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

You are welcome Raven for the ts, just hope it helped you a little :-)

How could anyone not love this beautiful face!!




And how cute is this?! I just love how Alunu/a turns his/her head virtually upside down when assessing what he/she is looking at..... just adorable

Hello Raven, Thanks for all the photos and comparisons between genders that you have posted above. I want to contribute more. Hope that doesn't bring confusion here. An eagle photographer once said to me that he saw a slight difference between the sexes of eagles. Could that be true? Is there anything in the literature that could possibly confirm that? He explained; If one starts from a vertical angle in the center of the eye as seen from the side—if the angle is just at the edge with the end of the gap—then it is a male. If the gap opening passes by—then it's a female. Is there any documentation for this? When this is written, I would say that if this is true then Zenit, who we have already known was a relatively small male (from the nest) and my opinion now after studying all the pictures carefully a number of times, Aluna/a is also male. A comparatively large male. Everything here from above described about vertical angle and beak gap (opening). Sorry my google-english. Hope it is understood.

Opps!!- sorry!  I will try to translate above text here: Hi Raven, Thanks for all the pictures and gender comparisons you posted above. I want to contribute more. Hope it doesn't confuse her. An eagle photographer once told me that he saw a slight difference between the sexes of the eagle. Could that be true? Is there anything in the literature that could possibly confirm that? He explained; If you start from a vertical angle in the middle of the eye seen from the side - if the angle is right on the edge with the end of the gap - then it is a male. If the gap opening passes - then it is a woman. Is there documentation for this? When this is written, I would say that if this is true then Zenit, as we already know was a relatively small male (from the nest) and my opinion now after studying all the pictures carefully a number of times, Aluna / a is also man. A medium-sized male. Everything here from above described about vertical angle and beak gap (opening). Sorry for my google english. Hope that is understood.

Hallo! You're welcome, Johan. I can see your initial post, and thank you for it. Please feel free to contribute whenever you wish.

I have heard this too, usually when hanging out around sea eagle folks (Haliaeetus sp.).
There is documentation for this of a sort. In that we can look at hard measurements, and determine that generally the length of the gape is larger in females than in males. But. Again. There is some overlap.

The following chart comes from a study by Gary R. Bortolotti. Now, he used study skins of dead birds, mind you (132 "specimens"). These dry, and shrink. So only consider the numbers as a means to understand the degree of size difference, and the potential overlap. measurements are in millimeters. Males first. I have marked the appropriate section for immature beak length (gape) variables. The figures in parentheses are ranged from smallest gapes to largest.

Immature males were thus: 51.2-63.1 mm.
Immature females: 59.5-69.0 mm.



Some males may have gapes longer than some females. Interestingly, if Alunu/a is a male, who happens to be larger than Zenit, his gape is still noticeably short.
Of further interest might be the fact that among these study skins, adult gape measurements at the upper end, can be shorter than immature measurements at the upper end. Huh!

Eyeballing these gapes won't do. Be sure to use a fine, straight edged object. Even a piece of paper will work. Cover up the beak, placing the edge of the paper (or other tool) at the very back of the "lips", and straight up through the eye to the top of the crown. Angled appropriately with the cant of the head. Now, how much of the eye is visible? For Alunu/a, and Zenit, most of the eye will remain visible. For Margit, a heck of a lot less. Not definitive, but more compelling. Thank you, Johan.

Alunu/a:



Zenit:



Margit:



P.S. Margit is 73 Days old in that screen shot. Hold on. . . Ah, this should work. Here she is at 64 Days. Her gape still impressive.

Today there was a transmission interruption of more than 7 hours. After more than 7 hours of trying, I managed to connect with the video camera, again, due to the storm that happened today, the internet went out and then the internet signal came back, but very weak. 7 hours of trying every way to log in and finally...

Thank you Stelian for trying. You are working so hard to keep the stream working and we appreciate it very much. You have a great little community at this nest, and we understand the difficulties you have in keeping everything running smoothly. Please also remember to keep yourself safe

Thank you, Stelian. We appreciate you!

2023-07-13 - Day 67; Week 9

Incomplete data. 3 feedings total. 2 self-feedings. 1 delivery. 1 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pup - Caliman. 15th of the season!

05:04:17 - The resolution has been increased. For myself, the stream begins here. Alunu/a is awake, and preening.



05:19:43 - Poop shoot followed by the morning's wing exercises. Such is the way.
05:22:52 - S/he appears to talon-strike the lower hidden trunk branch with the left foot, and seems to consider branching upon it.





05:26:50 - Alunu/a is picking a bit at the raven foot, but not making progress.
05:31:39 - Swallows the foot whole.
05:33:16 - Vocalizes with a high-pitch back towards the slope, then to right. This continues off, and on for nearly an hour. Must be able to see a familiar shape.
05:37:30 - There is the sound of movement somewhere down below. Alunu/a temporarily quiets.
05:39:42 - Black woodpecker alarm.
05:40:24 - Gentle snapping, and rustling of vegetation. S/he temporarily quiets again, neck stretched.
06:29:46 - Alunu/a finds the old roe deer fawn leg in the left nest edge. Exposes it.
06:32:21 - What else is here. . . S/he pulls out the old, broken northern raven mandible too.
06:35:03 - Is playing toss with it!



06:37:33 - Bates like a falconry bird restrained by their jesses, as s/he clutches the nest in talons, and tries to carry it elsewhere.



06:39:18 - Twist.



07:02:24 - A strange, unfamiliar sound peaks. I don't know how to describe it. Maybe something human.
07:17:55 - Eaglet calls to the top left corner.
07:30:48 - Calling to the right.
07:32:26 - Calls behind the lens.
07:34:05 - Lucina can be heard vocalizing in the distance.
07:34:13 - She arrives from the right meaning to herald her mate. 14 hours, 36 minutes away.
07:34:36 - She watches for him, calling, but he doesn't follow as expected. Leaves to the right.
07:35:33 - Lucina returns from the left. Both mother, and eaglet are vocalizing excitedly.

07:35:53 - Come on Caliman!



1st branching of the day. 07:36:08 - Alunu/a is growing impatient. S/he branches to the right.



07:36:21 - S/he rushes back up into the nest.
07:36:35 - Again Mom leaves towards the right. Caliman is being shy. The nest is looking a little cramped these days.
07:37:32 - Two shadows pass over the eyrie, right to left. One chasing the other. Lucina's excited trilling pssas ring out.



2nd branching of the day. 07:41:58 - An anxious Alunu/a branches for the first time on the lower left corner branch.



07:42:40 - S/he wing exercises backwards to retrun to the safety of the nest.



