to get up. Too comfy.



21:33:46 - Mom leaves lower right, behind the lens.
21:42:41 - Night mode clicks on. 4th night alone on the nest.
Tigress notes: 23:42:50 - "eaglet stirs, then starts to preen until 00:10:20, then settles back down to sleep" (ty)

2023-07-03 - Day 57; Week 8

1 self-feeding. 1 delivery. 1 unknown mouse (Apodemus or Mus sp.) - Lucina.

Eaglet wing exercises - 05:09:43, 05:14:37, 05:17:01, 06:34:04, 08:35:16, 08:35:47, 08:41:40, 12:12:55, 12:13:45, 12:20:39, 15:22:10, 15:40:52, 15:43:24, 17:13:29, 17:13:51, 17:15:12, 17:16:10, 18:58:25, 19:69:32, 20:44:07.
Talon-strike play - 05:20:00, 08:40:47, 12:19:38, 12:20:16, 12:23:56, 15:41:06, 15:42:01, 15:43:06, 15:44:03, 15:58:13, 15:58:37, 17:13:33, 17:17:23, 19:29:09, 19:46:17, 19:46:31, 19:48:14, 19:48:50, 19:49:44, 20:32:28, 20:33:44, 20:34:25, 20:34:41, 20:36:19, 20:44:05, 20:49:29.
Note: As one can see, eaglet's activity levels have picked up. To the point where recording this is becoming too time consuming. This part I will drop going forward.

05:09:30 - Eaglet stands up with a two-wing-up stretch.

Tarsus stretches.





05:16:02 - Soft vocalizations for a high flier being tracked.
05:35:37 - Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) alarming.
05:43:31 - Lucina arrives from the left corner with small prey in her beak. 8 hours, 10 minutes away. Eaglet fiercely lunges, and snatches it up.





05:43:46 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
05:43:53 - Eaglet disgorges the mouse that s/he took from Mom, and had tried to swallow whole.





1st self-feeding. 05:50:36-05:55:56. Approx. 5 minutes. Source: mouse.

06:06:38 - Settles down for a nap with a tail-shake.



08:36:20 - Eaglet performs his/her first ever proper one-leg-up stand, that is not simply a stretch.
08:37:13 - Distant parental vocalization.
08:44:13 - Eaglet swallows a small bone. Small, by golden eagle standards.
08:52:22 - Let the morning coal tit (Periparus ater) watching commence.
10:13:56-10:17:19 - Second one-leg-up stand. Left foot. There will be over five of these today, right foot included.
11:03:56 - A coal tit alights on the thin far right branch. Is tracked.

Now that we have all of these feathers, they must be preened a great deal. Much of eaglet's days are now spent with a fair mix of preening, in amongst the flight muscle strengthening, hunting practice, general play, energy conservation/consumption, and world watching.





There should be 12 rectrices. The two central deck feathers are probably overlapping.



Playing with a stick.





12:23:56 - Another round of stick play.

Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her right foot. 6 hours, 53 minutes away.



Eaglet doesn't bother to get up.



12:39:07 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



And she's back, with a stick in her feet, and, oo, that was close. 1 hour, 23 minutes away.



Eaglet checks her empty talons with screechy, whistly. . . they still sound kinda like seeir calls, interestingly. Is this really tsyuk/pssa?



There, there, dear. Mom allopreens.





14:04:39 - Lucina leaves towards the right.

Preening whilst resting on the left tarsus.





Big leap.





15:35:35 - Intently observing insects with excellent focus. Near, far, the eagle eye has it covered.







17:05:34 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her beak, and a full crop.
17:05:38 - Eaglet latches onto one of Lucina's toes on the left foot. Youch!



17:05:55 - Mom hops to the safety of the lower hidden trunk branch.
17:06:04 - She leaves towards the left.





Shaggy trousers. One of the easy ways to tell juvenile bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) apart from golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), who they superficially resemble. Being booted eagles, the legs are fully feathered, all the way down over the tarsi to the top of the feet. Juvenile white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) are less easily confused. Also these young sea eagles have dark ceres (upper base of beak), whilst goldens never do.











19:34:40 - The coal tits are back in the eyrie tree, one with a song. Eaglet watching.
19:46:24 - Tossing, and talon-striking a cast pellet.





20:19:00 - Eaglet emits a funny vocalization following an eye-rub on the wrist (bend in the wing).





21:00:16 - Foot inspection.





21:52:53 - Night mode kicks on. 5th night alone on the nest.

