13 • 02 • 2020
Watch Online Golden Eagles Building Their Nest
Despite that it is mid-February and we should be enjoying winter frost and snow, some of the bird species that spend winters in Latvia are already getting ready for nesting. Amongst them are golden eagles Virsis and Spilve, who are building their nest and mating. It is already the fourth year that in the framework of JSC “Latvia`s State forests’’ (LVM) project “Birds and Animals in Marsh” everyone interested can follow these events online.
“Such an early mating behaviour gives hope for successful nesting. Let`s hope that it will succeed!” tells project manager and LVM Senior Environmental Expert Uģis Bergmanis.
The online surveillance nest is a platform made by LVM experts on a swamp island, which has been chosen by golden eagles as suitable for nesting. Last time, successful nesting took place there in 2016. Since then, the mature female bird has died and only the male bird Virsis lives in the nest. Each year, a number of immature females visit the nest. For example, last year, on 30 January, an immature female bird, which can be recognized by the white spots on its wings and tail visited the nest, and tore off the sensor of the camera or its most significant detail – the objective lens.
“When after a few days we changed the detail, the nest had already been built, but successful nesting did not take place. The female bird, apparently, was too young. Maybe, the same eagle, which was named Spilve, has visited the nest from time to time at the end of summer, in autumn and winter. In turn, the male bird Virsis keeps an eye on the nest each day and fills it with branches,” Uģis Bergmanis tells about the events, taking place in the nest.
Spilve visited the nest on 9 February, after a more than two-month long absence. Noises of mating could be heard in the vicinity of the nest.
An insight into the golden eagle nest
Golden eagles are sedentary birds – they stay in their nesting area throughout the whole year. In Latvia, they nest in wide, high swamps on swamp islands or peninsulas, surrounded by forests, choosing branchy pine trees, and, to a lesser extent, spruces or aspen trees, for their nests. The nesting area of one eagle couple can include many swamps and the distance between two spare nests can vary from 10 to 20 kilometres. They mainly feed on birds living in swamps and in their vicinity such as grouses, cranes, ducks, wood-grouses, waders, as well as mammals of different species, such as rabbits, martens, fox, raccoon, badger, wolf and deer babies. In winter, eagles feed on dead animals.
Eagles begin to build their nests already in August, and continue the work throughout autumn and winter; building gets especially intensive in February, when the mating season starts. First eggs are laid already in early March, whereas eagle babies hatch at the end of April/beginning of May. They leave their nests already in late June/early July
You are kindly invited to watch these unique events that are taking place in the nests of one of the rarest bird species together with your family, friends, colleagues and share your impressions. Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert, gives regular updates on the recent events in the nest and swamp, as well as answers different questions.