07:43:16 - Mom's trilling pssas pick back up in the distance.

3rd branching of the day. 07:45:57 - Now with some confidence!







07:46:46 - Alunu/a performs wing exercises on the branch, and back into the nest.

Papa! In his talons a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) pup. 15th of the season! Pretty amazing. Although not an unusual prey item in the least, red foxes are not primary prey for golden eagles. Yet at this nest, during this season, they have been delivered more than any other species. A significant part of the nesting diet. In 2021 at Lucina's other eyrie, we only saw 4 red foxes. Leporids, and roe deer fawns provided most of the prey biomass. I can't help but wonder what this shift in dietary composition signals concerning local populations of would-be primary prey.





07:48:59 - Caliman leaves towards the right.
1st self-feeding. 07:51:42 - First bite of fox pup.

07:53:00.



Lucina returns with a fir spray in her right foot. 18 minutes away. The timing is poor. Alunu/a is in peak possessive mode, and Lucina has alighted too close, too fast.



She is struck below the crop with a foot full of talons. Ouch. In slow motion:



07:54:24 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
08:15:02 - Returns from the right with another fir spray in her left foot. Nerves of steel. 21 minutes away.
08:15:06 - Alunu/a throws wings at Mom, causing her to flinch.
08:15:20 - She then charges with his/her head lowered, and grabs Mom's left tarsus with left talons.



08:18:02 - Alunu/a finally begins to soften towards Lucina.
08:18:16 - Lucina reaches out, and drags the fox pup. Alunu/a talon-strikes it. Well, not quite soft enough yet. Alunu/a returns to guarding prey.
08:19:08 - Lucina hops to the lower hidden trunk branch.

She hops to the back right branch.



08:25:04 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



08:39:00 - Last bite. Approx. 48 minutes. Source: red fox pup.



08:42:19 - Strange little full body wobbly motions from Alunu/a. As with shivering, they don't show up well in .gif format. I saw these motions a few times today, and they honestly worried me a little. Appetite remained good, and s/he remained strong into later hours. So I won't detail any concerns unless these motions increase.





4th branching of the day. 08:46:05 - To right front.
08:52:37 - Then to middle right.



09:34:02 - After 48 minutes perching, Alunu/a leaps back into the nest. Well done!
09:37:00 - S/he calls over his/her right shoulder, behind the lens.
09:40:37 - Lucina returns from the left with a fir spray in her beak. 1 hour, 15 minutes away.
2nd feeding. 09:41:43. First fed bite of fox pup.

09:50:58 - Some fox tearing teamwork.





10:02:49 - Dibs on the eyeball.









10:26:06 - Last bite. Approx. 45 minutes. Source: red fox pup.
10:26:50 - Lucina leaves towards the right.

Round crop.





5th branching of the day. 11:31:23 - Walks down to the far right branches.
11:31:49 - Right back up into the nest.
11:31:37 - Alunu/a lies down.
11:32:36 - S/he wakes to take advantage of gusting wind. Flaps into it. Rain is here.





6th Branching of the day. 13:36:09 - Wing exercising drop to far right branches.
13:36:27 - Hops to middle far right branch.
13:37:52 - Hops back into nest.
7th branching of the day. 13:38:55 - Alunu/a to far front right branch, then to right middle branch.
13:39:39 - And back to nest again.
13:41:20 - Though light, the rain hasn't stopped. Alunu/a tries to take a bath.
13:41:58 - S/he lies down with wings out to the side, bent at the wrist. Is it a warm storm?



13:46:26 - Alunu/a stands up, and tries to bathe again.
13:46:58 - Again.
13:47:28 - And again.
13:49:00-11:42 - Lying down.
14:21:27-15:36:41 - Lying down.
3rd feeding. 15:46:00-15:59:01 - S/he picks at the fox pup remains with back to lens. Approx. 13 minutes.

16:02:08 - Alunu/a plays with a raven feather.



16:05:24 - Eaglet finds an old friend. 1st Thickest Branch Mom Had Ever Brought! S/he talon-strikes it, and drags it back up into the nest. The old, relatively intact red fox skull is attached to it too.





16:20:55 - We lose connection to the stream in the storm.
22:19:36 - Stream regains connection. Alunu/a is sleeping soundly in the nest. All is well. :>

2023-07-14 - Day 68; Week 9

5 feedings total. 4 self-feedings. 2 deliveries. 1 fledgling/mature bird of pale legs - Caliman. 1 northern raven (Corvus corax) - Lucina.

05:04:57 - Alunu/a awakens.
05:13:57 - S/he picks up what appears to be the bottom half of a bird I don't recognize. Must have been delivered when the stream was down yesterday.
05:34:18-05:43:48 - Beak-tuck-naps with a two minute preen in the middle.
06:23:49 - A roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is barking.
06:43:42-06:44:08 - Even quicker beak-tuck-nap.
1st self-feeding. 07:29:38-07:43:01. Approx. 14 minutes. Source: yesterday's unfamiliar bird.
07:43:48 - Alunu/a plays with the cattle hoof whilst a black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) calls.
07:47:10 - Fancy leaping footwork in the wind.



S/he leaps from the old cattle hoof to the old red fox skull.



07:48:23 - Nice strike, and grab of the fox skull.



07:49:21 - The winds haven't left the Carpathians. We are treated to many nice wing exercises this season.



1st branching of the day. 07:52:21-07:53:12. Far right branches.
2nd branching of the day. 07:53:38. Far right front branch.

07:54:52 - Enjoying the wind.



07:55:22 - Alunu/a returns to the nest.

07:59:21 - Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) screeching. Sounds like they may have young again.

08:04:44 - Alunu/a calls to a parent with that scratchy tsyuk of his/hers.
08:06:58 - Lucina arrives from the lower left corner with a fir spray in her right foot. Unknown amount of time away.



08:08:31 - She leaves towards the right.
09:13:31 - One of the jays heads over from somewhere beyond the beech (Fagus sylvatica). The jay spooks a coal tit (Periparus ater) out of the eyrie crown, who spooks the birdwatching Alunu/a, in turn.
09:44:34-09:56:10 - Beak-tuck-naps. Awakes, calling.
09:56:26 - Lucina returns from the left with a fir spray in her right foot. 1 hour, 48 minutes away.
09:56:54 - Lucina leaves towards the right. Alunu/a quiets.
3rd branching of the day. 09:58:35-09:59:25. Far front right branch. In a wind gust with wings out, and nary a flap.
4th branching of the day. 09:59:31-10:00:01. Far right branch.
5th branching of the day. 10:00:04-10:00:46. Far right branch.



