Fish feedings and fish findings

Some older screenshots from nest#1 of Sääksilive Osprey nests, with another occasion of dad Eura gently feeding the chick while mom Eine keeps watch. The little one is three weeks old here.

And one more such moment. The chick is four weeks old, close to turning five weeks. Seeing dad fly in with a fish in the early morning.

Eura on the left, Eine on the right arrived soon after. Oh, and as a peek at the osplet's leg shows, he has been banded since the previous screenshots - E1 is a male, he has the identification code UNN on his yellow leg band, and his name is Neo!

The boy is hungry, and Eura is closer. Eine doesn't try to take the fish from him, so he starts feeding.

Eine cleans up bits of fish left over from previous feedings in the meantime.

And perches at the edge of the nest to keep watch again. Seems to be a division of parenting tasks that works for these two.

Eine does feed Neo most of the time, and the female handling that is more usual, but I'm happy to have been able to catch these moments of Eura being a more hands-on parent than is standard for male raptors. I don't know much about either of the parents, and this is their first year nesting here (this is Alma and Ossi's old nest), possibly their first year as mates, too. Eura is banded, so it should be possible to find out his age if the the band can be read. He seems to know what he's doing well enough that maybe this isn't his first clutch, but then again first-time raptor dads have surprised me before.

Neo exercising his wings at six weeks old.

Neo and Eine.

And supper last night. Neo turns seven weeks old today.

And some bird sightings at nest#4, which has grown quieter recently. Mostly it's been the fledgling Una dropping by to wait for or request food deliveries, but most of her requests have gone unanswered.

Una closeups.

A black grouse stops at the nest while Una is away.

Defending the territory.

Finally, mom Nuppu arrives with a fish!

Una rushes to claim it, Nuppu keeps an eye on the intruding osprey that followed her, probably hoping to steal the fish.

Mother and daughter both tell the intruder to go away.

Nuppu takes off to chase the intruder away, Una is left to eat her fish in peace.

And after that, it's been just Una.

She's been stopping by to spend a while at the nest from time to time, but as far as I know, none of the other members of the family have been seen since Nuppu's fish delivery. Adult females are the first ospreys to migrate, so that could be where Nuppu has gone, it's starting to be time for that, but usually the fledglings are left in the male's care at that point. Una could be receiving fish deliveries outside the nest, we only see what happens in the camera's view, but her dad Niilo hasn't been seen on camera for a week now. She could also have learned to catch fish on her own, as it does look like she's at least eaten something after that fish from mom. Hopefully she is indeed getting the hang of finding her own food, as her chances of getting food brought to her are looking very uncertain. She hasn't been to the nest today.

Some happier screenshots of much smaller chicks at Sydney White-bellied Sea-Eagle nest. SE29 (preening on the right) and SE30 (sleeping on the left) are two weeks old here.

A few days later. SE29 has just turned three weeks old, SE30 is two days younger.

SE29 being fed.

Chicks beaking.

:> >¨

Both tracking something.

And today. SE30 is now three weeks old. SE29 at the front is starting to get some dark spots in its plumage, with pennaceous feathers emerging from under the baby fluff.

Toe inspections.

SE29, SE30.

Closeup of the pin feathers at the tip of SE29's wing.

Leaf?? Leaf!!

SE30 sleeping, SE29 looking around.

A feeding. SE30 (right, currently being fed) is careful not to seem too much like competition for food to the older sibling, and is facing a little away from their mother, until she brings the food close enough to grab.

A private feeding for SE30 while SE29 sleeps.