Live broadcasts from bird nests provided by the Latvian Fund for Nature have now been watched with great enthusiasm in Latvia and abroad for 13 years. But this spring, for the first time, everyone will have the opportunity to keep an eye on how goshawks run their daily lives in the children's hospital area, just a short walk from the Vienības Drive, a bustling capital street.
Currently, the bird family is still preparing to nest, but it is expected that we will be able to watch the expansion of the hawk family live soon, LDF noted.
The fact that the children's hospital has developed cooperation with the Latvian Fund for Nature is not a coincidence, because there is a large and active group of bird enthusiasts among the employees, LDF said. One of the most active ornithology enthusiasts is Zane Dāvidsone, a rheumatology chief doctor and Member of the Latvian Ornithological Society, who has participated in hawk ringing with colleagues since 2021.
"In spring 2021, it so happened that we could watch the goshawk every day from the rheumatology office on the 5th floor - how he sunbathes in the mornings, how he hunts and mates. Finally, from our window, we spotted small white heads in the nest, the young hawklings. We contacted the Latvian Ornithological Society about the observations. [..] For three years now, the whole rheumatologist team and other colleagues have been paying attention to the daily life of the goshawk," the doctor said.
She has also observed that often watching the goshawk with little patients helps to distract them from the unpleasant.
“Why is it worth paying attention to winged friends? Because ensuring their diversity is in the best interests of all of us, including our children. Each of them has their own place and purpose in the big picture,” she said.
On February 22, 2024, cameras were added to two hawk nests on the grounds of children's hospital, and for the first few days observations were made to see which of the nests would be used for nesting this year and which would serve as a dinner table.
The live broadcast can be watched on YouTube and on the website of the Latvian Fund for Nature.