10:37:21 - Lucina returns from the left with a fir spray in her right foot.



10:38:05 - She leaves towards the right.



6th branching of the day. 11:03:11-11:06:43. Gentle flaps down to far right branch, calls. Plays with a stick.

















11:24:48 - Alunu/a is insect watching, verrry closely.



7th branching of the day. 11:31:04-11:40:57. Far right front branch.
8th branching of the day. 11:45:30-12:10:59. Far right middle branch.
12:12:12 - Calling.
12:12:27 - Caliman delivers prey from the left. Longer flight feathers. Fledgling or mature bird.



12:12:52 - Is he still there? Alunu/a peeks. !!



12:12:54 - Caliman leaves towards the right. Lucina calls in the distance.

Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her left foot. 1 hour, 41 minutes away.



Not great timing. Luckily this first talon-strike merely latches onto the fir spray. The second, however, closes on Mom's left leg. Lucina escapes to the hidden branch, wrenching Alunu/a's leg backwards.





12:19:52 - Lucina leaves towards the left.



2nd self-feeding. 12:20:51-12:36:40. Approx. 16 minutes. Source: fledgling/mature pale-legged bird.





Incoming.



Lucina returns. 51 minutes away.



13:10:49 - She leaves towards the right.





Lucina returns with a fir spray in her feet. 4 minutes away.



13:14:39 - A large shadow passes over the eyrie, front to back.



13:16:05 - Lucina leaves towards the right.







16:43:12 - Into the wind.





9th branching of the day. 16:43:58-16:44:20. Far right middle branch.



17:24:00 - It has been raining. It is increasing slightly.
3rd self-feeding. 18:27:36. Eats up the rest of the fledgling/mature bird. There wasn't much left.
10th branching of the day. 18:32:42 - Alunu/a performs wing exercises into the gusting wind.
It sideswipes him/her, and s/he drops to the far right branches for an impromptu branching. The rain increases a little more.



18:47:04 - Lucina delivers prey from behind the eyrie. 5 hours, 31 minutes away. Her crop is full, and she's a bit damp.





18:47:11 - She hops to the hidden branch.
18:47:48 - She leaves towards the left.
4th self-feeding. 18:51:52-19:57:57. Approx. 1 hour, 6 minutes. Source: northern raven (Corvus corax).
19:20:02 - Alunu/a allowed us a good look at the well-plucked raven.



19:32:34 - Nice, big raven leg. Very well developed hallux on the largest of the passerines.



19:59:27 - Eurasian jays screeching.
20:05:35 - Alunu/a tracks Lucina in, where she alights on a front right branch with a rustle, mostly out of view.
20:05:45 - She hops into the nest.



20:06:20 - Lucina picks up the skeletal remains of the raven. Alunu/a did a great job self-feeding!



20:06:43 - Lucina offers a bite. Alunu/a takes it, but is no longer ravenous for raven. Drops it.
5th feeding. 20:07:20-20:33:25. Approx. 26 minutes. Source: northern raven.

29:35:49.



20:36:24 - Lucina leaves towards the right, behind the lens.
11th branching of the day. 20:39:13-20:44:25. Lower left corner branch.



12th branching of the day. 20:53:23-21:09:21. Lower left corner branch. Had a snooze. :>



21:20:44 - Alunu/a lies down.
21:41:05 - Infrared mode turns on.

Had to slim down the notes a bit. Apologies.

2023-07-15 - Day 69; Week 9

1 self-feeding. 1 delivery. 1 chunk of meat - Lucina.

06:26:43 - Alunu/a is still lounging around. Lazy morning. Had good eats yesterday, and it's warm out.



06:27:56 - Gets up.
06:28:40 - Oh, never mind.



07:06:43 - The eyrie tree is full of coal tit (Periparus ater) guests again. Alunu/a watches, vocalizes.

So much stretching.



07:31:07 - How about another? Bonks self in face. Considers punishing his/her own wing. ;>~



07:31:38 - Okay. Maybe it is time to stand up, and meet the day.
1st branching of the day. 07:33:15. Backs up, then leaps to the lower left corner branch. What a start! We're off to the races now.

Sun-spread.



07:35:05.



07:35:15 - Returns to the nest.
2nd branching of the day. 07:35:49-07:37:10. Far front right branch. Attempts to carry a stick back into the nest, but this only serves to stall momentum as it was stuck in place.



3rd branching of the day. 07:38:20-07:51:07. Lower left corner branch.
4th branching of the day. 08:16:11-09:52:51. Far right front branch. Alunu/a is nearly out of view for a time.
5th branching of the day. 10:27:27-10:29:35. Lower left corner branch.



10:37:20 - Alunu/a places a foot at a slight incline in the nest. His/her full weight is not evenly distributed on the foot, and it begins to wobble. That is how I think of it. I can achieve a similar shaking in my own leg if I press my toes down, trusting weight to the less stable footing, while holding the heel slightly above the ground. I've seen Alunu/a do this in earlier days with more stable appearing footing, however. Consider that s/he is also a baby with developing leg muscles.



This in isolation would not concern me. . . excepting that there was a full body wobble that happened a few times the other day. I have yet to see that since. Knock on wood. The concern with that being the possibility of a neurological issue. For golden eagles, I would start worrying about lead poisoning. I don't know how big of an issue lead poisoning is for eagles in Romania, but here in the states, it is, likely unsurprisingly, a huge problem. "They found that almost half of all animals sampled had chronic, toxic levels of lead." - Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America

If any of the prey brought back to the nest contain lead fragments from being shot, this is how Alunu/a could potentially be exposed at this tender, young age.

10:40:39 - Alunu/a flinches at a passing songbird, who s/he caught out of the corner of an eye.



10:51:59 - Lies down.



12:41:12 - Up on the tarsi for some crop drops.



12:41:30 - Lies back down with a right wing-leg-tail stretch.
12:58:36 - After a nice, long nap, Alunu/a is about to stretch out a wing. It causes him/her to tilt towards the front of the nest. Balance is lost, is startled!



6th branching of the day. 13:01:51-13:02:16. Leapt from the near center of the nest, to the lower left corner branch. Such confidence!







7th branching of the day. 13:02:42-13:05:04. Lower left corner branch.





8th branching of the day. 13:05:09-13:05:34. Alunu/a performs wing exercises all the way over to the right front branch.

13:12:53 - Perches on the cattle hoof for a little while. Content to have something under the feet.



