Łódź (Florentino/Flo and Fermina/Fer)

[Justyna]

Piotr Zieliński 21:00

MATING: x 0 - DELIVERIES: x 0 - EVENTs: x 0 - VISITs x 0

FEEDINgs: x 7
- Flo x 5, Fer x 2
- the mystery was Fer at 11:10: she came back for feeding; It was not visible, but at 11:10:35 Figo ate a big fish and at 11:10:38 Fago also ate the fish, so Fer was feeding elsewhere, we know 100% that it was Fer
- only at 18:50 Figo eats the fish from dinner serving (13:18) - they are not bad

"Q"
Justyna: So my theory that Fer changed the feeding grounds was correct.
A
Piotr Zieliński: @Justyna - bravo, but only partially; I wrote above - Fer was feeding elsewhere. Had she changed the feeding ground ? - probably not, it was because she had flown far away and was feeding elsewhere. Fer did not permanently change the feeding ground. This new one is too far.
Fer behaved atypically; after feeding fish from a far feeding ground, she flew out to a nearby puddle, but there were no frogs there and she quickly returned. She had no food, so she did not fly into the nest , but she sat on the left branch for an hour and thought about what to do. She was about to fly away again, but she flew out. She looked for frogs in various places in the area (where frogs usually were) and returned before dark with frogs, but the storklets were already so full that some frogs remained.

Q
Joanna: @Piotr, that's exactly 12:07 this is my guess about deliberately not feeding / slimming before flights. Is such a "stork calculation" even an option?
A
Piotr Zieliński: @Joanna - not this time. There will be weight loss, but later - on a scale of whole days without feeding, but at 12:07 she arrived without food and therefore did not feed (there was not enough time from departure to arrival to find a lot of frogs)
Q
Joanna: @Piotr - and here's the question, why did she come at all?
A
Piotr Zieliński: @Joanna - and that's what's weird. It is possible that she will disappear for a longer time again, 11:09 Fer 3 at 100%, 12:07 Fer 3 at 99% (she was too far).

TRANSMITTERs:
- no changes (Moldova, the Słudwia valley and the old river bed of the Odra)

[marika.solo]

July 14

Piotr Zieliński at 21.00

- We already know that Figo and Fago swing and jump as they please

FEEDINGs
- Flo x 2 (morning and evening - fish), Fer x 0
- With Fer, this is how it will look like. If he does, it's like guest appearances
- And Flo - normally a peasant works
- Flo brought fish twice, they both ate. There weren't too many of these fish. But they are definitely not starving
- at 4:21 were finishing the frogs from dinner

VISITs x 0

TRANSMITTERs
- the one from Piotrków: Moldova
- others - no signal

Q
Roman Rzadkowski: Piotr, how well see storks at night?
A:
Piotr Zieliński: @Roman Rzadkowski - they see poorly at night, in the depths of the forest they do not fly, but when there is light from the moon over the forest, they fly if they have to; in the middle of the night at Jeziorsko I saw black storks flying between clumps of trees, but it was relatively bright from the moon

btw. Justyna wasn't at the chat at this time

[Justyna]

July 15

Piotr Zieliński 21:00

FEEDINGs
- Feedings x 2: Flo x 1, Fer x 1
- there is no weight loss yet
- compared to 13.07 it was modest, but they ate twice and it was fairly even, for neither could deprive the other of food and it was impossible to collect it faster from the nest

Figo and Fago can now fly from one edge of the nest to the other

Q
Justyna: Piotr, when can we expect the first flight?
A
Piotr Zieliński: I don't know, it depends on feeding, and they are fed not evenly, the worse they are fed, the earlier they will start to fly
And it was fairly even, as neither could deprive the other of food, and it was impossible to collect it faster from the nest.

19:18 buzzard.

TRANSMITTERs
- the one from Piotrków from 2020 returned to Ukraine (it is a calmer Ukraine / Moldova border area)
- the one from Spała from 2020 is generally in the same area, but stork flew to Żychlin (PL)
- the third did not give a new signal

Fer will do us such numbers (with disappearing)

[Justyna]

July 16

Piotr Zieliński 21:00

FEEDINGs
- Fer has stabilized with far leaps - for now and Flo works normally
- Flo x 2, Fer x 3
- Flo traditionally fish in the morning - a lot, in the afternoon - amphibians - it looks like tadpoles and small frogs after metamorphosis

In any case, they jump up, fly up, fly over - more or less efficiently; they can do it, but they still have to practice a lot.

