Calling All Bird Nerds

[VelvetineZone]

Dragons and birds are both excellent.
I did put a dragonfeeder in the garden too, but the neighbours complained about all the screaming.

[Hanasian]

This is the ultimate trust I get from Crowley is she got the two kids to wander about the yard foraging before sneaking off for a nap in the sun.
She couldn't care less if I was walking around the yard and by her. She was this way for a good ten or so minutes.



Today I dug out my Nikon D5600 in hopes of getting some better quality shots of my friends. I just have to re-learn how to operate it.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Maw and Crowley are one of the best things on the plaza these days. They are ravens and not crows, right? The photo got me looking up the ravens at the Tower of London.

It is said that the kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.

Charles II is thought to have been the first to insist that the ravens of the Tower be protected after he was warned that the crown and the Tower itself would fall if they left.

And the page has also:

Ravens are intelligent birds and each of ours has its own personality; they can mimic sounds, play games and solve problems. These magnificent birds respond only to the Ravenmaster and should not be approached too closely by anyone else.

Good luck with working the camera!

[VelvetineZone]

Fab pic @Hanasian.

Corvids are the best of birds.

[Hanasian]

Maw and Crowley are one of the best things on the plaza these days. They are ravens and not crows, right?

Yes, they are Australian Ravens. There are Australian crows around here too, but the distinction is the ravens tend to be somewhat larger, and their under-down is a dull brownish-grey while the crows have a brighter white under-down. Also the calls are different if somewhat similar. The ravens 'caw' is longer and slower, and the last one usually tapers off into a long receding pitch-dropping buzz. The crows are louder, quicker with the caws in rapid succession, it doesn't taper, and seemingly they are more boisterous. There is a slight difference in the head shape but it is negligible to the naked eye, and the tail feathers are different.

Good luck with working the camera!

It turns out they don't like the camera. Too big of an eye I suppose. They are used to me having my iPhone in hand so don't react adversely to me taking photos with it. I should be able to get some of them perched around with it though. Just no close-ups.

Fab pic @Hanasian.

Corvids are the best of birds.

Thank you. Yes they are!

I didn't have my phone with me yesterday, but I witnessed a really cool event in raven world. Maw and Crowley were lightly humming and slightly cawing to each other as they foraged, like a conversation. They then went up onto a pile of wood I stacked and proceeded to 'cuddle' up to each other, and Maw turned his head sideways and opened his beak while Crowley set her beak between his. They were perfectly still for over a minute. They were kissing! What ruin a loving moment between parents the quickest? kids. Aud (I believe is a young male) decided to descend from the Cypress tree and try landing on the wood stack with them. There wasn't a lot of room so he flew off, but he succeeded in disrupting dad and mom's lovee time.

[Pele Alarion]

I set up the feeder for the little birds, at least six of them flock together almost at any given time and each take their turn at the feeder. Seeds keep disappearing at great speed, so I might have to cut back on those so they eat the other food else I'll go bankrupt. lol

[Drífa]

Hahaha! I would set a bird feeder out but would have to construct a squirrel-proof feeder. There are way too many black squirrels in the city. What are the flock of little birds that you feed?

[Pele Alarion]

Drifa, I get a plenty of great tits (managed to catch one with my phone camera), a blue tit when it can get in and not be chased away by the greats. And then some sparrows picking up what falls down. There's always my pigeon but he's too big for that feeder, so I toss him a handful of something now and then.

[Hanasian]

Thought I'd share a couple more fun little events with my raven-clan...
This short video is of Maw coming up and tapping me for a treat...

And there was some fun in the back yard when my cat Scooter went out among them. The old man enjoyed a play with the fledgling Aud, but he called it quits after a couple rounds of tag and pounce. Aud would weave his way toward Scooter, and scooter would wiggle his butt and Aud would fly up and back. Once Scooter quit though, Aud still wanted to play. Here is a pic I got of Aud going for Scooter's tail...



About three seconds after I snapped this pic, Aud pinched Scooter's tail, Scooter turned around quickly with a loud angry hiss, and Aud backpedaled both on his feet and with his wings. Meanwhile, mom Crowley (on top of the rockpile barely visible) watched the whole thing and was somewhat amused.

[Pele Alarion]

Love those birdies, @Hanasian . And the cat (or what can be seen of 'm).

Here's my merry company:

[Hanasian]

Love those birdies, @Hanasian . And the cat (or what can be seen of 'm).

