ALYTH JULY 2023

14.32. Flora flies in with another flatfish.

#2 and #3 are on the nest.  #2 takes it.

#1 flies in

#1 (right) challenges #2 for the fish

#1 is victorious

#1 flies off with the fish.

20.16 Harry brings the next fish.

He shakes it off onto the nest in front of him.

A chicks grabs the fish from behind.

The chick stays to the back of the nest to eat the fish. 

20.43 The chick swallows the tail.

Tuesday 18 July

Today the chicks are 59, 57 and 55 days old.

#1 took a fish off the nest to eat elsewhere for the first time yesterday. 

#3 was alone in the nest preening 06.05

06.06 Flora arrives with a tiny fish.

#3 immediately goes to take the fish. #1 arrives at the same time.

#2 then flies in 

#3 has secured the fish and takes it to the back of the nest, mantling over it, squealing loudly.

#3 isn’t challenged for the fish and gets it to itself.

A rare quiet moment on the nest!

06.13 Fish finished, #3 tidies up the scraps.

06.56 Harry arrives with the second fish of the morning. All three youngsters are on the nest.

The fish is secured and taken to the front of the nest to be eaten.

Again, no challenge from a sibling. The fish is eaten quickly.

07.07 Down goes the tail.

09.53 Flora arrived on the nest as Harry was incoming with a fish

Flora was immediately pecked at by #2

Flora flew to the other side of the nest beside #3

However, it meant she was further away from where Harry landed and her attacker, #2 got the fish.

Flora then pecked at Harry (blaming him for not getting the fish?!) 

I think emotions are highly charged on this nest.

#2 eating to the left.

11.51 Flora arrived for the next delivery from Harry. Again, #2 pecked her off the nest but Flora was determined and came back, This time she claimed the fish.

Flora from the rear, centre, dived through and claimed the fish from behind.

You can see Flora’s head at Harry’s feet as she grabs the fish. 

Flora mantling (rear centre) with the fish. The chick at the front had claimed the fish tail from the previous fish when Flora arrived.

Flora and Harry depart together, Flora with the fish. The juvies are left screaming on the nest.

12.11 Flora returned with the fish.

#1 dropped the fish tail/skin and was ready for a whole fish this time. #3 and #1 went together to collect the fish and #1 the victor

#1 mantling and squealing loudly that it has the fish.

#3 then noticed the straggly fish tail/skin on the nest behind #1 and took it.

12.31 Later #2 moved along the nest edge right next to where #1 was eating.

#1 was having none of that and flapped #2 away

#2’s instinctive reaction was to attack #1 and it turned and raised it’s head towards #1

but it thought better as #1 turned away and mantled.

#3 did so well managing to break down and  swallow the tricky skin that the other two had tried with and failed!

Around the same time, #1 had finished its fish. Then flew off.

An intruder was around. The chicks started intruder calling and defending first.

Flora arrived and started calling and flapping

#3 ended up under his mum’s wing and they both called together!

14.39    Soon after, Harry brings in another flatfish.

#1 and #3 both go for it

#3 actually had a good grip and tore off a little piece but #1 got the whole fish. (Mantling at the back)

#1 ate some then decided to take the fish elsewhere to eat.

#3 sitting all alone. He hears an Osprey calling in the distance and joins in. 15.59

16.49 He’s not alone for much longer as Harry is on his way with a fish.

The chick turned away at the back has the fish, #2 I believe.

The weather quickly changes

The weather is very windy and rain bouncing off the nest. One of the birds starts helicoptering on and off the perch. 17.12

On the chat, they think it’s #3. I don’t agree, I think it’s #1.

I think #3 is front right of the nest.
From scrollback, the bird helicoptering flew onto the nest at 17.10.26

After finishing the fish, #2 starts helicoptering 

17.31. #2 and #3  lie down together as the rain worsens.