2023-07-04 - Day 58; Week 8

3 feedings total. 2 self-feedings (minimal success). 2 deliveries. 1 leg of European hare (Lepus europaeus) - Caliman. 1 European hare (Lepus europaeus) body with missing leg ;> - Lucina.

05:22:56 - Eaglet is up on his/her tarsi. S/he starts the day off with a wing exercise that pushes up into a stand.
05:29:45 - A parent is barking in the distance. Caliman? Eaglet calls back.
05:39:23 - The call of the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius).

Lost timestamp. Eaglet is busy bird watching in the light of the rising sun. Yawns.



06:03:17 - S/he calls to the right.
06:21:27-06:24:49 - Voice of the black woodpecker again, over and over.
06:25:04 - The woodpecker cries out in alarm. A much different vocalization. It becomes louder as the bird approaches closer to the eyrie. Eaglet stares in its direction, off to the right somewhere.

Left wing-leg-tail stretch.



06:33:02 - Eaglet itches the face for 17 seconds. Is stable on strong legs now.



06:35:38 - Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) call.
06:42:54 - Eaglet calling.
06:53:56 - Common buzzard (Buteo buteo). Begging call. According to Peter Boesman. Hm. Are the buzzards raising young nearby?
06:54:39 - A parent eagle is barking.
06:55:27 - More calls. I must have been half-asleep, I didn't note which!
06:56:42 - More eagle barking.
07:01:18 - Vocalizations end on one of the two here. Oh me.



07:51:49 - Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) calling.
08:03:20 - Human vehicle or machinery on the farm. Eaglet watching down below, behind lens.
08:10:18 - Again. Eaglet looks slightly nervous when the sound peaks.
08:19:52 - Sounds of faint movement below the nest. Sticks break. Eaglet looks anxious again.
08:28:43 - Eaglet vocalizes sharply towards the back slope. This may begin as skawk calls.

Lucina arrives from the left with a long trailing spray of fir in her right foot. 15 hours, 26 minutes away.



Eaglet strains to see around Mom. Are her talons empty? Eaglet wonders.





08:34:44 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
08:54:00 - Eaglet attempts to cast a pellet, but little more than saliva is shook out.
08:54:44 - European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) calls.





Caliman delivers prey.



10:14:30 - He immediately flees to the lower left corner branch as eaglet claims the prey.



10:15:04 - Caliman leaves towards the lower left corner. Eaglet is already tearing in.
10:15:55 - No paw pads, larger size. It's the foots of a European hare (Lepus europaeus).



1st feeding. 10:19:45-10:48:08. Approx. 29 minutes. Judging by the crop, minimal success. Source: hare foot.



11:09:37 - Lucina delivers prey from the right. 2 hours, 34 minutes away. It's the rest of the European hare.





11:09:48 - She hops to the lower hidden trunk branch.
11:10:58 - Leaves towards the left.
2nd feeding. 11:13:31-11:21:16. Approx. 8 minutes. Minimal success. Source: hare.
11:21:40 - Talon-strikes the hare's head.









Lucina returns from the left with a lichen-covered stick in her beak.



Perhaps in an effort to not plow into eaglet, her landing skips her across the entire nest. Eaglet mantles the hare.



11:46:45 - Then attacks Lucina's left foot as she passes by.
11:46:49 - Lucina hops to the lower hidden branch.
11:53:55 - Eaglet moves to try for a clearer view of Mom around the left side of the trunk. It doesn't work out.
11:56:34 - Lucina hops to the back right branch.



12:01:53 - She hops into the nest.



3rd feeding. 12:03:43. First fed bite of hare.
12:07:27 - Eaglet turns to the opposite end of the hare to try self-feeding, since Mom isn't tearing off pieces fast enough for eaglet's liking.



That wasn't satisfying, either. Returns to accept bites from Mom.











12:55:22 - Last fed bite. Approx. 52 minutes. Source: hare.

Lucina takes a breather after tearing at the hare hide. Beak agape, panting. We get a little peek at eaglet's crop.



13:00:03 - Lucina leaves towards the right.

Nice mantle feathering.



Crop check. Nice crop.







19:14:24 - Eaglet stirs from a nap, calling towards the right.



20:29:14-20:30:41 - Tears at the hare remains.
20:37:12 - A Eurasian jay begins calling.
20:42:09 - And the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) again. Buzzard, and jay calls off and on for 7 minutes. Eaglet joins in.
20:46:42 - Including more common buzzard begging calls, as linked to in an example above.
20:47:50 - Crash or shot type sound. Something human. Not sure what.



21:52:54 - The infrared mode turns on. Another fine day. Goodnight, Bucovina!