RECAP
Flora HK0 arrived 30 March 2023
Harry (unringed) arrived 4 April 2023
EGG No. 1 laid 15 April
EGG No. 2 laid 18 April
EGG No. 3 laid 21 April
First expected hatch date around 22 May
LINK TO APRIL 2023
04.39 First fish of the day
It’s a small live one
3 little bobbleheads up to be fed. Flora makes sure she feeds them all, especially #3.
3 little heads magnified. Harry went crow chasing in the background.
Flora shook off the fish and walked round to her chicks, tidying up fallen pieces of fish.
Harry came to collect the remainder of the fish.
08.08 Flora sees something in the distance, she’s on alert.
08.09 an unringed intruder tries to land on the nest. Flora is flapping, mantling, chipping and squawking defending the nest.
It worked, the intruder passes on and Flora soon settles back down on the bobs.
10.19 a headless brown trout from Harry
Flora takes it
She has a couple of nibbles herself then goes to her chicks. #1 first
then #3
and #2 gets the next piece. What a good mum she is.
The 3 wee bobs lined up beautifully
10.24 Flora finishes the feed with the bobs, has a couple more small pieces herself then lets go of the fish. She tidies up the loose fish flakes and goes back to brood her chicks.
Harry makes his way over the back of the nest to collect the fish and he’s off.
Harry brought the remainder of the trout back at 10.52.
Flora started feeding from the side where the fish was delivered but she was only reaching one chick.
She took the fish and changed position so all chicks got a good feed.
Last piece before stopping the feed.
Harry stayed on the nest. He started intruder chipping for a few minutes. Nothing came of it so he got the fish but decided to eat it on the nest.
THIS IS SO SWEET
At 11.09.31 Harry started making gentle contact calls to Flora. She responded by getting up and going towards Harry and the fish.As she leaned over to collect the fish, Harry leaned towards her to offer her a piece of fish he had in his beak.
Flora took the fish end from Harry’s talons, bit a piece off then offered it to Harry as he offered Flora a piece at the same time.
This went on for about 15 seconds, back and forward.
They both then swallowed their own piece of fish, Harry stepped back and Flora approached the chicks.
Only one was up for feeding. Flora delivered a few pieces then stopped and began brooding again.
In the meantime, Harry had decided to finish off the fish.
There goes the tail
The fish tail had hardly time to reach his stomach when Flora was fish calling again!
12.52 Harry delivers a whole trout.
Bobs #1 and #2 got all the feed to begin with. #3 was stuck at the back.
Chicks lined up in order
As the first two chicks filled up, Flora began stretching over to feed #3bIt got a few pieces.
The fish did a couple more feeds before it was gone.
15.22 Flora is intruder chipping. A bird flies over the nest.
It carries on past the nest, Flora settles again.
Another live fish from Harry
Bobs #1 and #2 presented themselves for a feed
#3 got up for a moment then went back down again. Doesn’t look like #3 fed this time.
Flora finished the feed, had a comfort break and Harry stayed on the nest eating the fish. Downing the tail
Flora had left for another comfort break and returned with a clump of hay. Thank goodness it’s not plastic this time.
Yet another live fish delivery from Harry.
#1 and #2 at the front again, #3 facing the wrong way
It took a wee while for #3 to get some food. Flora managed to find its open beak
#3 started to get more pieces of fish
#3 was the first to withdraw from the feed. The other two ate a few pieces more before the feed finished.After collecting the dropped pieces, Flora settled on the chicks.