I was trying to get my phone in video mode but things were happening too fast.

Had an interesting observation of their personalities today. Was out doing our usual ritual, and Maw decided to stand back and primp his feathers while the two young ones went after the bits I flicked. They were like teenagers in a mosh pit. Anyway, a piece of food hit a brick and bounced back under Maw and Aud went moshing straight into him. Dad got after him with loud caws and some vicious pecks, and Aud was quickly put in his place. Meanwhile, Ghost sauntered over and got the piece of food. The two fledglings are hard to tell apart at first glance, but their caws are slightly different in pitch, and Aud does it a lot more. Ghost is more aloof and tends to go wandering and foraging on her own a lot. And it is easy to tell who is Maw's favorite. He gets after the teenage son (Aud), but dotes upon the teenage daughter (Ghost).

[Pele Alarion]

Please keep those bird stories coming, @Hanasian. It is like reading a good book.

[Hanasian]

I didn't get any photos but yesterday Maw (an old photo) came to my home office window and really made a racket. Once he sees me come to the window he pirate-walks around to the side door. I get a few treats and head out, expecting the whole clan of four. Nope, just Maw.

He obviously was out flying solo and he wasn't really hungry... probably because of the post-Christmas bin collection day. All he wanted to do was hang out with me. He wanted me to sit on the ground in my usual spot and he got on a rock that lines the garden bed and settled on his belly. He collected a few bits of food, but we mainly just looked around at things and at each other. After about five minutes he heard something in Ravenworld that had him stand up and give several repeated loud caws before he flew off. Just chillin' for five.

He's over on the next block making noise right now. Hasn't come to visit today though. The kids Aud and Ghost did drop in for a few minutes to drink and splash in the fresh water I put out.


Edit: You wanted to see the rest of Scooter the ornery old man. He's sixteen years old and still as active as ever. He had to get his eye removed a few years ago because he got glaucoma and the swelling displaced his lens. he was already blind according to the vet.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Nice birdies!

[Hanasian]

Dang that Scooter photo is big!

Today I was hanging out with my Raven clan again. It was quite warm out (37°C/100°F) and they just wanted to hang out in the shade with me. They hold their beaks open when they're hot, similar to dogs when they pant.

Maw & Crowley



And here is Aud and Ghost (still with their fledgling pink mouths)

Maw likes those two rocks to stand or sit on, and wants me to sit down on the walk-path.
Crowley stays to my left on the patio, and the young ones prefer to be higher.
They will just sit there with me for five or so minutes, though Aud is restless and easily distracted.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hanasian: 37C? Wow, then you live in the southern hemispheres of the globe. Cute those birds. After long weeks of rain, we finally have a tiny bit of frost, but also steady weather, cloudless skies for a change and good rays of sun. My roses do try to flower on, despite the cold, the snowflakes are in bloom and another plant with small purple flowers tries spring out too. It is January, but true winter? We haven't seen a snowflake yet. One night of ice in the water behind the house, but that is gone as well. It is good for 5C+ in the daytime hours.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@Pele Alarion, I thought I'd better move discussion here so that @Drifa does not get annoyed and complain about spam on the music thread.

How do you know about the beavers? I am not doubting what you say, I am simply awed that you know such a thing. Is this eagle's nest near to you?

Anyway, I will keep at the Latvian eagle cam until I see an eagle (and maybe then some), but so far I have seen none. Also, as you pointed out, the camera is turned off at night. So in the meanwhile I found an Israeli vulture cam, where the vultures seem to be home most of the time. Here, if you care to take a look.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

I got an eagle!!!

It is standing on a branch in the top left of the frame, so I cannot see it very clearly. From the chat, this seems to be Zorro.

Edit: now Zorro has jumped into the nest and is in full view!

Wow.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Quite incredible to watch. Every now and again he opens his wings and hops on to a branch or back to the nest. Sometimes he looks directly at the camera. I have to say, his eyes do not look friendly. Would not want to be in a fight with Zorro.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

@Pele Alarion, I think you were right about the chain-saws keeping the eagles away. Now that background noise has stopped and the last couple of days I've seen a fair bit of the eagles - even had both of them in the nest at one point yesterday.

Thanks for the link!

