I am so very confused now - I've gone through some of the video clips and after the 8th of April, when it was assumed that Pa was no longer the resident male, he was back on April 12th, (maybe 13th ....?), with Miep/VieVie and in the Nestbox.
I've been going over the videos and translating them - and I have no idea who is the resident male here especially after that battle the other day.
And from what I have also translated (love Google), Pa was not part of those battles.
From April 8 on, the first intruder male was at the nest. He has some speckled markings on his bib, so he became known as Spikkel (not a name, just to differentiate him from the second intruder male). Then there was an intruder female, who was banded at Essen three years ago. She came to the nest box entrance and looked in, but seemed to move on quickly.
And then there was the second intruder male, who did not show up at the nest at that time, but who battled with Spikkel in the skies above the tower for hours on end, on several different days. He has a silver band on his left leg.
He appears to have displaced Spikkel and to be at the nest now. He is known as One Ring (or 1 Ring), I assume because of the one silver band.
The bad part is that he does not bring food for Miep-VV or support her in any way. Yesterday he stole food from her, which she had in the nest.
In the meantime Miep-VV has also had to deal with another intruder female. She has not been able to incubate full time, but has steadfastly continued to do her best to keep incubating.
I have not seen Pa, but as far as i know he is still out there. I hope he is okay.
The first chick has now apparently hatched; I have not yet seen the chick, and the cam which shows the inside view of the nest is now stuck.
I don't know how Miep-VV can possibly care for a newly hatched chick in addition to having to hunt and provide food. And there is no way of knowing what One Ring's attitude will be to a chick which is not his. In many cases a new male will not accept another male's chick.
I have also been watching the Zielitz nest, where chicks had hatched. It seems as if there has been a change of male there, and the chicks were not fed. Only one chick is now left alive; heartbreaking to watch.
I can only hope things will go better at de Mortel.