14:03:19-14:51:33 - Lying down.
15:05-57 - Lies back down.
15:06:05 - Parental vocalizations. Alunu/a responds.
15:07:13 - S/he's up.
15:07:37 - Lucina arrives from the right with a fir spray in her right foot. 18 hours, 31 minutes away.



Off she goes.



9th branching of the day. 15:09:24-15:09:48. Lower left corner branch.

15:10:16 - Considers branching again with these swaying triangulations.



15:10:42.



15:27:41-15:32:02 - Lying down.
15:50:47 - Finds a Mom Feather.



15:55:49 - Alunu/a silently tracks a high flier. Definitely not a parental unit.
15:59:32 - Hey, it's Thick Branch #1! Plays with it. Talon-striking, and the like.
10th branching of the day. 16:03:07-16:17:02. Lower left corner branch.
16:22:49-17:00:11 - Lying down.

Lucina delivers prey. A big chunk of meat is firmly embedded in her talons. 1 hour, 52 minutes away. Her crop is full.







17:00:59 - She leaves towards the left.
1st self-feeding. 17:03:17-17:17:32. Approx. 14 minutes. Source: meat chunk.

More, "please".



17:19:58 - Alunu/a finds good distraction in a small stick. Plays pick-up, and talon-strike.



11th branching of the day. 17:20:45-18:10:39. Lower left corner branch.







The leap.



12th branching of the day. 18:12:52-18:13:36. Lower left corner branch.
18:13:49 - Begins attacking an innocent spruce/fir cone.
18:14:25 - Playing toss, and talon-strike.





18:17:34 - Tosses the cone over the front edge of the nest.



Here, catch!



18:22:57-20:52:10 - Time for another rest. Lying down.



13th branching of the day. 20:53:35-20:54:44. Lower left corner branch.



14th branching of the day. 20:55:03-20:59:31. Lower left corner branch.
15th branching of the day. 21:00:02-21:02:55. Lower left corner branch.
16th branching of the day. 21:03:08-21:05:35. Lower left corner branch.
17th branching of the day. 21:07:58-21:10:26. Lower left corner branch.
18th branching of the day. 21:11:52-21:23:30. First time branching upon the lower hidden trunk branch. Nice!



You can't see me!



Attempts to one-leg-stand. Whoops!





21:26:45-21:47:35 - Lying down.
21:44:44 - Infrared mode turns on.
22:10:18 - Alunu/a standing, beak-tuck-sleeps.

2023-07-16 - Day 70; Week 10

2 feedings. 1 self-feeding. 1 delivery. 1 northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus) - Lucina.

05:17:14 - Alunu/a ceases to beak-tuck-sleep.
05:27:44 - There is a Eurasian jay screeching nearby.
1st branching of the day. 05:43:15-05:43:46. Lower left corner branch.
2nd branching of the day. 05:44:24-05:47:14. Lower left corner branch.



3rd branching of the day. 05:47:42-05:52:26. Lower left corner branch.



4th branching of the day. 05:52:54-05:57:37. Right middle branch.
5th branching of the day. 06:00:44. Lower hidden trunk branch.
06:01:44 - S/he preens recrtrices upon the branch like a pro.
06:15:18 - Successfully one-leg-stands too.
06:26:05 - Returns to the nest.
06:34:25 - Alunu/a talon-strikes at the old cattle hoof, then the old skull of the red fox pup.
6th branching of the day. 06:35:46. Lower left corner branch.
06:46:56 - Lucina arrives from the right with a fir spray in her left foot. 13 hours, 46 minutes away.
06:47:19 - She tears several needleful twigs loose while Alunu/a screams. Maybe a sort of displacement behavior. Bites of prey for eaglets, and bites of spray for nests. ;>



06:48:47 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
07:25:00 - Alunu/a returns to the nest after 50 minutes of perching.
07:36:25-08:17:54 - Lying down on the fir spray that Mom brought.



08:23:55 - Calling.
7th branching of the day. 08:24:11-08:24:22. Right middle branch.
8th branching of the day. 08:24:54-08:26:12. Lower left corner branch.
9th branching of the day. 08:26:57-08:51:15. Right front branch.



08:51:28 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her feet. 2 hours, 3 minutes away.



08:51:32 - She evades the flurry of voracious eaglet by way of the lower hidden trunk branch.
A common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)? circles the eyrie 4 times. We can see snapshots of this bird in the previous screenshot.
08:52:08 - Lucina leaves down left with the kestrel (?) chasing after her. Its calls reveal the identity of the species much clearer than the screen grabs. However, the alarm call of the red-legged falcon (Falco vespertinus) is very similar. The latter is a species I am not the least bit familiar with. I do not know the likelihood of its presence here. maybe Stelian can discern the difference.



08:53:08 - Alunu/a is still calling, tracking a flier through the skies when a faint shadow passes over the nest, right to left.
10th branching of the day. 08:59:28-09:02:26. Lower left corner branch.



11th branching of the day. 09:06:59-09:36:56. Lower left corner branch.
09:41:38 - Alunu/a inspects, and plays with an old roe deer fawn leg.
10:05:03 - S/he lies down.
10:26:06 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her feet. 1 hour, 34 minutes away.
10:26:44 - She spies something in the nest. Hmm.



10:27:39 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
10:32:15-12:11:23 - Alunu/a lies down. S/he calls to the right upon waking.





12th branching of the day. 12:22:35-12:25:57. Lower left corner. Returning with a little breeze.



12:29:56 - Alunu/a finds something long, and stretchy in the nest.







12:46:44-14:57:14 - Nap time. Jays call, then Alunu/a around 14:26:37. The sound is out of sync.
15:42:08-17:26:33 - Another nap, then up on tarsi calling.





17:28:28-17:32:53 - Flops back down.



13th branching of the day. 17:33:17-17:34:20. Lower left corner branch.
14th branching of the day. 17:37:54-17:38:28. Lower left corner branch.





15th branching of the day. 17:39:07-17:41:22. Right middle branch, then to cattle hoof.



16th branching of the day. 17:42:37-17:43:10. Lower left corner branch.
17th branching of the day. 17:44:21. Right middle branch.

Lucina delivers prey from the right. A northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). Well, now, that is a unique sight at her eyries.







17:46:33 - Lucina leaves towards the right.





17:52:09 - Alunu/a rolls the hedgehog over. Good thinking. Remember this plump form with legs visible. It will help us to understand how successful this meal was.







1st self-feeding. 17:54:30 - S/he begins by picking at the face.



The head is gone. Alunu/a is making good progress.





18:12:20.



18:13:56 - S/he picks up the hide of quills. It is looking fairly flat now. Yum, yum.



