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

2023-08-22 - Day 106; Week 15. Post-fledging: Day 35.

0 deliveries.

05:41:06 - A Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) begins calling even before the infrared switches off.
06:15:03 - Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) barking in the distance.
06:30:36 - Alunu/a vocalizing distantly, off and on for several minutes.
07:02:26 - Alunu/a calling again, still distant.
09:05:48 - A red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is visiting the eyrie.



10:37:15 - Alunu/a calling close by. The vocalizations eventually fade into the distance. The butterfly remains at the eyrie, and is now tasting the red fox skull (Vulpes vulpes).



13:28:42 - Alunu/a calling nearby again.
14:01:21 - Alunu/a calling on the wing. Farther away at first. His/her voice grows louder.
18:00:52 - A Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea) gleans insects from the eyrie trunk
18:29:00 - Alunu/a, distant vocalizations.
18:36:37 - A single call, that might belong to Alunu/a.
19:41:15 - Distant calls from the Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo).

2023-08-23 - Day 107; Week 15. Post-fledging: Day 36.

0 deliveries.

Note: It rained during a large span of the day.

14:54:18 - Tigress, you asked in chat whether this was the voice of a Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes). Could be! There is a vocalization at 14:54:57 that made me consider mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus). As you can hear from those links, some of their vocalizations can sound similar. Neither of these birds are familiar enough to be confident with this particular set. The mistle thrush's similar calls seem to often have more breaks in them, but, maybe not always? I'd need more exposure.
15:50:49 - Alunu/a calling distantly.

Thank you Raven for your answer. I have wrens visit my garden and just thought it sounded similar

2023-08-24 - Day 108; Week 15. Post-fledging: Day 37.

0 deliveries.

06:19:08, 08:25:30 - Alunu/a calling nearby.
12:03:14 - This was not the only instance of the Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) vocalizing today. Just a note that s/he is still present in the vicinity.
12:08:34 - Alunu/a calling distantly. His/her voice grows close. Loud, piercing. After a few minutes the vocalizations are again swallowed up by distance.

Alunu/a visited the nest 2023-08-25



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4upJPxGk7Y

Thank you for making a record of the visit, Roma. And what a fine visit it was! Alunu/a is a real beauty.

2023-08-25 - Day 109; Week 15. Post-fledging: Day 38.

0 deliveries.

06:20:05 - A Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) scales up the eyrie tree, and leaps over to the adjacent tree behind it.
06:22:53 - A squirrel bark of alarm.

13:38:26 - Alunu/a calling distantly among the voices of hooded crows (Corvus cornix).
13:38:52 - Lucina joins in.
13:39:35 - The pace of their vocalizations quicken with excitement. Is prey incoming?
13:45:39 - The vocalizations have calmed, and are limited to Alunu/a as they fade into the distance.
14:30:57 - We can hear Alunu/a again, far off at first, but growing louder, closer.
14:32:38 - Alunu/a alights from the right with a happy crop. 9 days, 21 hours, 43 minutes away.







Why hello, Alunu/a! Are you keeping Lucina, and Caliman busy? Checking their talons whenever they are within range, are you? That's a good eaglet. ;>



14:32:51 - Bones, bones, old bones.



14:33:07 - A game of toss, and strike with old friend fox skull.







14:34:17 - Play continues amidst bouts of pssaing.





14:35:08 - Alunu/a spies the second, and only other fox kit's skull (Vulpes vulpes) remaining. It lies at the back of the nest. S/he picks at it, then quietly observes the surroundings.
14:36:12 - Alunu/a pulls loose what may be the old cattle hoof, and tosses it over the back edge of the nest. So long!
14:38:07 - S/he soon catches sight of an interesting critter in the nest, and tracks it as it buzzes or flutters away towards the lens.



Could you be anymore charming?





14:40:50 - Of course! We can see Alunu/a lock eyes on, presumably an insect, as it again flies up from below, does a loop-de-loop, and helpfully gravitates toward the camera. It may have alighted there, or Alunu/a may have realized that the camera was worth inspecting too!















