Continued from Manton Bay – March/April 2022
A brief summary of the history and nest stats can be found on the season’s opening thread.
The season so far:
Mar 15: Maya returned 10:21
Mar 21: Blue 33(11) returned 17:29
Mar 31: First egg laid c 23:30
Apr 03: Second egg laid 18:31
Apr 06: Third egg laid c 20:30
© Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust
The intruder @ 08:10 - couple of captures from the wide cam
brave duck lol
Off for most of the day now - BFN
I have been watching on/off all morning while doing my HH and most times I've looked in, the chicks have been getting fish!! Some screen grabs:
09:41 33 arrives with fish
09:46 Maya tucks in as 33 cleans his beak
09:52 Top up for chicks
10:34 and more fish
close up
11:20 33 arrives and he has a good nosh!
33 offers the chicks some but is too far back to feed
11:42 more fish!
13:19 and more
14:21 another top up
and just now 15:00 - another feed
15:04 close up
The whole family has eating very well today!
15:47 Chicks being fed again lol
16:44 Another top up
16:55 FISH!
33 approaches with a fresh fish
33 stands on it for a bit - very wise as it is still living!
33 starts to dehead
he stops eating, but keeps hold of the fish - he is not passing it to Maya
33 then flies off with it
Thankfully 33 had the sense to hold on to the live fish and not pass it to Maya.
He'll bring it back in a bit once he has had his share / the fish is dead
17:06 33 returns with the fish
Maya gets hold of it
drags it round the nest - its looking quite bloody!
33 flies off and Maya leaves the fish by the chicks!
17:30 33 returns and Maya returns to the fish - she has only given one chick a couple of bits!
17:32 33 flies off and Maya now begins feeding the chicks
17:45 Feed over and Maya cleans up
17:49 33 arrives and collects the fish
eats a couple of bits on the nest
and then flies off with the fish
Hi Patily and yes, there does seem to be lots more bedding!!
18:25 33 has brought the fish back
18:31 and another feed gets underway
18:33 where are they putting it all?
18:42 chicks zonked out
18:46 Maya settles down
Up to date now and I'm off for the night - SYL