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

Bună tuturor! Am actualizat toata activitatea desfasurata la cuib in acest sezon pana azi 04.03.2023. De acum am rugamintea ca oricine doreste, sa publice aici tot ce se intampla zilnic la cuib. Mulțumesc foarte mult!

Hello everybody! I have updated all the activity carried out at the nest this season until today 03.04.2023. From now on, I have the request that anyone who wants to, can publish here everything that happens daily at the nest. Thank you very much!

GOLDEN EAGLE LIVE NEST here:

04.04.2023
Începe să ningă abundent, Lucina nu părăsește cuibul toată ziua și nici Caliman nu apare pe cuib. Se ridică doar de câteva ori și se scutură de zăpadă și se așează imediat din nou pe ouă.
It starts snowing heavily, Lucina doesn't leave the nest all day and Caliman doesn't appear on the nest either. It only gets up a few times and shakes off the snow and immediately sits down again on the eggs.

05.04.2023
Astăzi, Caliman vine la cuib și ia locul Lucinei pentru a cloci.
Today, Caliman comes to the nest and takes Lucina's place to hatch.






Timp de 23 de minute, Lucina a plecat și probabil a mâncat, iar Caliman i-a luat locul la clocire.
For 23 minutes, Lucina left and probably ate, and Caliman took her place at hatching.

Hello!
Thanks, very nice photos

2023-04-09

Nice golden light this morning. Lucina is bird watching too. ;>





Stelian, I recall Abies alba being chosen for the First Nest. To which species of tree does this eyrie belong?

@Raven Hello! Thanks for posting. The second nest, also in a white Abies, is made.

Beautiful trees. Thanks for the knowledge!

Plish-plosh. Snow melts from branches around Lucina, as she broods snug in her nest.

Lucina appears to observe someone in the distance. We learn that this was, indeed, Caliman, but interestingly she remains silent.



Caliman alights at the eyrie with a full crop.



When Lucina returns, she too has a full, happy crop. That's her in the back. Compare with the screenshot prior to her departure.
Caliman has been incubating for 40 minutes.



The last day I observed both their crops this full was on April 1st, at 08:45:33 for Caliman, who incubated for 41 minutes. Similar duration. Then, for Lucina who returned at 09:29:30. The difference being that Lucina was vocalizing very excitedly when Caliman brought a substantial meal on that first day. Maybe hunger levels were different. Maybe the prey was more obscured from view. Who knows.

Edit: More timestamps.

11:59:55 - 16:07:04 - Lucina incubates.
16:08:25 - She leaves.
16:09:22 - Ravens (Corvus corax) herald Lucina's return. There is another vocalization that sounds a lot like a tawny owl (Strix aluco). I could be wrong. The audio is not in sync, but one can tell these vocalizations occur before Lucina touches the nest, by listening for the rush of sound that comes with her alighting. Tawny owl vocalizations: https://youtu.be/5BSljsYe0To
16:10:20 - 18:28:57 - Lucina incubates. She stops with a wing-up stretch.
18:29:55 - She leaves.
18:30:38 - She returns.
18:32:10 - 19:25:38 - Lucina incubates.
19:26:44 - She leaves.
19:27:37 - She returns. Is she having bites to eat from the larger carcass Caliman delivered earlier?
19:28:59 - Lucina incubates into the dusk.

@Raven Thank you very much for the publications. Yes, a Strix aluco is heard.

@Wild Bucovina - Thank you for the confirmation!

I will be on a sojourn for a week. I won't be able to make screenshots, and may not be able to properly record timestamps, but I will bring my tablet and peek in when settled for nights. How could I not? Hooked.

2023-04-10

08:09:22 - Lucina stops incubating with a wing-up stretch, and other stretches, in preparation for flight.
08:10:08 - She leaves, stage right.
08:11:14 - A minute later she returns. Approaching the nest from behind the lens, left side.
08:12:15 - Back to incubating.
08:19:09 - Soft vocalizations. Caliman must be near.
09:52:18 - Lucina stops incubating. She performs a right wing-leg-tail-stretch, again preparing to leave.
09:53:31 - Exit stage right.
09:54:23 - Caliman alights, approaching from the left corner of the screen, back to lens.
09:59:13 - He begins incubation after much hovering over the eggs, and fussing with the nest bowl.
10:12:39 - Lucina returns with a conifer spray. A swift drop from above the heights of the distant forest canopy, arcing, and in from the right. Her feet touch the nest just shy of her mate.
She is speaking softly. Caliman raises his body off the eggs.



10:13:07 - He leaves heading leftward, behind the lens from whence he came.
10:13:27 - Lucina incubates.
10:49:50 - She tracks a flier with her gaze overhead, calling softly.