18:15:11 - Without a head or all four legs, the hide naturally curled in on itself making it look fuller than it is, as we can compare with the above.





18:18:31 - Last bite! Approx. 24 minutes.



18:21:14 - Alunu/a calls towards the upper left.
18:33:56 - Rustle, falling sound. Alunu/a looks mildly concerned.



18th branching of the day. 18:36:24-19:09:23. Right middle branch.



19:26:47 - Alunu/a returns to the hedgehog. S/he picks at it, but has trouble refinding the opening.
19:30:59 - Picks up and drops the odd thing at the nest's edge several times. As if a less enthusiastic game of toss.



19th branching of the day. 19:33:37-19:43:21. Lower left corner.
20th branching of the day. 19:43:32-20:09:08. Right middle branch.
21st branching of the day. 20:09:35. Hidden branch.

Lucina returns from the right with empty talons, and empty beak. 3 hours, 1 minute away.



20:47:03 - Alunu/a returns to the nest, nearly mistaking the old fox skull between Mom's feet as prey.



2nd feeding. 20:51:42. First bite of hedgehog.
20:54:18 - A woodpecker, perhaps a great spotted (Dendrocopos major), alights in the tree just behind the eyrie. We can see him/her there, just above Lucina on the distant trunk.



20:55:12 - The woodpecker leaves, heading towards the right.
20:55:28 - Then flies back towards the previous perch, and beyond.
22nd branching of the day. 20:59:16-21:00:56. Lower left corner branch.
21:06:22 - Last bite. Approx. 15 minutes. Minor success. The curled up quilled hide seemed to confuse Lucina as well.
21:09:09 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.
23rd branching of the day. 21:09:25-21:12:48. Lower left corner.
24th branching of the day. 21:13:22-21:29:04. Hidden branch.
25th branching of the day. 21:30:00-21:38:07. Lower left corner branch.
26th branching of the day. 21:38:16-21:39:45. Hidden branch.
27th branching of the day. 21:40:07-21:41:10. Right middle branch. Carries a dry fir spray back into the nest.
28th branching of the day. 21:42:16. Lower left corner branch.



21:44:08 - Infrared mode turns on.



23:30:21 - Alunu/a returns to the nest after 1 hour, 48 minutes of perching!
23:30:47 - S/he lies down. Goodnight!

This link offers a photograph of a northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus) skinning site employed by a pair of golden eagles. The subject matter of being forced to prey-switch is a tragic thread out of the tapestry of a fraying ecosystem, however. Having to switch to a common synanthrope as their primary prey, helps paint the picture.

Diet shifting of tortoise-eating Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in southeastern Bulgaria

Hello! Unfortunately, I missed these sequences so that I could listen to the vocalization of the visitors. Falco tinnunculus, Accipiter nisus are present in this area, and Falco peregrinus has a nest one km away from here. I don't think Falco tinnunculus is present in this area.

Hello everyone!
Wanted to post these two pictures from tonight. Alunu/a's age indicates that s/he has a full grown body size. These pictures show the difference between them. I'm thinking (out loud ); Alunu/a - a male. Would love to hear what Stelian or Raven think about it.

Stelian, it must have been Falco tinnunculus, then. I did compare Accipiter nisus first before I even checked the Falconidae, and while it was the most similar among the accipitrids, it was not a match. Thank you for your help! Also, I am pretty confident that Lucina was in a dogfight with Falco peregrinus on June 11th. :>

Johan, it is said that skeletal growth, and development is minimal post-fledging. Up to that point their mass fluctuates with the availability of food. Past that point they will continue to develop muscle mass, and their flight feathers continue to grow. Nice work finding frames with parallel, and similar stances. Here is another.



My confidence in this matter is not great. Some dimensions of the beak appear masculine to me, but size wise. . . I. . . it's the variability of individuals that I keep considering. You know what might help, are some parallels of Lucina, and Caliman together. I failed to make those. All I have is this one where Caliman looks large as he is sideways, and closer to the lens. But we can at least use the gape measuring trick. It pans out.



In this one he appears fairly petite. ;> And we can see the width of his beak appears almost dainty compared to his mate's.



Just need to smoosh them together. Heh!

2023-07-17 - Day 71; Week 10

3 feedings total. 2 self-feedings. 2 deliveries. 1 Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Caliman. 1 European hare (Lepus europaeus) - Lucina

04:57:41 - Alunu/a untucks his/her beak from scapular feathers.

05:14:24 - S/he gets right down to the business of playing toss with the hedgehog hide, and whoops! Buh-bye.



1st branching of the day. 05:15:34-05:16:21. Left corner branch.
2nd branching of the day. 05:17:37-05:18:48. Left corner branch.
3rd branching of the day. 05:18:57-05:50:23. Hidden trunk branch.

06:01:19 - Lucina arrives from the right with empty talons. 8 hours, 52 minutes away.



06:02:55 - She leaves towards the left.



06:17:55 - Alunu/a lies down. Too steep!



06:18:09-06:34:12 - Lying down in a better spot. I must skip most of these today.
4th branching of the day. 09:23:47-09:26:04. Left corner branch.
5th branching of the day. 09:26:13-09:28:32. Right middle branch.
09:29:41 - Alunu/a picks up an old spine. It too goes over the edge.



Talon-strike play.





09:36:17 - Alunu/a is calling to a flier.
09:39:39 - It sounds to be a buzzard (Buteo buteo), or one is tailing a parent.

Lucina returns from the right with a spray, and female cones attached. 3 hours, 40 minutes away.



09:42:49 - Alunu/a calls incessantly as s/he does when a parent is near. Mom merely gives a gentle nibble.



09:43:08 - She leaves towards the right.
09:45:56 - After picking at a cone, Alunu/a can be seen smacking his/her beak, and shaking the head in between pauses. Sap! I can't tell if it tastes bad to eaglet, but its sticky persistence is unwanted.



09:46:24.



09:46:47 - Tosses a cone over the shoulder.



Hurries back!





09:47:39.



09:50:42 - Tosses a cone over the back edge of the nest.





6th branching of the day. 09:51:59. Left corner branch.
09:53:01 - What are you doing drooping like that, wing? Remember what Mom said about our posture. ;>



09:53:38.



Returns to the nest.





10:27:44-11:20:39 - Alunu/a is lying down. S/he stands up, calling. A shadow passes over.
11:22:25 - Lucina returns from the right with a fir spray in her left foot. 1 hour, 39 minutes away.
11:22:52 - She calls excitedly to Caliman.

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





11:23:36 - He leaps to the lower back left branch.

Lucina leaves towards the right.



11:24:27 - Caliman leaves towards the left.

