Karula National Park (Karl II and Kaia)

[Madli]

The chicks spent the mostly uncovererd, Karl covered them at 03.10, not for a very long time.


05.12 The chicks are hungry and twittering.
05.13 FEEDING (1) Karl regurgitates one very tiny piece of leftovers. Older sibling eats it. Nothing for others..

[Madli]

The older chicks can sit up already. Their feet are growing longer, and we can see the little piano player toes


Karl covers the chicks for a while.

08.04 KAIA. Karl leaves immediately. The chicks are ready to eat.
Karl's nest duty was 13 h 51 min.

[Madli]

08.05 FEEDING (2) Kaia has a lot of very small fish. All eat very good. After the chicks finish one pile, Kaia regurgitates a second pile- The chicks are quite full by then and Kaia eats back the fish.




Karl brings some materials:
08.08 Moss
08.11 Twig



Kaia wants to help to place the twig. They have a very meaningful conversation after that twig is placed lots of whistles.

08.18 Karl brings more moss.

Kaia freshens the nest and spreads the new moss around.

[Madli]

Another view of the long growing feet. The older storklet can now walk on its knees, not crawling around on its belly anymore.

[Madli]

Sounds like a fox or some animal is screaming in the forest..

These "little ones" are definitely getting too big already


10.23 KARL arrives, and scares Kaia a little..Kaia doesn't want to leave at first, she walks around the nest and stands on the curved branch for a moment, then takes off.
Kaia's nest duty was 2 h 19 min.


10.27 Karl is getting ready to feed the kids, everyone is in position, the chicks are twittering..suddenly Karl stops.
10.28 Kaia misses the nest and flies by..Karl looks and listenes.
10.28 Kaia brings moss.

[Madli]

Kaia is again very talkative. She whistles and communicates with Karl. And she doesn't want to leave yet either..Karl is just standing quietly


10.34 Kaia flies away.

10.53 FEEDING (3) A lot of different sized fish! #1 and #2 swollow lots of fish, as usual, #3 gets two smaller fish. The chicks play tug-o-war with the fish At the end of the feeding, #3 also manages to swollow a third fish.
There is a huge pike among the fishes, Kart eats it back.

[Madli]

11.26 Karl sounds the alarm. Who is there?

[Madli]

13.12 FEEDING (4) Karl regurgitates a small pile of fish, all eat from it, very little. Then Karl offers the second pile of fish. Also the huge pike, but this one isn't edible (soft) yet and there's no way any of the chicks could swallow it whole. There are also smaller fish, #3 can't manage to get them to the right position for eating. He pecks something from the nest floor, not sure if he managed to eat anything. #1 and #2 eat the smaller fish and are full.




14.01 #3 also walked backwards to the edge of the nest bowl for PS. This is the first time I noticed this from #3

[Madli]

14.41 Three tall chicks I like to watch them grow every day.


Karl is getting into the feeding position and guides the chicks to follow his bill.

14.42 FEEDING (5) Karl offers the big pike, whick is now soft. The chicks tear small pieces of meat from it, but Karl doesn't let them enjoy this for long, he eats the fish back. This was more like a little afternoon snack rather than feeding

[Madli]

16.02 KAIA arrives in such a hurry that even the sleeping chicks startle and growl
Karl's nest duty was 5 h 39 min.


16.04 FEEDING(6) Kaia regurgitates a frog. Older sobling eats it. Then comes a big pile of other food- frogs, probably small fish or amphibians. There is even a baby viper in the mix. At first, #3 has trouble swallowing whole frogs, he drops them from his bill, but eventually manages to swallow a few of them, plus other small things. All eat good!