00.00 mum sitting at back of box with 2 chicks snuggled against her. The light breeze ruffling her feathers and making the stray prey feathers dance. Other than an odd twitch from a chick there is no other movement.
02.00 one of the chicks is awake and preening. Snuggles back against mum.
02.51 the family is asleep, mum content enough to have her head tucked over her shoulder.
03.50 one chick fidgeting wakes mum up. She has a preen of her feathers.
03.54 moves to the front of the box and then flies off. Both chicks now awake and stretching. They settle down snuggled up against each other.
04.21 she arrives back onto the roof and moves onto the box. No food. One chick standing, one sitting up. Mum checks them over before sitting down as close to them as she can.
04.25 They really are too big now to sit over them but she does try.
05.30 She stretches, moves to the front of the box, stares into the camera and then hops onto the rails at the east side of the box.
05.32 larger chick adds to the Jackson Pollock.
06.13 lots of calling off camera from mum then dad arrives on roof and moves to box. No food but chicks are pleased to see him. He counters and chicks chatter back to him. Female continues to berate him bc and at 96.14 he leaves, hopefully to get breakfast.
06.21 still very noisy. Chicks are awake, moving about, stretching and preening.
06.21 dad arrives back with breakfast. Small and unrecognisable. Bigger chick tries to take it from him. Mum quickly flows shooing male away and takes over feeding duties. Both chicks feeding and mum finishes it off. Nothing left by 06.32 so the three of them snuggle up again.
07.14 mum leaves box and hops up onto railings on east side of box. Lots of calling. Chicks sound hungry.
07.36 lots of calling from the chicks. Mums shadow can clearly be seen on the front of the box as she continues to sit on the railing.
07.54 mum drops back onto box. Chicks glad to see her but want food. Older chick finds a couple of remnants of meal on the floor and eats them.
07.57 mums goes back onto railing, her shadow still visible.
08.05dad brings food in. Mum still on guard on the rails but soon takes over. Dad scarpers.
08.17 mum leaves.
08.22 comes back again and pecks at remnants on the floor then eats them herself.
08.42 mum leaves and goes onto rails. Shadow clearly seen.
0900 hrs Bright sunny morning in Cromer.
The chicks are huddled together in a shady, dirty corner of the box.
0908 hrs One chick excretes
0918 hrs
0920 hrs A shadow of the falcon can be seen as she stands on the nearby rail. Some calling can be heard
0926 hrs Adult calling can be heard, chicks not responding but remain asleep and huddled
0927 hrs Calling intensifies and the chicks wake up and stand up.
Tiercel lands into box with prey ( Greater spotted woodpecker) and she follows almost immediately into the box too. He then clears off taking the prey with him. She stays with the chicks and there is a lot of peregrine talk between the three in the box. The chicks are calling however....
0930 hrs Falcon goes off and returns to the rail, but her shadow can be seen.
0931 hrs The chicks resettle
0939 hrs The pin feathers on the wing of the closest chick clearly visible
0943 hrs Calling by an adult, one chick disturbs. Calling intensifies and both chicks are alert.
0945 hrs Lots of calling off screen. Very noisy!
0946 hrs Tiercel comes in with prey. Falcon comes into the box too. This time he drops the prey and then scarpers. She soon sets about serving morsels of prey to the chicks. They both call to her and they seem to get a fair share.
0951 hrs Chicks still being fed but with less urgency
0953 hrs It is quietening, and the feeding is slower. The falcon stands on the carcass to get a grip on remaining flesh. One chick was fed an awkward long tough bit of prey but persevered and managed to swallow it.
9055 hrs The feed is over, and Falcon stands in the corner to trap her chicks there. There is sone chirping among them and one chick attempts to get under her. Both chicks rest against mum perhaps for her warmth.
0957 Then Falcon walks slowly away and to her rail. Chicks settle and sleep.
1014 hrs The older chick preens while the other rests
1016 hrs Both chicks rest in their huddle
1026 hrs Small chick excretes
1100 hrs As my shift ends both chicks continue to rest and digest their meal in their corner.
12:00 Falcon on the nest box, tiercel on top of NW pinnacle.
12:09 Gull gets to close the male leaves his perch to chase it off.
12:20 Male back on NW pinnacle.
12:39 Microlight comes over too close and disturbs male from his perch, he does several laps before perching again.
Photo credits- Bev
13:00 Male on NE pinnacle. female leaves the nest and displaces the male from his perch, male does several laps until he settles on the SE point.
Photo credits Jane Crossen.
13:04 Male flying again good views from the watchpoint of both birds.
13:09 Male lands on NE pinnacle.
Photo credits Jane Crossen
13:12 Female flies and lands briefly on the gargoyle above E buvres then flies again, giving the watchpoint a good view.
Photo credits Jane Crossen
13:14 Drone spotted over church. Male remains on his perch.
13:18 Drone spotted again very close tracked on decent to a man sitting by church wall opposite Superdrug. WP staff had a word.
14:01 Female flies in from E. Lands on E side gargoyle above luvres.
Photo credits Jane Crossen
14:04 Female hunting pigeons over WP. Male joins in then goes onto the box whilst female continues to chase pigeons, low over the town.
14:11 Female lands on SE pinnacle. Didn't catch anything but came close.
Photo credits- Jane Crossen
14:13 Male now flying and lands out of sight
14:20 A woo moment as female stoops from SE point headed for a pigeon on lower roof. Both male and female flying heading W.
14:24 Female lands briefly on SE point then drops onto roof. Male seen flying heads S.
14:30 Female flies chasing pigeons. Can still see missing wing feather (moulted). Lots of woo moments flying over watchpoint. Definitely hungry.
14:50 Female seen in flight but goes behind tower out of sight.
14:56 Female moves to NE pinnacle. Can be heard calling from WP.
15:00 Male was in the box, now flying.
15:10 Male located to top of NW pinnacle
15:14 Male flying. Tries to land on NE pinnacle just below female but changed his mind. located back to NW pinnacle.
15:25 Male flies off. Female moves to SE pinnacle.
15:29 Female flies off towards E.
15:38 Male spotted flying around, trying to scare pigeons.
15:50 Male back on SE pinnacle. No food.
Approximately 200 visitors at the WP today.
Thank you to today's volunteers- Bev, Debbie, Mike and Jane.