14:43:52 - Farewell again, dear Alunu/a.



14:44:06 - The rustle of Alunu/a alighting nearby. S/he continues vocalizing off and on.
15:04:54 -Sound of rousing. The calls continue.
15:10:21 - Alunu/a can be heard to leave, pssaing into the distance.

Roma, thank you for your video of Alunu/a yesterday. I missed that visit, so really appreciate seeing him/her

Thank you Raven for your video also. Alunu/a is becoming a beautiful eagle. I love how s/he is still turning his/her head upside down when intently watching something.... just too cute! 🥰
Alunu/a has a beautiful face!! Wonderful to still see him/her And it's wonderful to see Alunu/a play attack with the skulls!!

I agree, Tigress. Alunu/a's visit was a real treat!

2023-08-26 - Day 110; Week 15. Post-fledging: Day 39.

0 deliveries.

08:30-14:35:41 - Lost time. Stream reset to a lower resolution.

I failed to detect Alunu/a today. Third time.

2023-08-27 - Day 111; Week 15. Post-fledging: Day 40.

0 deliveries.

11:44:26 - Lost audio.
13:31:12-17:09:52 - Stream skips, audio returns.
20:30:43 - Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) vocalizing nearby.

I failed to detect Alunu/a today. Fourth time.

2023-08-28 - Day 112; Week 16. Post-fledging: Day 41.

0 deliveries.

11:27:45-11:31:04 - Vocalizations from Alunu/a, and Lucina, ending with sets of solo calls.
11:43:01 - Alunu/a calling.
12:09:56 - The staccato vocalizations of ravens (Corvus corax) chasing an aerial threat.
18:23:03 - Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) calling.
19:21:27 - Alunu/a calling.
21:20:22 - Thanks to Stelian for this timestamp of a tawny owl (Strix aluco) vocalizing.

2023-08-29 - Day 113; Week 16. Post-fledging: Day 42.

0 deliveries.

09:41:07 - A Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) alights on the front right edge of the nest, calls 10 times at a steady pace.
09:41:13 - S/he leaves back behind the lens, angling left, and performs the faster paced flight call we've been hearing since the 17th of August.
11:14:43 - Ravens (Corvus corax) calling.
11:14:50 - Ravens have an impressive vocal repertoire. There is a fair amount of culturally transmitted sexual dimorphism within their vocal behavior. I'm not sure what is being communicated with this call, novel over this microphone. Only that it sounds socially motivated, and not purely related to food or threat. However, the other raven voices continue, and they do sound to probably be interacting with an aerial predator. Maybe someone is showing off, or laying hierarchical claims.
11:15:08 - As if on cue, Alunu/a begins calling. Loudly, close.
11:16:10 - A parent joins in. The ravens continue to call.
11:16:51 - The eagles drift off, become quiet. The ravens continue calling distantly.

2023-08-30 - Day 114; Week 16. Post-fledging: Day 43.

0 deliveries.

07:01:49 - Alunu/a calling in the distance.
07:04:48 - A Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) scales up the eyrie trunk.
07:07:30 - Red squirrel alarm barks.
07:13:06 - Staccato northern raven (Corvus corax) aerial threat vocalizations.
07:13:32 - Alunu/a calling.
07:14:34-07:19:36 - His/her voice grows louder, more excited.
07:20:35 - S/he is calling distantly now.

16:48:42 - Alunu/a vocalizing nearby.
16:55:48 - The vocalizations of a spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes). Sounds upset.
16:56:07 - A Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) joins in.
16:56:52 - Alunu/a hasn't ceased calling, if off and on with long pauses.
17:00:26 - Still here. Calling.
17:26:45 - Alunu/a's vocalizations grow excited. Close, then distant.