I must retire now. Goodnight Bucovina.

Thank you Raven for your nice descriptions of what's going on here. Your all-encompassing knowledge is invaluable. I mean we're lucky to have you here for photos and comments. Thank you so much!

Prey. If I missed something, feel free to let me know. Deliveries by Caliman, unless otherwise noted.

22 March - Frog. Unknown species.
26 March - Lizard. Unknown species.
28 March - Unknown prey. Lucina seems as uninterested in it as she was with the frog. Off-cam. Out of sight.
31 March - Possibly new prey, or previous. Lucina uninterested. Picking at same spot on nest.
1 April - Lucina and Caliman have full crops.
9 April - Full crops.
10 April - Full crop; Lucina.
13 April - Full crops; both.
14 April - Raven (Corvus corax) leg.
15 April - Live frog. Unknown species. Lucina truly has no taste for frogs. It escapes over the edge.
16 April - Full crops; both.
19 April - Altricial nestling. Unknown species. Yellow or pale beak, and feet.
20 April - Altricial nestling. Same description. Lucina brought this one to the nest whilst Caliman was incubating.
23 April - Eastern slowworm (Anguis colchica).

2023-05-01 18:27:06

Lucina had just alighted at the nest. She was speaking softly to her mate, as she tends to do when he is near.
This time, she was particularly eager to incubate. Usually, all she has to do is loom over him, and Caliman will leave.



3 May - Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), and an unknown bird. Maybe the size of a wood-pigeon, maybe smaller. Uncertain.

Gif of squirrel. Pardon the red bar. I'm using a free .gif-maker, and it has its faults.
Note ear tufts, and extensive light underbelly:



Tufted ear visible above Caliman's right foot.

@Raven Many thanks for the published details.

@Stelian - You're always welcome.

Lucina performs a two-wing-up-stretch over her eggs. The egg on the left has an ever widening pip.
It is, indeed, the egg with the more concentrated reddish pigment on one end. Keeping with the wisdom that the more heavily pigmented eggs are the first to have been laid.



After the rains have passed, Caliman stops by for a visit. During egg examination he glances up at Lucina, who is perched off-camera.



Caliman must recognize from his mate's behavior that she wants to return to the nest, and her eggs. He makes space as the pace of her vocalizations increase.
He hops up to the far left branch, and she drops down heavily onto the front edge of the nest.



The rest of the day proceeded calmly, with Lucina checking her eggs every now and again, eliciting delightful chirps from her hatching eaglet.

Later in the night, the eldest eaglet successfully hatches. We can see the egg is split in two. There was a less distinct view of this without the infrared around 9:30 PM.
Hatch Day is officially: 4 May 2023. Day 0. We do not count Hatch Day as Day 1, because the eaglet is not yet 24 hours old.

Welcome to the world!

First Look.

Allopreening tickles.







The eaglet uses all strength to hold a wobbly head upright long enough to peer up at Mom. Getting stronger by the second.





Two-wing-up-stretch.



Lucina pulls the unidentified bird from the pantry, of which Caliman delivered on the 3rd. It has a blue band on its left leg.



The first real bite.

Amazing pictures and text! Thanks again Raven

The following is how my notebook tends to look. My home is partially in boxes, and I don't know where I'll end up. Life chaotic. Transcribing to a computer took me a decent chunk of time that I won't be able to set aside any promise for, but figured I would make time for today, as it is a particularly special day in the life of this golden eagle family.

First feeding lasted approximately three minutes.
09:56:45 - Eaglet's first alone time outside of egg. Lucina exited to the right.
09:58:56 - She returns, soft talking. Caliman is near.
10:00:33 - Lucina is tracking him visually. Her vocalizations have become more excited. Her gaze follows him up into the eyrie tree.
10:02:27 - Second breakfast begins! Such a good, strong eater. It lasts around another three minutes.
10:06:29 - We can hear Caliman take flight. Lucina startles slightly.
10:42:23 - Loud chirps from the little one commence. Lucina gets up to check on the little one. She allopreens, and the eaglet immediately calms down.
11:43:15 Caliman alights from the left corner. Lucina speaks softly to him, but looks to the sky.
11:43:31 - A large shadow passes over the far canopy. Huh.
11:43:35 - She gets up, still only soft talking, not sounding upset.
11:43:50 - She leaves to the right with Caliman still on the nest.
11:44:20 - We can hear sharp calls from her in the distance. Now she is yelling at someone.



Mom's voice grows closer, and her eaglet raises their head.



She's home.



