Since Tuesday 25th of July, one of the storklings ceased to return to the nest. Miska and Leske continue to bring food to the nest a couple of times a day, but Monday evening, 24th of July, was the last time three young storks competed for the food brought by the elders. Then the next morning the young fledged, and only two have since joined in on the family meals.
The young storks have grown to match their parents in size, you can't even tell the generations apart by the colour of their beaks. The rings on their feet are the only clue that they were born this year. On hot days earlier in the week, however, they used their droppings to protect their feet from the heat, so the numbers on the rings could not be read to determine which young stork was missing.