PROGRESS REPORT

Chick #1 is now 2 weeks old, so I thought I’d better update you on how things are going.

The short answer is that things are going very well at present, but I hope that I am not tempting fate by saying that. Samson is doing a magnificent job of providing for his rapidly growing family bringing in a variety of trout, grayling and the ever popular pike. Unlike some of the other males on nest cams, he does not have access to stocked reservoirs on his doorstep, so he has to work a lot harder to find adequate supplies and so does particularly well. Personally, I could wish that he made sure the pike were dead before he brought them onto the nest as sight of those teeth make me fear for the chicks but, touch wood, there have been no accidents yet and JW6 (Juno) quickly brings the most wriggly of fish under control. Samson even managed to bring two fish in at one stage, both in one foot, and I think he was as surprised as anyone when, half way through JW6 feeding the first one to the chicks, the second one flipped over the edge of the breadbasket frame and into the nest!

As a result of this bountiful supply, the chicks have been growing rapidly and the first two have already turned dark as the fluff disappears and the feathers start appearing through the follicles. Chick #3 still retains its fluff but is due to undergo the metamorphosis in the next couple of days. The change in size is noticeable on a day to day basis and I’ve never noticed before how quickly the wings go from useless little stubs to mobility aids to sizeable appendages. You can see on the photograph that the chicks have started to do that weird sprawl with one leg stuck out to the side that they all do as their body shape (and size of feet!) develops.

You will recall in my last blog that I was worried about the difference in age between the first two and the third chicks and whether the little one would have enough to eat or whether it would be picked on by either or both of the others. I needn’t have worried. I’d be interested to know if other observers have noticed but what the third chick lacks in size, it often makes up for in cunning and it’s certainly the case with this brood. As soon as the little one was mobile, (about 4 days old), it was working out how to be in the best position to get early feeding by JW6. It would stay low and come up between its two siblings, nip around the side, or just push its way through while they were still waking up. It happens far too often to be a coincidence, with the result that Chick #3 is now strong and healthy, although still obviously smaller than the other two. It does get pecked occasionally by Chick #1 but just tucks its head down and weathers the brief storm.

So all is proceeding nicely at present with good weather and good food to aid the family’s development. Exploring around the nest is now the preferred entertainment when not eating or sleeping and, when viewed from the river path, the chicks’ heads are starting to be visible poking over the edge of the nest. Let’s hope that this positive start can be maintained as they continue to grow and develop.