Must-toonekurg1~!Don't watch if you are Sensitive! The youngest is taken away~10:49 AM 2022/06/03

CRITICAL SITUATION IN THE BLACK STORK'S NEST IN JÕGEVAMAA Just a week ago, we rejoiced at the hatching of the sixth chick in the nest of black storks in Jõgeva County. However, today's situation in the nest is the complete opposite. The last time we saw the male bird Jan in the nest is at half past five in the afternoon of June 1. He has since disappeared. The female Janika stays with the chicks, but for more than a day and a half without food is dangerous for them - they are obviously hungry. Until now, small fish were fed after every few hours. How much longer will they survive? Even if one of the old birds disappears, the other does not just leave the chicks, but remains in the nest. Instinct keeps it with the little ones until the second adult arrives. This has been beneficial for the survival of the species. Chicks need protection from wind and rain as well as predators. This, of course, until the moment when the survival of the adult itself comes into question. As long as the adult is alive, it will always have another year to raise new chicks. There are many possible reasons for Jan's absence, but we will not speculate. We don't have a good solution in case Jan doesn't return to the nest. If we took the chicks from the nest to raise them under human care, they would no longer be wild. We do not have the experience or technical means to successfully rehabilitate young storks into the wild. Young birds receive the necessary manners for survival from the nesting period. Based on this, they also choose their future nesting place. Theoretically, it is possible to give Janika fish to feed her chicks, but how to make the fish available to her. We don't know where she usually looks for food. The territory of the black stork is huge (they also feed for several tens of kilometers from the nest), but for additional food it is necessary to install a fish-basket. At the beginning of May, we had a feeding place for black storks just a kilometer from the nest, but the old birds did not visit it during three weeks. Of course, that doesn't mean we won't try again. Will Janika find the feeding place this time? We have also considered bringing small fish to the nest, but this can only be done when Janika leaves the nest to look for food. If the adult is frightened out of the nest, it may not return there for a long time, which would further reduce the chances of the chicks surviving. The weather is cool and rainy, the thermoregulation of the chicks is not yet developed. In addition, the chicks are so small that they may not be able to self-feed. However, when the opportunity arises, we are ready to act. What is happening in the nest of black storks in Jõgeva County is hard to bear, but we are monitoring the situation and doing what we can! Video captured & edited by liznm ©Courtesy of Kotkaklubi Must-toonekurg::Ciconia nigra    • Must-toonekurg::Ciconia nigra   Kotkaklubi on YouTube:    / @kotkaklubi