[Pele Alarion]

@Chrysophylax Dives I finally wandered back in here. I've been watching that nest for a few years since the soap opera drama began with Milda's partners going missing. With enough time, I've collected knowledge both from the chat on youtube and from the forum (English one: https://www.looduskalender.ee/forum/vie ... php?t=1148). The place is about an hour's drive from my hometown.
They've already built up such a big nest, really hoping that this season will be successful.
Have you figured out how to know which is Milda and which is Zorro? I usually look at their eyes - Milda has a light rim/circle around her eyes.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Have not seen the eagles since I last posted so have not looked for Milda's eye circle. But I just watched the sun rise over the (empty) nest. So beautiful!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Just gotta say thanks again to Pele for sharing this link of a Latvian eagles' nest. Tbh, the eagles themselves I find a tad scary when they are home. But atm they are rarely home and what I've come to especially enjoy is staring at an empty nest and thinking how cold it looks. I was moved to write this post because I opened up just now and it is snowing! That may not be a big deal to you, but I don't get to see a lot of snow from my own window. Also, the time difference seems to be an hour or two, so just at the point of my morning when I have packed my two youngest off to school I watch a forest sunrise.

OK. The eagles are amazing. I saw one pecking at a bone the other day, and now I cannot work out if that bone has become part of the nest. But as they are rarely at home I would not tune in so often if it was not for the fact that watching the day pass at the top of a very high tree in a forest makes me happy deep down inside.

O wow! I went to check if it was still snowing before pressing post, and literally as I turned to the screen an eagle landed in the nest. I've never actually seen a landing before and it is just as it is supposed to be, with raised outstretched wings slowing the eagle down.

But hoping not to give offence to all the bird nerds, I do find this eagle itself a little disturbing. I can well believe that they are related to dinosaurs.

The eagle has gone off again already. I think it is bringing moss to line the nest. I still cannot distinguish between the two eagles.

This must be the longest plaza post I have composed so far this year.

Still snowing.

[Pele Alarion]

I love snow; it is very beautiful to look at and to walk and frolic in.

The eagles have started their mating season, and I hope they will succeed this year and raise a couple of young and strong eagles. I have also observed a couple of white-tailed eagles on the frozen lake by my home; at least where it had a bit of open water yet where they could fish. Haven't checked today because now all of the lake seems frozen.

[Karis Ziranphel]

I saw three different bald eagles today and a red tailed hawk. One of the bald eagles had just taken another bird out of a tree (evidenced by a dangling wing).

[Chrysophylax Dives]

These eagles are seriously scary birds. I think it is primarily the shape of the beak, but the talons add to the fearsomeness, as too do the eyes.

It is curious that Tolkien was so obsessed with them.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Wow. I might have just watched a mating. Two eagles in the nest. Unfortunately, I cannot yet work out which is which. But one started doing some cawing sound with beak open, a sound I never heard before, and then jumped on top of the other one. It only lasted 20 seconds or so.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

I now watch the sunrise in Latvia every morning. Pele, you were right about the mating season having begun. Or at least, from pretty much exactly when you said that the two eagles are in their nest much more often.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

That ain't so hard. The female is busy with the arrangement of the nest, all the branches and moss mostly. The male is on the lookout, or fidgeting on the nest borders. Later on he will be the one hunting mostly, while the female brood the eggs.

[Pele Alarion]

I think the eagles are quite awesome. The first egg might arrive soonish... Zorro has been very active in brining nest materials too, even more so than Milda, and he brought a fish for her to enjoy one of the previous days.

Also, I have now ended up with a pet pigeon it seems: possibly a racing pigeon born in 2023 from Poland (as I understood from bands/rings on his legs). He dropped in my balcony feeder in mid January, I thought he would eat, rest and fly on, but after a couple of days I realised he can't fly and the local pidges were starting to attack him. I ended up bringing him indoors, guessing he has a case of paramyxovirus that makes him unable to fly and causes neurological issues (very uncoordinated, his aim is way off when he goes for a seed he wants, tilting head upside down, etc.). Have been caring for him, and it seems that he is slightly better now. And a very cuddly bird too, as it turns out; suppose he got used to me.
Evidence (with a happily resting bird):

[Karis Ziranphel]

It is good that you are giving the bird care, Pele, even if it may be short term.

I live on a major migratory route for birds. Saw several flocks of Snow Geese this past week heading north to the arctic areas. Neat to see white "v's" in the sky.

[Drífa]

What lovely wings the bird has! It makes me think of knitting a sweater with such a pattern. I hope your pet pigeon feels better. It sure makes you smile!

Are you going to name him?

