Bird Cams Around the World

Isn't Mother Nature great

Appio and Vergine:
I just watched a short feeding. The little eyas isn´t able any more to get up. There´s something black around its breast. I don´t know if it´s blood, maybe it got hurt by its restless mother/father. In any case I don´t believe the little one will survive. It´s just heartbreaking and I´m not sure if I want to go on watching this drama in Italy

Appio and Vergine:

Some minutes ago I watched a short feeding. The little eyas is no longer able to get up and didn´t get much food. There is something black around its breast....no idea what it is. Maybe it got hurt by its restless parents who shook it a lot while finding the right position to warm it. I have only few hope that the little one will survive and I´m not sure if I want to go on watching this drama in Italy. It´s so heartbreaking

Oops...I thought my first posting had got lost. Sorry for posting twice.

Carly: It´s such a shame...first Mother Nature lets one eyas hatch (though everyone thought none of the eggs were viable) and now Mother Nature lets the little one die after all. I know we have to let nature take its course but it´s so damn hart to look on helplessly

We're very concerned about the nutrition of the little one. It seems that the male hasn't clicked on that the little one has to be fed. Vergine is having to hunt...
I've seen photos of the prey the male has brought to the nest and it's always looked more than half eaten to me. However, he's far from regular in bringing in food. The cam is now off until tomorrow and I don't really want to think about what that will mean...
I think that quite a few of us would be glad if the others eggs didn't hatch

I think we would all agree with you. Nobody is blaming either of them but the feeling of helplessness and frustration is strong, especially when the parents were so caring last year. Raptor chicks have a hard time of it at the best of times and they certainly don't need starts like this.
BTW, the name for this chick was to be Appio Claudio but it was changed almost immediately to Gladiatore... it would be lovely to think it's real fighter

There are 3 now. Warbler thanks for the image to help with identifying the female.



One still has the large dark mark.

I think that these young birds will not survive, when you see this clip.

Appio and Vergine's nest was monitored closely all morning. At lunch-time, Giac, our leader, went to the nest and took the chicks out. The first to hatch was dead but the other two were still alive although very weak. Giac fed them and put them back. He said they were very weak and we couldn't be optimistic about their chances; he also said they were full of parasites (but they only hatched a couple of days ago!!!!). His intention was to return to the nest in the late afternoon, feed the chicks again and disinfest the nest.
Vergine returned to the chicks after Giac left and kept them warm for some time. When she left to 'go shopping' (the male wasn't co-operating) the male took over, unfortunately. It seems that he was sitting ON the chicks, at least that's what it looks like from the photos on our forum. But worse was to come... he pushed the chicks against the walls of the nest and started wriggling about on top of them as though they were eggs and had to be turned . We fear that they have been reduced to a pulp and we're waiting to hear Giac's report on what he found when he went back to the nest.
As soon as we have definite information, I'll post it but, as Ruud warned earlier, it's unlikely to be good.

Update: Giac went back to the nest and found the chicks in very poor condition. He left the slightly stronger one with Vergine and has taken the other one away to be looked after. He started to disinfest the nest and will return tomorrow morning.