19:34:43 - Alunu/a vocalizing nearby.
19:36:06 - While s/he has moved a little farther away, and his/her calls eventually become distant, they are persistent. Long stretches with little to no pause.
19:54:22 - Alunu/a travels closer again. The vocalizations have not ceased, but longer pauses commence now.
20:03:36 - S/he calls after a longer pause.
20:09:00-20:13:42 - Excited, persistent vocalizations again.
20:16:42 - The final set for the evening. Still nearby. Perhaps roosting here for the night. A storm is coming.
20:20:04 - First flashes of lightning.
20:22 - The storm roars to life with heavy rain, and frequent lightning.

2023-08-31 - Day 115; Week 16. Post-fledging: Day 44.

0 deliveries.

06:07:14, 06:13:21-06:15:38 - Alunu/a calls nearby. S/he likely sheltered from last night's storm close to the eyrie. Given we could hear calls from this location minutes before heavy rain, frequent lightning, and given these early timestamps.
07:27:03 - A hooded crow (Corvus cornix) calling nearby.

13:16:39 - Alunu/a calling farther away for a few minutes. Northern ravens (Corvus corax) too.
13:17:31, 13:17:53 - Single calls from a parent.

18:35:24 - Audio lost.
18:53:49 - One of the eyrie's many daily visitors, a crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus).

I must apologize. I can’t continue. My computer monitor broke after a very trying day, and I have little left to offer. I didn’t hear Alunu/a today. I’m sorry. Be well, nest friends. Maybe we’ll meet up in another season.

Thank you for all your input and effort with keeping us updated on Alunu/a's progress Raven. It has been very much appreciated by myself, and I'm sure everyone, and I totally understand the effort involved, but no need to apologize! You have done a really amazing job and provided fantastic information.
It will be sad to not get any more updates, but Alunu/a will be moving on soon and will be greatly missed.
Look after yourself Raven, and if you are looking through any other stream and see me there, please stop and say "hello".

Hopefully we will see you again next year

Take care and thank you again

Raven wrote:I must apologize. I can’t continue. My computer monitor broke after a very trying day, and I have little left to offer. I didn’t hear Alunu/a today. I’m sorry. Be well, nest friends. Maybe we’ll meet up in another season.

Thank you very much for the enormous effort to tell us all the activity at the nest every day. I look forward to your return here. In about a month I will try to start the second live stream from the other nest. I hope to see you again as soon as possible. I wish you many blessings!

Life's storm has calmed enough to breathe, and I managed to scrounge up another computer monitor. Whew. Thank you both very, very much. I will absolutely delurk for you, Tigress. And, Stelian, while there usually are no gods in my life from whom to propitiate blessings, I do wish you all my very best, in turn. Seeing Zenit's natal nest once again will be a treat.

2023-09-02 - Day 117; Week 16. Post-fledging: Day 46.

This was the only day I've heard Alunu/a since I ceased sharing notes. On the morning prior, there was some of the loudest human hammering I'd ever heard through the microphone (09-01 06:30:00).

09:10:54 - Alunu/a calling distantly.
10:25:22 - Approaching northern raven (Corvus corax) aerial harrassment vocalizations.
10:25:48 - Their shadows pass over the eyrie. Raven-sized ones. Couldn't be sure if there was an eagle among them.
10:25:52 - Can hear the characteristic lasso swish of raven wings. Close.
10:30:09 - Again. Followed by more vocalizations.

16:11:13 - Another close pass from a raven with the lasso-swish of wings. Contact calls. No answering reply. If a large corvid passes near on a relatively quiet day, and you can hear wing beats, it was a raven. Crow wings must audibly interact with the air too, but conditions, and proximity would have to be just right to easily perceive it. It isn't difficult to hear a raven's wings.

On the 3rd we lost audio in the morning. The 4th was storming throughout the day, and today, the 5th, I simply failed to detect any golden eagles. Maybe I missed a timestamp.

