** Statement from Urdaibai Bird Centre Monday, 21 June 2021 10.28: Last Friday´s rainstorm probably brought on the death of the two chicks. At 20 days old,they were at the most vulnerable stage in their development. They were already quite large and this made it difficult for their mother to cover them. In addition to this, they still had no feathers. They acquire the plumage which protects them from the rain at approximately 30 days. The death of osprey chicks is not unusual in the natural world. About 50% of them die in their first weeks of life, with the third week being the most critical. The female has not had chicks before and this also influences reproductive success. We should consider the death of the chicks as something natural and part of the life cycle. What is truly surprising is that we have witnessed this natural phenomenon livefrom our homes. Thousands of people were saddened by this event yesterday but Roy and Landa gave us all a life lesson. They removed the remains of the chicks, continued to fix the nest and even copulated. We are aware that it is too late for a second brood. However, this couple could surprise us! *Update: Urdaibai Bird Centre have posted this video of mum Landa removing the body of her chick 20th June **ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Nke8c3WpVXs.html** **
I had seen earlier when I went on the live cam. My heart is just simply broken. I had such high hopes for this nest when I saw the albino Angel, then one by one watching them die is too much heartache. Perhaps next year will be better. I watch many nests of Osprey and yes it’s been an awful year. But actually since I’ve been watching Osprey since 2015, my first time watching and 3 months into the horror of what happens to them started. I lost precious Rachel from Hog Island and it killed me because Rachel and Steve were my first Osprey couple. I so enjoyed watching . I had since 2015 actually watching more nests than I can count. I’m too emotional of a person I know that. But I’m sending hugs to everyone who has watched this particular nest. Love you all. Thank you for sharing your videos. Hugs !
It was very sad when Rachel didn't return after ten years as Steve's mate. But now he's pair-bonded with the beautiful Phoebe, and life goes on as it must. Being an observer is very hard sometimes..
It certainly is, I’ve never watched before but I’m laid up convalescing and came across the Welsh nest at Glaslyn, and was absolutely drawn in by the beauty of these birds and the absolute tragedy of losing chick after chick...heart breaking stuff at times but heartening when they survive to be ringed, I’m cheering on a couple to get across the fledging line 🤞🤞🤞🤞
@@sallyfarrer2597 Best wishes for your convalescence, Sally. Rutland chicks are a few days away from fledging, and Dyfi chicks will be ringed this week Thursday or Friday. The chicks at LotL are about the same age, so I expect they'll be ringed soon too - they're both doing a lot of wing stretching / flapping / overbalancing! So there are some happy nest cam events for you to watch right now.
@@GeemeffGeemeff yes they’re my go to at the moment though I do love the stroppy shouty Finnish osplet, was really battering it’s mum the other day about the slow service, as long as they keep fish coming I’m hoping it’s a survivor too....
@@jmassful possibly the appalling weather in that crucial window right after hatching, but we'll probably never know. Edit the mother bird removed the body, see pinned comment.
So sad another Osprey family have lost their chicks.💜😥 Couldn't watch him when he started floundering, I had read your description below. They almost 2months old as well. I hope next year is kinder to these birds we love to watch.🙏🏻 ~ I miss your clips from Scotland; the 2 surviving chicks are growing fast @ Loch of the Lowes.🙂♏♉🏴💫
Yes, it was difficult to watch, my philosophy is if I enjoy the good times then I should observe the bad times too, to understand what they go through and further my knowledge of this charismatic species. I try not to sensationalize the clips I put up, just show it as it is.
Thanks 💞@@GeemeffGeemeff I know you don't sensationalize, there r only a few that do. Always enjoy your films, I read below description first so I know what's coming. I guess you've been keeping up with Loch too. They r a sweet family to watch, the 2 remaining chicks are still like little & Large!💞 🤗 Your work much appreciated 🌹 sending love your way.💞
Such a shame for this nest and ospreys in general this year. Nature seems so cruel at times. Next year is another season though and we will all look forward to it ❤
@@GeemeffGeemeff yes I hope so too, although I don’t speak Castilian/basque, I gather there were some wild theories flying around in the chat about causes of deaths, I just think that such speculation is so unhelpful, after all the Glaslyn Welsh chicks were all lost this year and she was an experienced parent...they face such odds it seems that as someone sensibly said we should be applauding the success of those birds that make it back to visit the following year..
@@sallyfarrer2597 It's good to have successes to applaud, such as the Rutland chicks being big enough to ring and now just a few days away from fledging. As for the speculation, I think people are heartsick and trying to understand why this happened.
There is something very wrong with it's legs, like they are malformed and dysfunctional, and it's lower abdomen looks incredibly swollen and bloated. In addition, there is an abnormally distinct, misshapen cleft separating its crop from its lower chest/upper stomach region. It looks like something far more complex and sickly than simply being overexposed to rain.
So sad for all including for the parents . With such high chick mortality combined with human activities it is easy to see now why the population of these birds is so low . I do 🙏🏻 in the 2022 nesting season things will be better for all the birds in the program.
So sad. This chick fought hard to protect its dead sibling. How poetic this chick died on top of its sibling. 😔 💔 Breaks my heart. I hope the wildlife services will retrieve the body and do a necropsy. IMHO I believe it’s a toxin that killed the babies.
I don't know if UBC officials will disturb the adult birds to remove the bodies for examination. In my inexpert opinion, it was a combination of factors mainly adverse weather in those crucial early days which caused the chicks' deaths.
The most moving part of this video was when little chick went to the left of the nest and searched its mom It was looking her for a few minutes and later went beside its brother to die But that emotive part has been removed :'(
I wanted this to be a tribute to the chicks' battle for survival rather than focus on the dying process so I cut out several bits. Fingers crossed for these parents for success next year..
So sad for them, wishing them well for next year. Thanks to everyone for their comments and information . God bless all animals, birds and good humans. 💘 carolwood01
Oh so sad. Think there might have been a generic thing going on, but no knowledge. In human life I know someone who,lost two kids, then partnered with someone else and had three healthy children . God bless them, and those at that other nest where they lost everything . 💘
Was the downpour the cause of their deaths for sure? We won't know now, because Landa took their bodies. It looked like bird flu to me. There are flood waters around, so there are plenty of waterfowl, and this is the greatest threat in the case of this disease. If so, there is a real threat to adult birds as well.
As you say, we'll never know for sure, but adverse weather does seem the likeliest cause. The adult Ospreys and other birds in the area seem unaffected but there has been a high toll on nestlings.
(RP: He seemed strong and collapsed, what a tough end) (Geemeff) Esa chica luchó por sobrevivir, pero lamentablemente no pudo ser (That chick fought to survive, but sadly it was not to be)
I think exactly the same. I saw the death of WTE chicks in Estonia due to bird flu and it was the same. There, the chicks died within a day. Above is my post about it.
How come you couldn’t take them into care and help them. Please dont say you have to let nature take it’s course considering you have a constant camera in their face.
The camera doesn't disturb them, it's not located on the nest. Woodland Trust, whose Osprey nest at Loch Arkaig is my main focus, describe their nest cam as providing a slice of wild life, and this is what the nest cam at Urdaibai Bird Centre does as well. Whatever happens, happens without human interference, and although it can be very hard to view some events, this is just a sample of what's happening on the many other nests without cameras. In nature it's expected that not all offspring will survive and that's why so many species have multiple offspring in a single clutch, brood or litter, as insurance. This is how nature works. I consider sad events the darker side of nest cam watching, but am content, if not exactly happy, for nature to take its course.