We can see the underside of the hind squirrel feet in the green box, lower right corner.



11:28:51 - Let's have a look. Caliman plucked it nicely for his eaglet.





1st self-feeding. 11:31:36 - First pluck.
12:13:21 - Alunu/a tears the squirrel hide. Strong now.



12:20:20 - Progress.



12:21:31 - Last bite of red squirrel. Approx. 50 minutes.
7th branching of the day. 12:25:05-12:43:09. Left corner branch.
13:19:26 - Insect watching time.



8th branching of the day. 14:15:22-14:17:32. Left corner branch.
9th branching of the day. 14:17:58-14:19:22. Hidden trunk branch.
10th branching of the day. 14:19:35-14:20:51. Left corner branch.



11th branching of the day. 14:21:53-14:22:58. Left corner branch.

Lucina returns from the left with a fir spray.



14:31:58 - Lucina picks up the squirrel. Alunu/a snatches it, and claims possession. Not quite ready to be fed just yet.



14:32:09 - Alunu/a lunges at Mom who evades to the lower hidden trunk branch.
14:32:33 - Lucina leaves towards the left, curving behind the lens, out of view, to the right.
12th branching of the day. 14:39:12-14:40:03. Right front branch.
2nd self-feeding. 14:42:47-15:22:36. Approx. 40 minutes. Source: red squirrel.



13th branching of the day. 15:25:38. Left corner branch.

Lucina delivers prey. A European hare (Lepus europaeus).
Her crop is not full, thus it was either Caliman who lightened the load, and perhaps hunted the hare, or this was caught in earlier days. We saw a full crop yesterday, and the day prior.





15:40:39 - Lucina moves to the back right branch.



15:41:25 - Lucina leaves towards the right.



14th branching of the day. 15:46:38-16:25:41. Left corner branch.
15th branching of the day. 16:27:46. Left corner branch.
16:29:05 - Steps forward to a new lower section of the left corner branch.



16:29:21 - Returns to the nest.

Panting in the warmth of the day.





Lucina returns with empty talons.



Alunu/a mantles the hare.



3rd feeding. 17:44:46. Mom's calm persistence pays off, and the first fed bite follows the sequence below.







18:29:38 - Last fed bite. Approx. 45 minutes. Source: hare.



18:24:01 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
16th branching of the day. 18:31:02-19:02:12. Left corner branch. A little breezy.
17th branching of the day. 19:03:53-19:14:51. Right middle branch.



18th branching of the day. 19:28:46-19:42:15. Left corner branch.





19th branching of the day. 19:42:23-20:11:14. Hidden trunk branch. Once to nest, calls softly to the right.
20th branching of the day. 20:11:49-20:44:30. Left corner branch.
21st branching of the day. 20:44:40-20:45:18. Hidden trunk branch.
22nd branching of the day. 20:45:35-20:45:50. Left corner branch.
23rd branching of the day. 20:45:53. Right middle branch. Quick on, and off amidst wing exercises.
24th branching of the day. 20:46:49-20:51:55. Right front, to middle.



25th branching of the day. 20:52:24-21:12:54. Left corner branch.
26th branching of the day. 21:14:20-21:14:38. Hidden trunk branch.
27th branching of the day. 21:15:34. Left corner branch.
21:31:04 - Infrared mode turns on.
21:48:58 - returns to the nest.
28th branching of the day. 21:50:40-22:06:22. Left corner branch.
00:30:23 - Alunu/a lies down. Rain is falling.

00:38:08 - Lightning flashes, and thunder crashes a literal second later. Alunu/a has a fright!

Interesting. Whether a given golden eagle is male or female, may not be a 50/50 coin flip.

"Male:female sex ratios for annual cohorts of fledglings in southwestern Idaho ranged from 0.60:1 to 5:1 (442), with males outnumbering females in 10 of 14 years of that study. A consistent male bias characterized all age groups over 4 years in a population in central California (421). Male:female ratios for fledgling eagles in those years were 18:13, 13:9, 16:9, and 21:8, with an average of 64% males. Sex ratios in nests with 1 vs > 1 fledglings were similar (61% vs 62% males, respectively). Free-ranging, non-territorial eagles captured for radio-tagging in the same study area were 62% males (76:47 individuals). By age class, the male:female ratio for free-flying birds was 12:6 for non-territorial adults, 27:17 for subadults, and 3:4 for free-ranging juveniles (209). Wintering eagles captured in east-central Idaho from 1990–1997 were 60% male (male:female ratio of 174:116 individuals). Male:female ratios by age class were 103:62 for preadults and 71:54 for adults (443)." - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

442 - Edwards, T. C., Jr., M. W. Collopy, K. Steenhof, and M. N. Kochert (1988). Sex ratios of fledgling Golden Eagles. Auk 105: 794–796.

421 - Hunt, W. G, D. J. Wiens, P. R. Law, M. R. Fuller, T. L. Hunt, D. E. Driscoll, and R. E. Jackman (2017). Quantifying the demographic cost of human-related mortality to a raptor population. PLoS ONE12(2): e0172232

209 - Hunt, W. G., R. E. Jackman, T. L. Hunt, D. E. Driscoll, and L. Culp (1999). A population study of Golden Eagles in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area; Population trend analysis 1994–1997. Predatory Bird Research Group, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.

443 - Craig, E. H., and T. H. Craig (1998). Lead and mercury levels in Golden and Bald eagles and annual movements of Golden Eagles wintering in east central Idaho 1990–1997. Idaho State Office, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Boise, ID, USA.

2023-07-18 - Day 72; Week 10

05:19:29 - Alunu/a stands up with a two-wing-up stretch.
1st branching of the day. 05:22:04-05:27:18. Left corner branch.
05:27:46-05:33:01 - S/he picks at the old hare.
2nd branching of the day. 05:33:37. Right middle branch.



3rd branching of the day. 05:35:32. Leaps to the end of the right middle branch!







05:38:44 - Back to the base of the branch.



05:39:03 - Returns to the nest.
4th branching of the day. 05:39:25-05:40:22. Left corner branch.



5th branching of the day. 05:41:05-05:06:43. Hidden trunk branch.
6th branching of the day. 06:08:02-06:20:04. Left corner branch.



06:20:21-06:27:06 - Lying down. Up, picking at old hare again.



06:36:18 - Lucina can be heard calling excitedly.

Caliman delivers prey.



1st self-feeding. 06:36:34. Alunu/a gobbles the prey down whole. I can't make heads nor tails of it. By size alone, and previous matching deliveries, it may be a nestling or a rodent.