19:14:44 - hawk - had to go straight to the nest, but it gave up, and our airmen reacted in combat. The hawk sat down next to him, looked for a moment and flew away - another life lesson for chicks - today they got a boost - the more aggressive they react, the easier it is for them to get rid of the hawk.

Q
Joanna: @Piotr, Marika asked today if there is any scientific basis for the claim that parents intentionally provide their young with less food before the flight time. she did not find information about it in the literature.
A
Piotr Zieliński: @Joanna -To say that they are doing it on purpose, you would have to do an experiment that proves it. And nobody did that, so you can't say that, but from observation it follows that at the end they are fed less often (for various reasons) and this coincides with the departure of the fledglings from the nest.

Edit: Marika: that was Damian's (youtube mod) claim ("weaning", slimming); his answer to my question was "my observations"

TRANSMITTERs
- the one from Piotrków from 2020 returned to Moldova - and good,
- the one from n. Spała from 2020 - still near Żychlin,
- no data from that from Kutno.

[Justyna]

July 17

Piotr Zieliński 21:00

FEEDINGs
- we cannot complain about feeding
- today 5, Flo x 3, Fer x 2
- Flo traditionally fish in the morning, then frogs, Fer traditionally only amphibians

MATINGs x 0, EVENTs x 0, VISITs: I do not see visits either

TRANMISTTERs
- the one from Piotrków 2020 - still Moldova (very good)
- others data are not available

Q:
Renia P: I am curious about Piotr's grooming are they picking up fleas or are they just combing the feathers?
A:
Piotr Zieliński: @Renia P arranging feathers, tidying up feathers, removing fluff; fleas do not catch

(edit: Marika - the most common way that birds rid themselves of fleas is by preening; birds rid themselves of fleas by scratching with their feet, ... see e.g. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/ ... .2017.0196 or here https://birdwatchingbuzz.com/can-birds-get-fleas/, ... )

Q:
Beti: I would like to ask, about this fencing, bill fencing ... is it conversation, competition, or such fraternal pokes?
A:
Piotr Zieliński: @Beti - they do not compete with each other fighting with their bills; they train in this way to use the bill as a weapon and a tool for catching fish; so training for future uses

(edit: Marika - years ago one zoologist/ethologist answered to me, that it is also a way for them to exchange saliva in order to identify themselves as relatives in the future)

Q:
Roman Rzadkowski:
A:
Piotr Zieliński: @Roman rarekowski generally, in birds, females scatter farther from their place of birth, and males closer. And this mechanism prevents inbreeding, i.e. the chance that siblings of the opposite sex will create a breeding pair are very small, because the female will start breeding 200 km from the nest (illustrative data), and the male 20 km from birth nests

(edit: Marika - more you can read to this e.g. here https://www.casopis.ochranaprirody.cz/v ... n=download, or/better for translation https://www.casopis.ochranaprirody.cz/v ... api-cerni/)

Q:
Beti: so they will never meet again after the fledging?
A:
Piotr Zieliński: @Beti - they can meet many times during their migrations, because they generally use similar routes; but they will not meet on the breeding grounds

[Justyna]

July 18

Piotr Zieliński 21:00

DELIVERIES: x 0, MATINGs x 0

FEEDINGs
- Flo x 2, Fer x 2
- Flo brought frogs twice and Fer brought frogs twice

- the flight is getting better and better for both.
- both of them can stand on one leg for a long time - each on their own

TRANSMITTERs
- the one from Piotrków 2020 is still Moldova (phew)
- the one from Kutno 2021 is still on the Oder
- the one from Spała hadn't data

Q
Ala Ja-ska: Piotr, there was one mating at 20:32
A
Piotr Zieliński: @Ala Ja-ska - OK let's call it quasi-copulations. But I don't know why they are doing it at this stage of development.

Q
Ala Ja-ska Piotr, and do our little ones already have charged batteries in their loggers?
A
Piotr Zieliński @Ala Ja-ska - the batteries have an average level of charge.

[Justyna]

July 19

Zdzisław at 21:00

FEEDINGs
Today's feedings are at 8:42 - Flo; 09:14 -Fer; 10:49 -Flo; 19:03 -Flo;
Some still can be seen, so our wonderful Florentino fed three times (3), not the less wonderful Fermina once (1), which at this stage is quite satisfactory.
Wonderful parents.

