ALYTH - May 2023

First chick has hatched!

I’m trying to work out the time of hatching but this was the first clear view I got.

How fabulous Glider, to see the new chick! Great photos, thanks for sharing.

Thanks Janni, it feels amazing.

Wonderful news!
Many thanks for all that you do here and also for reporting the intruder sighting to Roy Dennis!
you get more info on that bird.

Flora had been fussing a lot over the eggs the past few hours. She would’ve known it was happening.

Back tracking, I could hear the chick at15.05.28 when Flora was readjusting her position and at each time an adult moved off the eggs, the chick could be heard. A good view of the eggs here at 16.25. Pretty much impossible to tell if there is a crack.

This was the first view of the cracked egg and the chick moving. The arrow is pointing to the rounded purple of the chick’s back as it moves to the left from the middle shell.

Sandra P said:

Wonderful news!
Many thanks for all that you do here and also for reporting the intruder sighting to Roy Dennis!
you get more info on that bird.

Thanks Sandra This isn’t the easiest nest to follow with all the plastic that often obscures the view of the eggs. Luckily, Flora shifted the offending piece today so we got to see the chick. 

I’ve never reported to Roy Dennis before but with this intruder’s blue darvic not being recorded, I thought I should. 

Harry delivered a small live fish at 19.24

Flora tried so hard to feed the little one. It was struggling to control its body and lift its head, being only 2 hours old

Flora kept offering and made contact with the little one’s beak. I don’t know if if managed to take anything or not.

Flora finished the fish off, swallowing the tail. She then tidied up the scraps, offering to the wee one again, but it was so tired.

Flora left for a quick comfort break 

and returned less than a minute later.

She went straight to her chick and eggs

and settled down.

Oh my goodness, Harry’s on the case tonight. Second tiny fish delivered 20.42

You can just make out the wee fish’s tail end circled as Flora takes it from Harry.

Little Bob was up for it this time and calling

 Three or four small pieces were eaten by little bob

It then crashed down, unable to take any more. Flora still offered it food to the back of its head then quickly finished the fish off.

Flora tidied up the scraps and may have managed to force another slither into her chick’s beak before settling down.