06:36:38 - Caliman hops to the left corner branch.
06:37:13 - He leaves towards the left.



06:43:08 - We can hear Lucina's excited trilling calls. Alunu/a is interweaving his/her own voice, of course.
7th branching of the day. 06:44:41-06:45:39 - Hidden trunk branch.
06:47:05 - Lucina alights in the upper back right branch. Continues her trilling tsyuks. 12 hours, 23 minutes away.



06:48:18 - She hops to the upper middle front-of-trunk branch.

Lucina drops straight down into the nest.



2nd feeding? 06:51:24. First fed bite of tough, old hare.





07:25:32 - Last bite, of which Alunu/a fed to self. Approx. 34 minutes.
07:25:33 - Lucina leaves towards the right.
8th branching of the day. 07:26:13-07:29:31. Left corner branch.
9th branching of the day. 07:30:28. Right middle branch.
07:31:23 - Alunu/a hops a short ways farther.
07:35:38 - A little farther. . .

07:42:05 - S/he returns to the nest.



10th branching of the day. 07:43:33-07:44:05. Left corner branch.



11th branching of the day. 07:45:33-07:46:41. Left corner branch.
12th branching of the day. 07:47:24-07:49:44. Left corner branch.



13th branching of the day. 07:50:11. Right middle branch.



To be continued. . .

Continued. . .

2023-07-18 - Day 72; Week 10

3 self-feedings. 4 deliveries. 1 unknown (nestling? rodent? small), 1 nestling, 1 columbid - Caliman. 1 columbid - Lucina.

08:39:05 - Many birds visiting the eyrie tree this morning. Coal tits (Periparus ater) aplenty, of course. They more confidently alight upon the lower branches now that Alunu/a is farther from the trunk.



08:47:15 - A blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) visits. I must have been distracted. Can't find the .gif. Darn!
08:58:35 - A Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea) too! Yes?



14th branching of the day. 09:03:54. Definitely distracted. I didn't even note which branch, or when s/he returned to the nest. It was a late night.
09:04:40 - Alunu/a lies down.
09:22:21 - Lucina returns from the left with a bare branch in her beak. 1 hour, 57 minutes away.
09:22:28 - She temporarily places it on her eaglet's tail.



09:23:20 - Lucina accidentally steps on Alunu/a's sprawled out leg. ! Alunu/a rattle-chirps, and bites at Mom's right leg, the one that caused pain/discomfort. S/he pushes Lucina towards the edge.



09:23:33- As Lucina begins to leave, Alunu/a throws his/her wings open. Scram!



15th branching of the day. 09:24:32-:09:25:53. Left corner branch.
16th branching of the day. 09:26:35. Right middle branch.



09:46:33 - Wing exercises in the wind gusts.



10:33:52 - Caliman delivers prey.



10:33:55 - He leaves towards the left, behind the lens.



2nd self-feeding. 10:41:08-10:44:18. Approx. 3 minutes. Source: nestling passerine.



11:05:35-11:42:37 - Lying down. It is windy. Alunu/a is calling when s/he gets up.
11:43:08 - Lucina returns from the left with a fir spray in her right foot. 2 hours away.



11:45:49 - She leaves towards the right.
3rd self-feeding. 11:48:41-11:57:55. Approx. 9 minutes. Source: old hare leg.



11:58:00 - Alunu/a skawks sharply at a passing raptor. It flashes past, but is similar in appearance to the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) on the 16th.
12:08:47-13:43:27 - Lying down again. It is still windy.







17th branching of the day. 13:45:50. Right middle branch.
13:46:16 - Alunu/a moves farther out.
13:46:56 - Wing exercises.



13:27:47 - S/he hops to the right prong of the middle branch.



14:28:35 - Hops back to main beam of right middle branch.



15:01:56 - Back to right prong.



15:02:10 - Then returns to the nest.



15:10:25-16:13:59 - Lying down.





18th branching of the day. 16:17:30-17:23:48. Right middle branch tip. Returns to the nest, calling.
17:24:50 - Lucina returns from the left with a long dead spray in her beak.



17:25:51 - She leaves towards the right.
19th branching of the day. 17:30:27-17:54:00. Right middle branch tip.





17:53:58-17:54:14 - Last bout of calling before leaving the nest.
17:54:27 - Alunu/a is practice hunting, and picking at the old hare foot.
20th branching of the day. 18:05:31. Right prong of right middle branch. Then, later, to main beam of this branch.

18:21:21 - The Big Moment! Alunu/a fledges on the 18th of July as predicted. 9 days later from the start of branching. All is quiet. No vocalizations from the eagles for 27 minutes.
Three is a pattern. Zenit, Margit, and Alunu/a each with the same branching to fledging duration. Isn't that fascinating? This was Alunu/a's 126th branching total. A confident, intentional fledging.



19:47:18 - Caliman delivers prey to an empty nest. He is panting with a full crop.



He looks around. Where is my eaglet?  His prey is a columbid with a reduced hallux.
This is visible in the green outlined box at the lower right corner. The screen grab above it is of the bird's head with beak pointing down.



19:48:59 - Caliman barks, wah-wah-woh-woh-woh. The sound is slightly out of sync.
19:49:08 - He barks again as he moves to the left corner branch.







19:53:35 - More barks from Caliman.
19:53:41 - Lucina also delivers prey, panting. 2 hours, 28 minutes away. She looks especially surprised that the nest is empty.



She tsyuks 11 times as she looks about this way, and that. Where is my eaglet?







19:54:42 - Lucina does not have a full crop, and her prey, which appears to be the same species as Caliman's, is still nice and plump.



20:06:14 - Lucina begins calling, perhaps for Alunu/a, but mid call she spies a high flier, her eyes lock, and her vocalizations shift to a higher intensity as someone coasts by. They circle the eyrie.
20:07:44 - Mom hears rustling below. She listens quietly with a long neck.
20:10:39 - Lucina picks up Caliman's prey. We can better see the columbid's feet in motion as one flashes over her dark feathers.



20:11:20 - She leaves, carrying Caliman's columbid with her. There are no vocalizations produced by any eagles at this point. Off to find Alunu/a.



20:12:55 - Alunu/a calls one tsyuk.
20:15:49 - Barking. Caliman? Skawk-skawk-wawk-wawk-wawk.
20:15:58 - More barking.
20:16:14 - More.
20:18:07 - Alunu/a calls four times. Lucina can be heard even farther away.
20:20:42 - 1 call from Alunu/a.
20:20:46 - 12 more calls.
20:21:03 - Another 12 that trail into the distance with a trill. Did Lucina's calls blend with Alunu/a, or did Alunu/a fly farther?
20:24:27 - The sound of wing exercises indicates that if Alunu/a flew another stretch, it wasn't far.
20:40:53 - A parent alights behind the eyrie.



