It has now been five years since a Golden Eaglet fledged from this nest on an island near Spilve, Latvia. The people of Latvia were so hopeful that Virsis and his new young mate, Spilve, would raise a family last year. The pair met in 2019 but Spilve was not yet an adult and it was in 2020 that the two mated and Spilve laid two eggs. Everyone watched with great hope. One of those was fertile but, the other hatched. That little eaglet was named Klints.
In the image below prey has arrived at the nest for the beautiful Klints.
A tragedy came to this nest when Virsis disappeared leaving Spilve to care for both herself and the young eaglet. Spilve could not leave her baby and travel a long distance to get large prey and the small voles that she could find for Klints close to the nest so she could protect him were not enough food. He died of starvation on 1 July.
For several days Spilve tried to feed her child until she realized he had died. How sad. First her mate dies and then her first child. We know that birds mourn. This must have been very, very difficult for Spilve. She returned to the nest on several occasions but no one, at the time, knew if she would stay ‘loyal’ to the nest of her mate, Virsis, or leave the area.
Everyone was very happy when they saw Spilve arrive back at the nest in January 2021 and again on several occasions in February. On 21 February Spilve arrives at the nest. She brings some pine and begins working on what appears to be an egg cup.
All the time Spilve was on the nest working on the egg cup, she appeared to be looking around for someone. Calls could be heard in the forest.
Spilve leaves and then an adult male comes to the snowy nest bringing some pine. He had never been seen on the nest cam. He has just missed Spilve.
The male eagle, who will become known as Grislis, actively works on the egg cup.
Spilve had to have been looking to meet with Grislis at the nest. It would be strange behaviour for a stranger to show up with pine and immediately begin working on a nest cup as Grislis did. The pair form a bond and mate that day. The pair might have met in another part of the forest where Spilve roosts. Or was it just coincidence that they both came to the same nest that day, worked on the egg cup, and then immediately became interested in one another? We may never know the answer to that question.
What we do know is that the Golden Eagle is one of the rarest birds in Latvia. These beautifully feathered eagles are slowly rising in numbers. There were, in 2018, only eight to ten known breeding pairs in existence. This means that for Spilve to find an adult male as a mate is fortuitous. Her first mate, Virsis, had been alone for many years when he met her.
In 2020, Spilve laid her first egg on March 28 and her second on 1 April. We are hoping that she will be laying eggs in that nest cup soon. It would mean that this new bonded pair and their love could bring new life to this manmade nest in the middle of an island near Spilve, Latvia. There are known to be two other nests in the bog near this one and it is possible that they could choose to use one of those. Whichever nest Spilve and Grislis choose, it will bring much joy to the people of Latvia when their eggs hatch and the eaglets fledge increasing the numbers of resident Golden Eagles in Latvia.
There are no eggs yet but if Spilve is going to use this nest we should be expecting her to lay them any day now. Here is the link to the Golden Eagle cam on the manmade nest in a bog near Spilve, Latvia:
That is beautiful Klints. He was so very near fledging when this father went missing. Because the eagles are so rare, the wildlife authorities in Latvia might want to reassess their reasons for nest interventions in such circumstances. There have been such instances with the osprey in the United Kingdom and the authorities at Rutland decided to build a food table near to the nest in the hope that it would help the mother and the chick survive.
Thank you for joining me today. These are such gorgeous eagles. I will update you on any eggciting events should they occur.
Other news of Latvian Nests: Milda, the White Tailed Eagle on the Durbe Nest, stayed for days without eating after her mate did not return. There are three eggs. She seemingly left the nest for a break and food on 1 April but now it appears she was protecting the nest. She has not eaten for six days. There is a male hanging around the nest. Only time will tell if Milda will accept him and if he will help her raise the hatchlings should they survive. Right now she seems him as a threat to her eggs.
If you would like to watch this nest, here is the link:
Thank you to the LVM Klinsu and Latvijas Juras erglis Durbe streaming cam. That is where I accessed my screen shots.