11:44:55 - Caliman moves to the left corner branch, off-camera.
11:45:03 - He leaves.
11:45:31 - Lucina leaves too. Rightward.
11:46:06 - She returns from the right. Tracks someone in the sky. Skawks sharply at them.
11:47:41 - Caliman comes in just right of the eyrie trunk, from behind the nest. He has a conifer spray in his beak. Lucina tsyuck-tsyuck or pssa-pssas at him.
11:47:49 - He hops to the far right branch behind the nest.
11:48:05- He leaves, right.
11:49:13 - Lucina broods.
12:41:05 - She tracks Caliman, speaks softly to him.
12:41:57 - Up she stands. Two-wing-up stretch.
12:43:28 - Caliman alights, approaching from the left corner with a conifer spray in his beak. Lucina is pssaing at him excitedly.
12:43:50 - Caliman leaves, and Lucina grabs the red squirrel by its stiff shoulders from the pantry.
12:44:39 - She begins plucking squirrel fur.
12:45:26 - Third feeding (lunch!) occurs with Lucina's back to the camera, blocking the view. We can infer from the motions that pieces are being offered. Mom eats some too.
12:48:45 - The staccato vocalizations of an upset mobbing raven can be heard. Lucina's head shoots up in surprise. A brief feeding pause.
12:48:45 - Raven calls finally fade into distance. Chasing Caliman?
12:51:02 - Lucina stops picking at the squirrel. Approx. 6 minutes.
12:52:00 - She broods.
13:40:37 - Stops brooding. Two-wing-up stretch.
13:40:50 - She leaves to the right, silently.
13:44:45 - Lucina returns from the right, silently
13:45:14 - Visually locks onto someone flying behind the camera from our right to left. She tsyuks or pssas relatively calmly. Has a long neck, standing at maximum height for a better view.



13:46:10 - Back to brooding.
14:46:59 - Lucina stands up.
14:47:09 - Leaves silently to the right.
14:51:02 - Caliman alights from right. The eaglet is chirping at him.
14:53:15 - The old bird prey with the blue leg band is close to eaglet in the nest bowl. Eaglet begins nibbling on it.

Caliman circles around the front. Examines his eaglet about as closely as he can.



14:53:21 - Mom returns from right, pssaing. Some call this vocalization "tsyuck". Not having lips, I understand. A subjective choice. Neither quite right, but synonymous. Shrug.
Caliman moves to the left corner branch that is out of view.
14:53:38 - He leaves. We can only infer this based upon tree motion, and Lucina's watchful movements.
14:54:25 - The fourth feeding begins. First bite is of red squirrel.
14:54:25 - Lucina stops trying to feed with the squirrel, and moves to the bird. Possibly a domestic pigeon as Stelian suggested.
14:55:08 - First bite offered.
14:58:38 - Last try. Don't think much made it down the hatch. Approx. 4 minutes.
14:59:50 - Lucina broods.
15:47:35 - Long neck. Meaning, she is trying to get a better view of something.
15:47:42 - She gets up.
15:47:47 - She leaves toward the bottom right corner, her eyes locked on something. Can hear staccato raven voice in the distance.
15:49:45 - Caliman alights from the right. Eaglet chirping.
15:51:16 - He seems to consider feeding eaglet from the squirrel. Examines eaglet again.
15:55:48 - He walks behind the nest bowl, and his "pants" get all fluffy. Now he is considering brooding. He hovers close as the eaglet chirps, but is uncertain, hesitant.
15:57:24 - Lucina vocalizes in the distance, nearing.
15:57:26 - Caliman leaves to the right.
15:57:45 - Lucina returns from right. Eaglet is already holding the head up fairly steadily.
16:00:14 - She broods.
16:31:53 - Stops brooding. Left wing-leg-tail stretch.
16:34:04 - Fifth feeding. Offers bite from bird.
16:39:33 - Last offer. Approx. 5 minutes.
16:41:05 - Mom returns to brooding.
18:17:52 - Lucina gets up, visually tracking, tsyuking. Right wing-leg-tail stretch.
18:20:01 - She leaves toward the bottom right corner.
18:20:54 - She returns from bottom left corner, silently.
18:22:31 - Lucina returns to brooding.
19:06:47 - Up again. Two-wing-up-stretch. Tsyuking. Right wing-leg-tail stretch.
19:07:14 - She leaves toward the bottom right corner.
19:07:38 - Lucina returns from bottom left corner, calling loudly during approach. Quiets.
19:08:01 - She reaches far for a single conifer twig that was already in the nest, toward an edge. She rearanges it closer to the nest bowl.
19:09:34 - Broods.
19:10:00 - Caliman alights from the bottom left corner with sticks in his beak. Lucina excitedly pssaing.
19:10:30 - Caliman leaves toward the left corner. Lucina stops vocalizing.
20:09:54 - A quick allopreen of the eaglet, and Mom stands up. Left wing-leg-tail stretch.
20:10:25 - She leaves silently to the right.
20:10:48 - And back from right.
20:11:26 - Lucina picks up the red squirrel.
20:13:06 - Sixth, and final feeding of the day begins! First bite is a good one. Mom ate some first.
20:15:29 - Last offer. Eaglet is tired. I don't think s/he ate it. Approx. 2 minutes.
20:16:28 - Lucina broods. Settled in for the night.