Visit of Alunu/a and Lucina 2023-09-07



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4zo-Gl2L04

Thank you so much for sharing this video with us Roma. It's great to see Alunu/a still playing attack!! If I'm not mistaken, is his/her head feathers turning golden?
So nice to see Lucina as well.... she is an amazing mum

Thank you much, Roma!

2023-09-07 - Day 122; Week 17. Post-fledging: Day 51.

1 delivery. A stick - Lucina.

12:03:14 - Alunu/a arrives silently from the left, alighting at the front of the nest. 12 days, 20 hours, 53 minutes away. S/he calls four times. The audio is out of sync.



12:03:25 - Alunu/a watches someone pass by on the left, then hops into the center of the nest.



12:03:35 - S/he picks at, and talon-strikes one of the two old red fox kit skulls (Vulpes vulpes).



12:03:47 - A pause to assess a sound or movement, with a brief glance up into or beyond the eyrie crown.
12:03:55 - Alunu/a plays toss with the fox skull. Someone passes by left to right beyond the lens, and s/he tracks them with locked eyes before continuing to play these hunting games.



In this screen shot, the fox skull is mid-air below Alunu/a's head. It is a perfect dorsal view with the nose pointing straight up.







12:04:49 - At the back of the nest, Alunu/a gives the second old fox skull some attention. The game of toss, and strike is extended.
12:06:28 - S/he calls four times, sound still out of sync.



12:06:48 - Leaps to the lower left corner branch. Calls five times.
12:07:13 - Three calls.
12:07:40 - Calls thrice more, and leaves towards the left, followed by more vocalizations into the distance.
12:08:09 - Lucina vocalizes too.

12:09:57 - Lucina drops down from the back slope with a stick in her beak. 22 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes away. It's been a mere 1.68 months since she last focused on nestkeeping, with the final stick delivered 57 minutes prior to Alunu/a fledging. Her eaglet follows her in. 2 minutes away. Both are vocalizing; Alunu/a more excitedly.



12:10:18 - Alunu/a picks up more old bones. I can't identify these. S/he plays with them until they fall to the front right edge of the nest.
12:10:58 - S/he isn't done with them yet. Alunu/a expertly tosses, and catches a bone in his/her right foot. S/he follows the momentum down to the far right branch, continuing to call as Lucina watches.





12:11:08 - Alunu/a leaps back into the nest.
12:11:12 - Lucina makes space by moving to the lower left corner branch.
12:11:21 - Alunu/a grabs an old European hare's foot (Lepus europaeus), and continues playing toss.

The hare's padless well-furred foot is visible in a few frames, as it flips through the air.





12:11:42 - Lucina leaves towards the lower left corner.
12:11:57 - Alunu/a continues playing!
12:12:21 - S/he picks out another bone for toss. It looks like it could be a fox tibia.



12:12:36 - Alunu/a leaves towards the right, with the tibia in his/her beak, calling. What a charmer!

2023-09-12 - Day 127; Week 18. Post-fledging: Day 56.

It appears that we had a large visitor to the nest in recent days. The red fox skulls have shifted, and there are new lichen-covered branches. I noticed it this morning. I suspect the visit occurred when the stream was offline yesterday, sometime after 16:08:48. However, it is possible that my attention wasn't sharp when I checked in earlier yesterday. In which case, the visit could have occurred on 2023-09-10 after the stream previously went offline, at 13:55:38.

A screenshot from Roma's archival video, following the last observed visit. For comparison.



And later today when the light was diffuse, and coal tits (Periparus ater) were visiting, to help make it a little more interesting. Where's Wally/Waldo? :>



17:47:24 - A less common eyrie visitor. Either a Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) or a short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). I'm guessing the former, as C. familiaris is much more widespread in Romania, and prefers coniferous trees, whilst the latter has a sparse, dotted range not appearing to overlap this region, and prefers oaks, and more mixed forests. The stream was skipping slightly.



19:05:26 - One more note to mention that the Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) is still present in the vicinity, as revealed through these vocalizations.

