Black stork camera news

Text: Kaido Einama
Translation Liis

Last week art student Pei-Hsin Chen who installed images transmitted from the black stork camera in a public space in London for six months during the previous stork camera transmission period visited Estonia. Pei-Hsin himself explained the project „Real Life / Real Time“ with a need to show a younger generation, or all Londoners under 50 years, an experience of nature, as urbanised people already have very little contact with anything  that goes on in a forest and know little about it.

Image from webcam captured by  Solo, LK forum
Translation Liis

Black stork   Must-toonekurg        Ciconia nigra

(Estonian original published Thursday 04.08.2016)

Yesterday morning (Wednesday) at 11 o’clock the storklet left the nest and we were all convinced that the migration itch set the young bird moving. To the nest we might have expected male Karl, but what happened?

Today, Thursday, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon storklet Kalli returned to the nest although we rather expected the male, and will probably stay for the night too.

Video recorded by  Lucy, LK forum
Translation Liis

A few minutes before leaving the nest
Estonian original published Wednesday 03.08.2016

Black stork     Must-toonekurg         Ciconia nigra

The night towards Tuesday was still spent in the nest, in early morning some necessary flights were made and from the video we can see that the departure from the nest was quite decisive.

Wind in your wings and adventures without dangers!

In some years the male has visited the nest after the departure of the young – as if summarising the happenings of the summer.

Video recorded by  Lucy, LK forum
Translation Liis

On Monday night the storklet was still being fed

Estonian article published Tuesday 03.08.2016

Black stork     Must- toonekurg        Ciconia nigra

After the rain on Monday the male came to feed the last storklet left in the nest. The siblings have already started an independent life. The female left already a few weeks ago quietly heading for the winter quarters – such is the mode of life of all nesting birds of this species, which we have seen over the years in the web camera.

Video recorded by  Elena, LK forum
Translation Liis

The video consists of two clips with an interval of about an hour
Estonian original published 21.07.2016

Black stork      Must-toonekurg          Ciconia nigra

The storklets practise flying already for a couple of days. Good that they find their way back to the nest which shows that the young birds manage orienteering.

Image from webcam captured by  Liz, LK forum
Translation Liis

The storklets grow incredibly fast

Black stork    Must-toonekurg     Ciconia nigra

On Friday Ain managed to get the camera in working order.

In South Estonia there are still many households without electricity and communications after the storm on Sunday. The largest damage to forests occurred in 13 parishes: Karula, Taheva, Otepää in Valga County; Antsla, Urvaste, Mõniste, Varstu, Võru and Sõmerpalu in Võru County; Kambja and Haaslava in Tartu County, and Kanepi and Valgjärve parishes in Põlva County.

Image from webcam captured by  Birdfriend, LK forum
Translation Liis

Male feeding the storklets

Black stork     Must-toonekurg        Ciconia nigra

The interruption in transmission lasted for a couple of days; from Wednesday the system works again and transmits data to us.

Image from webcam captured by  Lussi, LK forum
Translation Liis

Look – I already stand with my legs straightl

Black stork    Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

The week of birthdays goes on as already noted in earlier stories. There are two storklets left in the black stork nest and adults Kati and Karl have managed to feed them despite the low water level in the small rivers and forest creeks, where the adults go to hunt small fish 

.

Video recorded by  Aita, LK forum

Image from webcam captured by Lussi, LK forum

Translation Liis

Black stork    

Since Friday night there are only two chicks left in our black stork nest.

We ask parents please not to show the video below to children!

The smallest chick had grown about half less than its siblings – reasons for this may be many (impossible to decide only visually). Plausibly the adults felt that they would not succeed in raising the smallest chick to fledging. The water level in flowing waters is very low due to the drought, thus feeding resources are also clearly reduced. Why see this act as intentionally cruel – the mind of birds differs significantly from that of humans, instincts for preservation of the species and rationality have prevalence.

Video recorded by Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee

Translation Liis

Black stork   Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

The two bigger storklets are only three days old, one is a day younger which shows too, but all are well and sturdy.

Feeding is easy for the adults at first. Half-digested food which the storks-to-be digest better is regurgitated for the storklets (they already know that food comes from a beak and one must stretch towards there). Larger fish and anything that is not suitable for the storklets the adult eat themselves and so the ”table” gets cleaned up too.