20:53:49 - They leave to the right with a rustle.



20:55:20 - A flash of possible eagle left of the eyrie trunk, followed by a loud rustle of alightment.
21:36:14 - Infrared mode turns on. Someone is home, but the nest is empty for the first night in months.
23:23:55 - Rustling.

I would like to bring up a topic that I was relieved not to hear expressed at this nest this season, but one I have heard a number of times elsewhere around the fledging period. After witnessing Lucina entice Zenit back to the nest with a larid delivery a mere 1 hour, 12 minutes after he'd fledged, and noting that the urge to explore came naturally, I was instantly suspicious of claims that prey wasn't being delivered on given days in some concerted effort by parents to "lure" their offspring away from nests. What would be the point? Golden eaglets continue to be dependent on their parents for food for another 70 days or so, remaining close to the eyrie, and the nest is a convenient feeding platform. And, indeed, prey continued to be brought for Zenit on the nest.

The same occurred at the Soomaa eyrie. 5 hours, and 58 minutes after Margit fledged, her mother, Helju, delivered a crane (Grus grus) leg to the nest. And although Margit didn't show her face at the nest for another 14 days, her parents brought prey to the nest, and called out looking for her.

And here, with Alunu/a, both parents brought prey 1 hour, 25 minutes after fledging. They seem to have not realized s/he had fledged, as happened with first deliveries post-fledge in prior seasons, so we will have to continue observing to add to the appropriate evidence bins.

Luring the Eaglet from the Nest?, by David H. Ellis in his book 'Enter the Realm of the Golden Eagle'

"Various authors have described the practice of adult golden eagles flying by the eyrie with prey in their talons but refusing to enter. I have seen it myself, but I assign far different significance to it than that reported by some. These authors interpret the behavior as an effort by the parent bird to lure the young from the nest.

A detailed description of just such an activity was reported by Derek Craighead: "This morning we spotted the mother returning with food. She flew upwind to within a few yards of the nest, then rolled over on her side, exposing her prey. The hungry young female, who had already made her first flight, watched intently, and as the adult turned away, she flew to the cliff, maneuvered alongside her mother, and attempted to snatch the food. The adult, being annoyed, made a strong downstroke of her wing that sent the young eagle head over tail and forced her to crash-land on the slope below. Later in the day the mother twice repeated her performance of flying close by the nest with food, apparently to entice the young male that had not yet flown."

As I see it, this behavior results primarily from a reluctance of the adult eagle to approach the nest for one of two reasons. ... (the first is not relevant here - Raven) The second reason why an adult eagle laden with prey sometimes flies by the nest without entering appears to be out of fear of its own offspring. Sound odd? Not to those who have lived with undisturbed wild eagles. Also, anyone who has trained an eyas golden knows how much enthusiastic aggression can be shown toward the person offering the food. Near fledging, it is normal for similar "enthusiasm" to be shown toward the adult eagles. A typical sequence is for the adult to swoop up to the eyrie with prey and be instantly swarmed by eaglets stabbing their feet into the prey. The eaglets can puncture the adult's foot or worse. Under these circumstances, the adult sometimes "bails out" immediately after dropping the prey and recovers its composure while falling away from the nest. At this stage, the adults, that sometimes fly by the nest without delivering the prey, are not trying to lure the young into flight, rather they are trying to assess their own chances of survival if they enter the nest."

He goes on to explore his own observations. I will list only one out of respect for copyright. There are many interesting observations in this book, should you wish to pick it up! He continues, "An even more pertinent observation came on June 26, 1972, 5:13 P.M. The adult male arrived with a carcass and circled three times over its already fledged eaglet (age sixty-six days), then swept off to the east and delivered the prey to the unfledged eaglet in the nest. So, if "flying-by-with-food" constitutes luring and is reported only in the context of encouraging young to fledge, why was the male trying to lure the fledged bird back to the nest?"

2023-07-19 - Day 73; Week 10

05:14:56 - Vegetation snap.
06:15:35 - Ravens (Corvus corax) vocalizing in the distance.
06:16:07 - Raven threat-chasing calls. Listening at max volume.
06:19:03 - A parent alights nearby.



06:28:55 - Alunu/a calls 11 times.
06:41:59 - Alunu/a ? Followed by scolding Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius).

To be continued. . .

Thank you very much to everyone who watched this live stream, thank you very much to everyone who was involved in the chat to write information about what happened here, thank you very much to Mr. @Raven who worked so hard every day to publish in detail all the daily activity at the nest with many very valuable explanations. Without him we would have known much less about villa life. And finally, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all donors of any kind, without whom this live stream would not have been possible.

18.07.2023 Ziua 72; Săptămâna 10 Alunu/a zboară pentru prima dată din cuib.
18.07.2023 Day 72; Week 10 Alunu/a flies from the nest for the first time.

I hope we still have some time for more information about Alunu/a's journey into adulthood. Watching this Golden Eagle family has been amazing and that is due to all the hard work put in by Wild Bucovina and the team. Thank you Stelian Bodnari and everyone for making this possible. Being able to watch the day to day life of my favourite birds has been a pleasure. And meeting a great community of fellow eagle lovers, has been great. I'd like to say a big thank you to Raven, who has also worked hard to bring us a daily report of this beautiful family's life. And all done with your own challenges, and very much appreciated. Lucina and Caliman have been great parents, especially Caliman, as a first time dad, has been a fantastic mate and provider!!
Thank you everyone and I am looking forward to next season already!!

Congratulations to us all for a successful Bukovina Golden Eagles 2023 season. It was very exciting and informative, thank you Raven for your very powerful educational and scientific contribution. Thank you Stelian for good organization and technical support of the stream, this year the broadcast quality is much better with high stability. Johan and Tigress and thank you for your company in the chat.
I am sure our young adult eagle will come to our nest many more times and make us happy with his presence.

19.07.2023 This afternoon I went with my brother Emil in search of Alunu. It was a special afternoon. I met Alunu about 300m from the nest but with great difficulty because the terrain is very steep and difficult and he/she vocalizes very rarely and initially we did not manage to locate him in the dense forest. After a few hours we managed to find him, he was sitting near the top of a fir tree. Lucina passed over him with some food in her claws and he/she vocalized for food, but Lucina, after circling over him, left for the nest area. Alunu saw us, studied us curiously and stayed there to spend the night. I hope to see him again, I have a closer connection with these rare birds. My brother photographed and I filmed.