Our youth in their attempts to fly almost fall out of the nest. But they can do it. That is, full harmony between the youth.

(edit: Marika - prof. PZ has one of his evening tennis matches)

[Justyna]

July 20

FB Regionalna Dyrekcja Lasów Państwowych w Łodzi
https://www.facebook.com/LasyPanstwoweL ... CO%2CP-y-R
20.07.2022 at

EDIT Marika: uropygial gland informally preen gland or the oil gland

#bocianyczarneonline Zaradny Figo
Our storks are getting ready for the first flights outside the nest. This means that they have to take great care of their plumage condition .
The most important way is to grease the feathers with the secretion of the rump gland. This discharge consists mainly of hydrophobic waxes. The composition of this secretion, however, differs in detail between species and gender. It even changes throughout the year. A total of about 100 substances making up this secretion have been identified.
In birds, the oily secretion of the rump gland primarily: protects the feathers against moisture and ectoparasites
Makes the feathers stronger and more flexible.
This secretion is collected by the beak from the top of the rump gland and distributed with the beak over the feathers of the entire body. However, you cannot grease the feathers on the head. But our Figo found a way to do it! In the attached video, we can see how Figo first collects the secretion of the rump gland with his beak and puts it on individual feathers . Then he greases the feathers of his head by directly wiping his head against the rump gland.
In addition, we see him using his head to spread the greasy secretion over the top of his back, where it is difficult for him to reach with his long beak. Finally, he combs the feathers thoroughly and removes the remains of the chick's fluff.
He is already a flyby. The first flights are now available.
text: prof. Piotr Zieliński
Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, University of Łódź
Black Storks Online (2016-2022) is an educational project of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Łódź in cooperation with the University of Łódź - Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection. The content supervisor is prof. Piotr Zieliński. Bartosz Janic, Piotr Zieliński, Michał Strawiak and foresters from RDSF in Łódź participated in the field work. Watch the amazing species - we broadcast straight from the oak nest in the province. Łódź State Forests (the exact location is kept secret) https://youtu.be/g4SlQAkjCJw

[Justyna]

Piotr Zieliński 21:00

With this high temperature it is a bit of an exaggeration. According to data from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, this July is a bit cooler than the 20-year average, and storks are not too hot either, because they are usually in the shade. In addition, the plumage protects them from both cold and heat.

There is a lot of misunderstanding with this rump gland. (Marika: uropygial gland, informally known as the preen gland or the oil gland) For example, cormorants have a rump gland, and so the feather dries in the air. On Polish Wikipedia, there are factual errors "biplane sebaceous gland in birds, located under the tail base (rump)" - it is just above the base of the tail etc.

CHICKs DEVELOPMENT
- we have here "podfruwanie, przefruwanie", jumping, high jumping, but all within the nest. Probably on Saturday they will fly to the branch.

podfrunąć — podfruwać «o ptakach: wzlecieć ku górze lub lecąc (M: fly up or fly), przybliżyć się do czegoś lub do kogoś (M: get closer to something or someone)»
przefrunąć — przefruwać «o ptakach: poruszając skrzydłami, przenieść się z miejsca na miejsce» (M:moving the wings to move from place to place)

FEEDINGs
- Today the menu is very batrachological,
- 5 feedings - only frogs: Flo x 3, Fer x 2.

(Marika: Batrachology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians including frogs and toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians.)

TRANSMITTERs
- the one from Złoczew from 2021 - still on the Oder, (Marika: from Złoczew? from Kutno!)
- others without data.

Q:
Ala Ja-ska: Piotr, and what do you think about Frezja and Florek, that their loggers are silent?
A:
Piotr Zieliński @Ala Ja-ska - I think that Frezja died in May 2022, and Florek, unfortunately, did not fly through the Sahara, I think so.

(Marika: I am very sorry for both young stork, especially for Frezja)

[Madli]

July 21

I am also sorry for Frezja and Florek

Frezja survived the winter in Ethiopia. Perhaps P.Z is willing to tell us where did Frezja perish..
If you remember, I have been filling the migration overview map. It would be nice to add Frezja's last location there...(maybe it's just a fool's hope)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... 858586&z=5