The arrival of our couple, virtually together, was first snapped @ 19:12
©SANDRA !!!
©RICHARD G B
©SHEENA
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Yikes !!! I thought I must have missed it but it's all there waiting for attention :)))
Thank you, everyone, for the super captures and info :)
I can't believe they arrived together - but they did! ;-D
Three matings altogether, only the first successful, IMHO. They were on the nest nearly 13 minutes, this is cut down to 5 but no significant activity missing - you know how they like to stand and (males) mantle and (females) look a bit nonplussed ;)
UNCUT VERSION:
The first was the best ;)
He sat here for ages after his second nestcupping:
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IMAGICAT
The fish sharing - even I have more life to live than to try editing this ;)
The tininess of the fish is well illustrated by the whole tail that Aila polished off:
Louis landed with fish, looked possessive, flew off with it. Aila waits.
Aila approached from behind and acquired the fish, such as remained, but didn't fly with it, she started eating on the nest - and now Louis has taken it back again :-/
IAN, it just struck me that when I referred to Aila getting her own fish, that was prompted by the time (on the 15th) they both flew in to defend, each with a half-fish - so I assumed that Aila had caught hers.
Louis has finished the fish, so lord knows what Aila is chewing. I hope he doesn't think that's "job done" now, in fact he's just flown and not yet flown back in for mating...
You looking at me?
© The Woodland Trust
Richard B
Oops, I forgot to post this morning's browsing deer - easily done, as you can hardly see them.
8x speed.
Oh Louis, what are you playing at. I loved Scylla's vid of the 'shared' weeny fish, but really, he ought to know better than to keep pinching it from her as he did! I can't say I've ever seen that happen on any nest I've followed before. Usually it's a case of grab it, keep it and fly with it, bringing it back to share once the female has had her fill!! Aila flew off the nest about an hour ago, flying to the right at 2 o'clock, having been there about ten minutes, and no one has been back as far as I can tell.
LOL I spotted them Scylla, and the one nearer the nest, before your arrow appeared!
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/