2023-05-06 06:54:46

It is only Day 39 (Counting Day 0) for the second egg, but it really looks like there may be a pip. I could almost swear I hear a smaller, shriller voice along with the eldest's chirping. Lucina seems to notice it too.



07:37:44 - A hole in the second egg is clearly visible.

@Raven Hello! Impressive how much detailed information you have written. Thank you very much.

Thank you for the kind words, Stelian. And to Johan, who I responded to in chat (no rudeness intended!).

For the record. Five feedings today. All from the blue banded bird.

1st. 08:51:34. Lasted approximately 5 minutes.
2nd. 11:42:06. Approx. 5 minutes.

13:16:11 - Good view of widening pip progress. Eldest rolls backwards, stuck like a turtle, little talons clutching at the air.



3rd feeding. 14:53:22. Approx. 4 minutes.
4th. 16:25:33. Approx. 5 minutes. During which Lucina swallowed the leg whole, blue ring and all.
18:33:12 - Singular bite offered. It ends at this because Lucina had previously dislodged something distasteful whilst aerating the nest bowl, and it continued to bother her.
The motions were not those of pellet-casting.
5th. 19:02:53. Approx. 3 minutes.
19:48:19 - Another single bite offered. Reason for discontinuation unknown.

All is well at the eyrie.

It appears that Caliman did not visit the nest today. He may have still been nearby, but no sounds of him landing in the eyrie were heard by myself, and Lucina did not react as she normally does when he is close.
If anyone else has seen or heard him, they have not said so in the chat.
I hope we see him tomorrow and he hasn't been scared off by his chick!!

@Tigress - I'm not sure I perceived Caliman at all, either. Except for, maybe, at 20:48:20 when I heard a solo call that could have been eagle shaped. It followed a card-in-a-bike-spoke-like alarm call of an unknown bird.

2023-05-07 06:42:46

The second eaglet has hatched! Day 0. Down dries within two hours of hatching, thus this hatch must be fairly recent.
First hatchling hatched at night, so we could call this Day 3. But technically, s/he won't be 3 days old until around 9:30 pm.



I would like to note a lengthy period of exposure to the eldest egg on 24 March. Caliman, who had never incubated an egg before, perched nearby, and left it exposed from 06:47-08:16. 1 hour, 29 minutes. The temperature was about 7°C/44°F. Maybe less due to elevation. As we now know, there were no lasting ill effects.

1st feeding of the day. 08:22:43. From old blue band bird, to eldest. Approx. 6 minutes.

And as we can see, the youngest eaglet's pre-pennae down has now dried.



10:03:34 - Lucina rouses, and gets up.
10:05:39 - After having a look around beyond the nest, she leaves towards the bottom right corner.
10:05:39 - The sibling aggression begins. First peck to the back of the head. Not yet fierce. Gentle even.

It picks up a little.



10:07:00 - Lucina returns from the right. She looks up, is speaking softly.
10:07:08 - As she tracks someone arcing to the right beyond view, her vocalizations grow more excited. These are pssas rather than sharp skawks. I suspect she is watching her dear mate Caliman.

She moves closer to her eaglets, but continues to keep track of activities beyond the eyrie.









10:10:27 - Lucina settles back in to brood her little ones.

Tigress wrote:It appears that Caliman did not visit the nest today. He may have still been nearby, but no sounds of him landing in the eyrie were heard by myself, and Lucina did not react as she normally does when he is close.
If anyone else has seen or heard him, they have not said so in the chat.
I hope we see him tomorrow and he hasn't been scared off by his chick!!

Hello! Caliman was nearby. He is not scared.

Hello Stelian Bodnari, I wanted to let you know that I gave a donation yesterday afternoon that I hope will help you with all the work you do. Don't know if you are aware of this as it was in my real name. I'm sure the money went through ok, but just wanted to check that it has. Thank you for the wonderful hard work you do!

Tigress wrote:Hello Stelian Bodnari, I wanted to let you know that I gave a donation yesterday afternoon that I hope will help you with all the work you do. Don't know if you are aware of this as it was in my real name. I'm sure the money went through ok, but just wanted to check that it has. Thank you for the wonderful hard work you do!

Hello Tigress!
Thank you very much for your donation. It is certainly helpful for the smooth functioning of the live stream from the eagle's nest.