19.04.2004

Attacks and Wife Swapping at the Stork Nest

Everything appeared to be in great shape on Saturday morning. The female had laid the second egg and the couple had begun incubation. Nevertheless a stranger loitered in the neighbourhood and approached the eyrie several times. The couple repulsed the attacks successfully. In the middle of the night, at about 1:30 a.m., violent attacks by a different female ensued. The eggs were thrown out of the nest and the first female was driven away. Presumably it is last year's female which attacked and conquered her ancestral home eyrie. Obviously the new couple liked each other for they mated often.

Such attacks against already occupied eyries by late returning storks are not unusual. The attachment to the eyries plays an important part. The stronger ones prevail in the end. This is exactly what is happening with the Loburg stork couple "Little Princess" and "Jonas". "Little Princess" always returns late from South Africa when "Jonas" has already chosen a partner. Still, "Little Princess" fights to regain her eyrie and mate successfully every time.

We now expect the Vetschau storks to start laying eggs and to incubate next week. The interruption occured early in the incubation period which gives the new couple ample of time. During the previous year the laying of eggs didn't beginn until May 7th and yet the young ones became fledglings and flew away.

Winfried Boehmer

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