Karula National Park (Karl II and Kaia)

[Madli]

The chicks are actively begging. They get into the feeding position.

06.30 FEEDING (2) Small fish for breakfast. All eat.


I notice that Kaia usually lets the kids have 2-3 bites before she starts to quickly eat back the food. You must be fast with Kaia!

07.18 Resting time..


08.22 Kaia standing so heroicly over her chicks and guarding them.

[Madli]

09.39 An European crested tit comes for a short visit.


09.44 FEEDING (3) Kaia has a small piece of food left. All eat. But it is not enough for the chicks. They are still twittering unsatisfied.

[Madli]

I'm going on a little forest hike with my family today- the weather is really nice and sunny!
New posts later in the afternoon

[Madli]

10.00 Kaia sees somebody? She is silent, no alert.


10.28 KARL. Kaia greets him, and one of the chick growls Kaia leaves immediately.
Kaia's nest duty was 3 h 59 min.


The chicks are ready to beg for food.

[Madli]

10.31 FEEDING (4) Karl serves a bigger fish, a frog and some smaller fish. All eat.


Karl gives shade to his chicks while they sleep so peacefully.


The weather is really nice today, compared to the last days/ week. The chicks also feel quite hot in the sun already. One was banting earlier.

[Madli]

12.27 After a nice long nap, the trio is ready to eat again. They twitter and beg. Karl tries to regurgitate, without success. No feeding this time.


13.44 The hungry trio is begging again! #3 stands behind and falls over. The bigger siblings think it's food and bite and attack #3
At the same time Karl so gently touches #3's head. But the little one manages to turn over and stand up.






Still no feeding.
13.53 Karl covers the hungry chicks.

[Madli]

13.56 Karl stands again because the chicks are twittering under him. Older ones crawl already almost out from the nest bowl to follow Karl's bill, but no feeding yet. Karl has to cover them again.

14.28 Next wave of endless twitters begin Chicks try to get Karl's attention. Still no feeding.

Karl's crop was emty after the first feeding already?

[Madli]

16.47 KAIA. One of the chicks growls gain I think it's #1, the biggest.
Karl's nest duty was 6 h 19 min.


16.49 FEEDING (5) Smaller sized fish. #1 and #2 grab all the fish fast. Little #3 is too late and misses the fish Then Kaia regurgitates the second pile of fish- now #3 gets a lot of food too. But the bigger chicks still manage to swallow more fish..overall- a good feeding for everybody.

[Madli]

17.35 Kaia preens herself, takes care of the nest and the chicks. They are all still happy and full

Here you can again see the size difference of the chicks.


I hope that #3 is growing in a normal rate? I'm sure it's fine!

19.03 KARL.
Kaia's nest duty was 2 h 16 min.

[Madli]

19.05 FEEDING (6) At first Karl regurgitates a few very small pieces...then a little more. All eat. But the chicks weren't too hungry yet from the last feeding.


19.31 Karl takes a preening break. The chicks are all sleeping.
Karl aerates the nest and covers the chicks.