[Pele Alarion]

@Drifa I call him Dūdiņš (the cooing one) or Zirnītis (Little Pea - peas are apparently his version of what chocolate is to me).

@Chrysophylax Dives : the new eagle link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wSd4iXrCw0

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Thank you, Pele. My world felt that bit smaller and grey without that view.

[Pele Alarion]

There will also soon be cameras for osprey nest and a couple of lesser spotted eagles. Love those birds!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Pele, can I request the urls for these cameras when you know them?
Thanks!

[Pele Alarion]

Here, @Chrysophylax Dives , the cameras that are working, set up, though all of these birds are still to arrive:
White storks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0oEvktgur4
Ospreys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymg7gqPCCOQ
Lesser spotted eagles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymg7gqPCCOQ

There will be more, and they have promised a new camera someplace, but it is not known yet what it will show.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Yay!
Many thanks, Pele!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

A misty morning high up in the eyrie in the forest in Latvia. Both eagles are in the nest. They seemed to be pecking at the same bit of the nest and then both were standing, facing each other, rubbing beaks. I could not work out if this was an argument or love-making (or maybe both)?

[Pele Alarion]

Milda has an egg!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Whooo! Just saw the egg!!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Pele, there are TWO eggs in the eagle's eyrie!

[Pele Alarion]

Yes, and both eagles are nicely taking care of the eggs. I just hope there won't be a third egg, else there'd be crazy sibling drama.

[Pele Alarion]

Another nest of lesser spotted eagles, one of my most favourite nests to watch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdJXaFm8bpM

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Yes, and both eagles are nicely taking care of the eggs. I just hope there won't be a third egg, else there'd be crazy sibling drama.

Sometimes I have to let a statement sit for a whole while before I am ready to digest. So you are saying that two is a better number of eggs/hatchlings than three? That with three chicks the parents would get overwhelmed?

[Pele Alarion]

There is a sibling rivalry for food with eagles, even with two the eldest beats the youngest and the latter learns to sneakily get his portion when the oldest doesn't let him, with three it might become a proper drama, and the youngest might end up dead.

[Hanasian]

Those are some fun links! I noted them!

Things had gone quiet on the raven front here. There was a general murder council held not too long after I took those hot weather pix, and Aud and Ghost quit showing up after that. I think they go off and do teenage raven things with those from other clans.

Now recently Maw and Crowley started dropping in again. I got used to them not being around, so when Maw came stealthily up to my office window and let out his repeating caw, it made me jump! The two are happy and enjoying their 'kidless' time. Here's a video of Maw the pirate-walker from the other day.

Another note is our yard is carefully demarcated between Maw and Crowley in the back and side yard, and Bolt (a child of theirs from a couple years ago) and her mate from another clan get the front yard and most of the yards along the street on both sides. I took to calling Bolt's mate 'Mr Bolt' but recently named him 'Nut'. The two are very close, and though Bolt used to get close when I sat out front with treats, Nut is much more wary and so they go up in the cypress tree to watch me seed the yard with the treats. As soon as I'm inside the door, the parachute down to the ground.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Hi @Pele Alarion, could you explain what I am seeing a bit, when you have a moment?

For a while now, whenever I open the cam I see one eagle sitting in the next (presumably sitting on two eggs).

1. Is this Milda only, or do they take it in turns to sit on the egg? (Could you remind me again please how to tell them apart? It was to do with the eyes, but I cannot recall what.)

2. If I watched more, or got lucky, would I see a second eagle return to the next with some food for the egg-sitter?

Thank you!

PS. It is 8 degrees C where the eagles are; it is 32 degrees C where I am today (yuk)!

[Pele Alarion]

Love your raven news, @Hanasian !

@Chrysophylax Dives , let's see if I can answer your questions.
1. Yes, they are sitting on their eggs, incubating, in turns, though night shifts are usually taken by Milda. I think the forum in English might give you a good insight of how to recognise who is who, and also follow up on the events you might have missed, all documented with pics and occasional video: https://www.looduskalender.ee/forum/vie ... f415db7195
2. You haven't seen the shift change yet? Sometimes Zorro does bring food for Milda, never the other way around. Males usually bring food, especially when mothers are sitting with the young (though dads can do that too sometimes).

P.S. My window thermometer says it is +10C currently, but it may be warmer up by the 4th floor where I live.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Pele, that is very helpful - thank you! The page you linked me to looks excellent. I will watch for the shift change!