Pärnu county (Kergu + Kerli) / Must-toonekurg 3

[Madli]

Hello.

YT chat:
05.35 baby swallows a rather large fish
07.26 Kerli flies in

10.11 Kerli feeds the chick.
11.02 KERGU arrives.

Chick is sleeping peacefully while Kergu is standing. He doesn't cover the eggs.


12.30 Feeding. Kergu brought fish.
15.40 Feeding.

Kergu has kept the chick uncovered for the most of the day.

18.20 Chick is begging for food but kergu has nothing left to give.
(Kerli has been out for a long time now)

20.42 Kerli still hasn't returned

[marika.solo]

youtube chat info - thx to everyone
English translation only from now on – assisted by Gemini

05:35 – The chick swallowed a rather large fish. Afterward, the adult covered it (brooded), and the chick went back to sleep.

07:26 – Female (Kerli) arrived at the nest.

10:11 – Female (Kerli) fed the chick with a small fish.

11:02 – Male (Kergu) arrived at the nest.

13:24 – The male (Kergu) stood in the nest and stopped incubating the remaining eggs. It seems the remaining eggs are no longer hatching.

15:40 – The male (Kergu) regurgitated a small piece of food, and the chick ate it.

15:40 – 18:35 – The male (Kergu) repeatedly tried to regurgitate food, but there was nothing.

18:35 – The male (Kergu) managed to regurgitate a tiny piece of food, which the chick ate.

19:41 – The male (Kergu) regurgitated another tiny piece of food.

21:28 – Female (Kerli) arrived after being away for 9 hours. She brought a large amount of small fish and fed the chick.

21:28 – Male (Kergu) flew away immediately upon her arrival. He appeared exhausted from waiting and from his unsuccessful attempts to feed the chick.

[marika.solo]

previous day (20.06) viewtopic.php?p=59810#p59810
next day (22.06)

June 21
Hello everyone

CHICKS
- 1st chick: 7 days old (hatched on 14.06)

EGGS
- 2nd egg: Incubation Day 39 (laid on 13.05 at 22:22)
- 3rd egg: Incubation Day 36 (laid on 16.05 at 02:05)

[Madli]

Hello.

To me it is clear now that the eggs are not viable.

6.33 KERGU arrives.
Feeding follows. Kergu brought fish.

09.47 KERLI
09.50 Feeding. Kerli brought frogs.
09.53 + 10.01 + 10.07 Kergu brought fresh material.

14.53 Feeding by Kerli.

16.20 KERGU arrives.
16.22 Feeding. Kergru brought a lot of fish.

19.30 Next feeding.

[marika.solo]

youtube chat info - thx to everyone
English translation only from now on – assisted by Gemini

Nest Activity Log 21/06/2026

04:13 [Note: No additional chicks have hatched; still one chick and two eggs.]

06:33 Male (Kergu) arrived with fish. The chick received food after a long interval (approx. 9 hours since the last feeding).
06:35 Breakfast for the chick continues.

10:08:17 Family photo – both parents and the chick are present on the nest.

14:12:12 Lightning observed in the area.

16:20 Male (Kergu) is present on the nest.
16:22 – 16:23 Feeding by Kergu; a large amount of fish.

19:30 Feeding by Kergu.

23:13 – 23:16 Male (Kergu) is actively working with his bill in the nest bowl – performing nest aeration and loosening/rearranging the nesting material.

Field Notes & Behavior Observation

Nest Bowl Maintenance (Aeration):
The activity observed late in the evening involves the male loosening, digging, and aerating the damp soil and moss in the nest bowl using his bill. This behaviour helps keep the nest lining dry, mould, improves insulation for the late chick and the remaining eggs, and is often combined with removing ectoparasites.

[marika.solo]

[marika.solo]

Thank you Madli very much.
Unfortunately, the activity logs on the YouTube chat are mostly incomplete.

[marika.solo]

previous day (21.06) viewtopic.php?p=59878#p59878
next day (23.06)

June 22
Hello everyone

CHICKS
- 1st chick: 8 days old (hatched on 14.06)

EGGS
- 2nd egg: unhatched (laid on 13.05 at 22:22)
- 3rd egg: Incubation Day 37 (laid on 16.05 at 02:05)

[marika.solo]

youtube chat info - thx to everyone
English translation only from now on – assisted by Gemini

Nest Activity Log 22/06/2026

• 07:27:00 – The male is in the nest. Breakfast has not been delivered yet, and the single chick is chirping loudly.

• 08:40:30 – Arrival of the female.
• 08:40:41 – Departure of the male.
• 08:42:30 – Feeding by the female. She regurgitated many small fish, and the chick also swallowed one frog.
• 10:42:00 – Departure of the female.

• 10:59:00 – Return of the male. He was away from the nest for only a very short time.

• 13:20:00 – Departure of the female (Kerli).
• 13:23:00 – The single chick is eating the food left in the nest.

[marika.solo]

continuation

13:20 Kerli flew away
The chick is eating

16:12 Kergu regurgitated a decent amount of food. Amazing Dad.

20:26 Kerli.

Kergu probably managed to go and eat again; he was gone for only a very short time this morning.

22:24 Kergu.
Well, great! Kergu managed to go out and eat this evening, and the whole family is on camera