2023-09-13 - Day 128; Week 18. Post-fledging: Day 57.

11:53:19 - Lost time. Stream resolution reset.
13:24:57-13:26:08 - A Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) quietly rests on the right edge of the nest.



14:43:50 - Alunu/a vocalizing nearby. Twice.
14:43:57 - Rustling. Three more calls. I do not detect when s/he leaves.
14:59:41 - A raven (Corvus corax) calls twice.
14:59:57 - Again, growing distant.

With increasing independence that may be influencing vocalization rate (?), it is often impossible to detect when/if Alunu/a is within microphone range, or wandering beyond it.

2023-09-17 - Day 132; Week 18. Post-fledging: Day 61.

11:28:00 - A seemingly large shadow passes over the eyrie, then over the back slope towards the right, following raven (Corvus corax) vocalizations, and wing beats. It's maker is circling. We can see the shadow flash past now, and again. We can see more obvious raven shadows as well. Although, I can't be sure they aren't all ravens.

11:28:39 - Large enough to be a golden eagle or two? Maybe not. Maybe just hopeful for a glimpse.



11:28:49 - Three distinct shapes pass above the tree line, still circling. These each appear to be raven-sized, unless the angle, and the back-lighting are creating an illusion.



11:31:11 - A raven breaks the silence with two calm calls.
11:31:27 - Another shadow passes over the eyrie with two followers.
11:31:52 - A female raven begins knocking (Female Power call; males do not utter it). An assertion of dominance, confidence, self-aggrandizement. The intended audience being a fellow raven.
11:32:36 - One of the ravens appears, wings forcefully loud, cutting the wind before alighting at the back of the eyrie. A second continues by, but begins tightly circling. All silent except for the wing beats. This appears to me to be an unfriendly interaction. The hounding of an intruder.  



11:33:11 - The second, circling raven now alights near to the first, whom has moved out-of-view beneath the nest. But this raven bails as soon as her/his feet clutch that perch. S/he seems to want to flush her/his target out of territory without a risky close quarters fight.



11:33:51 - The first raven finally leaves, swiftly followed by the second. Loud of wings, silent of voice.



11:34:02 - Loud, single drawn-out raven call.

11:46:53 - A red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) flutters into the nest.
11:49:53 - Climbs onto the fox kit skull (Vulpes vulpes).



12:08:50.



12:14:10 - The red admiral leaves.
13:06:52 - Audio lost.

2023-09-18 - Day 133; Week 19. Post-fledging: Day 62.

06:27:49 - A mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) alights on the lower back left branch. S/he alarm calls at something.
06:29:45 - To the nest!



Floofs up, and chats quietly to self whilst glancing at the prominent camera.



06:32:27 - Pecks at the fox skull (Vulpes vulpes) a few times. Any crawlers here?



06:34:14 - Finds nothing after displacing some nest detritus in search of insects. Leaves.
_____

Alunu/a may have entered the second stage of the following rough outline a bit earlier. During his/her 17th week (Post-fledging days 48-54). Though we've had offline audio, and streaming issues that also picked up during that time (3 of the 7 days, and one of the good days was stormy all the way through). S/he was detected once during that week, and once during his/her 18th week. There were a couple hints of possible presence with the appearance of new branches delivered by a parent (did Alunu/a again shadow Lucina?), and actual shadows, but nothing else certain.

1-70 days post-fledging: Remains close to eyrie, dependent on parents for food.

60-120 days: Begins distancing from eyrie. Active hunting attempts ensue. Some feeding by parents continues.

120-180 days: Juveniles provide completely for themselves and increase distance from the natal territory.

Good hunting, Alunu/a. Best of luck!

Thank you Raven!

The Mistle Thrush is so cute..... lovely little visitor..

Wishing Alunu/a a safe and wonderful life! Still missing him/her, but have a few screen shots of our beautiful eaglet to look back at.

Stay safe and live long Alunu/a