Cromer Peregrines blog – Saturday 13th May 2023
The chicks were fed at 0455 hrs and 0609 hrs, they both appear to be feeding well and looking strong.
0900 hrs as my shift starts the male is sitting with / over the chicks. Remains of prey and egg fragment visible in foreground.
0922 hrs Chirping heard from chicks
0925 hrs the male is preening
0931 hrs the chicks are fidgeting. The male is alert.
0932 hrs the male is shuffling about.
0936 hrs the chicks are chirping and restless. The male seems to be trying to keep them under control so he can continue to cover them. Eventually he settles back down facing back (North) of the box.
0938 hrs the chicks are restless again and chirping. Male again trying to keep them in line.
0944 hrs everything quiet and still now.
0947 hrs One chick visible and preening.
0952 hrs calling can be heard from outside. The male answers back. He gets off chicks and goes to edge of box. Female drops off prey item and male brings it to chicks and starts feeding them. Chicks sitting upright and both seem to be getting their fair share of food.
1002 hrs the male leaves with remains of prey.
1003 hrs the male returns and settles down on chicks. They’re chirping well.
1012 hrs the chicks have been making a racket for a while now.
1013 hrs the male shuffles on chicks.
1024 hrs male preens
1026 hrs the chicks are chirping
1038 hrs the chicks are now fidgeting
1045 hrs the watchpoint report seeing the female flying around
1047 hrs the male is alert and looking around
1048 hrs the chicks are chirping again
1055 hrs all quiet and relaxed now. One chick just visible under the male as I end my shift and hand over to Julia.
1102 hrs the watchpoint see the female bring in prey ready for feed No 4
1118 hrs it’s still very peaceful in the nest. The chicks are fast asleep while dad does his best to cover them and keep them warm.
1120 hrs The Tiercel is perched on the North East pinnacle in view of the watchpoint
1121 hrs The Falcon enters the box and the Tiercel makes a quick escape. The little ones are greeting mum loudly. She has brought food! They are only quite while they have a mouthful. Turns out it’s only elevenses, just a top up.
1126hrs She is facing forwards {South) with the two chicks underneath her. We can see one head and one side, looking like there is one rather large chick.
1140 hrs the male is seen to head South but returns quickly and perches out of sight of the watchpoint
1143 - 1144 hrs a sudden screech, presumably Gull, startles the falcon causing her to stare out of the box. This coincides with the watchpoint reporting seeing a Gull getting much to close to the North face of the tower and is chased off by the male.
1145 hrs the male performs a very speedy flyover of the watchpoint followed by several laps of the church before landing back on the North East pinnacle
1147 hrs the falcon is sitting upright looking down at her chicks. They look back up at her. A chick preens itself resting a foot against its sibling. Those feet are getting big.
1200 hrs as the clock strikes the hour the chicks wriggle and a foot comes out again.
1206hrs One chick backs out and shoots a white stream , one in the eye for viewers.
1207hrs the larger chick is wriggling and being very vocal. The falcon stands over both youngsters and gathers them back underneath her.
1225hrs the chicks are playing peek a boo
1227 hrs the Falcon is upright preening.
1230hrs the Falcon is doing a bit of housework. It certainly needs doing, there are feathers, skeletons and bits of egg all over the box. She reaches forward pecking at gravel, swallowing some along with remnants of prey. As she reaches forward a head emerges from behind her. Calling can be heard seemingly from outside the box.
1232 hrs the falcon steps to face the back of the box and a chick pops up behind her.
1233hrs the falcon gets a bit tangled so lifts a leg, almost stumbling over the wriggling chicks, who break free. With deliberation she gathers them both together and pushes them back underneath her again.
1242 hrs the Watchpoint report the tiercel is on the North West pinnacle plucking prey, feathers everywhere.
1248 hrs once they are under control, she lifts up her chest and looks down at them.
1254hrs the falcon preens her chest and the larger chick is making an escape again, decides against it and flops down.
1300 hrs the male has arrived with prey and the watchpoint can see him on the South side of the tower
13.02 -13.05hrs As I prepare to end my shift the adults start calling to each other. The chicks join in, what a noise. Falcon and tiercel call to each other over and over. The chicks try to escape but the falcon manages to retain them. Eventually the noise subsides and the chicks are settled underneath the falcon.
1307 hrs the male flew around the tower with his prey, lots of calling can be heard from the nest, he is now on the South side of the tower with his prey for a time before flying about from perch to perch.
1323 hrs the male chases off another Gull before perching on the North East pinnacle
1405 hrs the male is flying about and being quite active again moving from perch to perch
1447 hrs the female flew off, the male stayed on the pinnacle then flew again out of view of the watchpoint
Shortly after the female returns carrying prey, the male returns to the North East pinnacle before flying off again out of view.
1535 hrs the male stretches his wings again flying around the tower before returning to his perch on the North East pinnacle.
Thank you to Andrew & Julia for their camera watch blogging today and to Mike, Bev, Jane & Richard for helping to educate an impressive 265 visitors on the watchpoint and for blogging too. Today we had visitors from Germany, Maine, Switzerland and Florida as well as from all over the UK.
A selection of photos from the day’s activities.
Commentaires