After a day in which the chicks went 7.5 hours without food, the parents were back on the ball once the watch point had closed with feeds at 17.01, 17.55 and 20.00. Midnight finds them contented and asleep in the corner of the box with mum close by, ever vigilant. The odd twitch of a chick and ruffle of a feather in the breeze. Worth mentioning that even though it feels a bit colder tonight, mum is close, but not snuggled up against them.
00.07 mum has a proper preen, stretches her wings, disturbing one chick who stands up and disturbs the other one. She moves towards the front of the box, but not in any hurry to leave.
00.56 another preen. Still standing away from the chicks who keep fidgeting .
02.27 by now she has moved to the opposite corner from the chicks who are totally pancaked. In the night vision camera they just look like a blob of grey mould.
03.46 the chicks wake up, have a stretch, one looks around wondering why mum isn’t close. Empties its bowels, twice, nose dives on the other chick then settles down again.
03.57 female stretches her wings and leaves the box.
04.09 she returns, gives the chicks a gentle touch to check they are ok, pecks the gravel, walks around the box then settles down against them.
04.44 night vision changes to colour. The grey blob in the corner is now white cotton wool!
04.51 calling between adults and the male comes into the box and the female leaves. Chicks are chirruping, dad doesn’t look as though he knows what to do. One chick moves towards him but then back into the corner. Dad moves to front edge of box then at 04.53 takes his leave.
05.03 mum returns with a well plucked, headless pigeon. Both chicks calling frantically and very keen to eat.
05.17 she takes the leftovers away.
05.31 she returns, does a bit of housekeeping, then snuggles close to the chicks in the corner of the box.
05.52 she hops onto the raid on the east side of the box.
06.16 she comes back into box. Smaller chick is opening and closing his mouth as though it is trying to regurgitate something but doesn’t seem distressed. Large one squirts at the camera.
06.51 she preens herself and ends up with a white downy feather just above her cere.
07.33 she hops up on to the rails. Odd feather clearly visible
07.56 Feed 2. A small bird, plucked and headless. Definitely not the remains of the pigeon from earlier. The feather has gone from her nose. Both chicks feeding well. Still mostly sitting on their bottoms rather than standing.
08.05 mum removes leftovers.
08.07 both chicks moving around more, coming to front of box and then back into the corner. Feathers developing well, both crops full.
08.12 mum is back. She checks the chicks, has a chatter then once she knows they are ok relaxes a bit and at 08.21 hops onto the rail at the side of the box. Her shadow very clear on the inset camera.
08.42 the chicks are quiet when a fly lands on the front of the box and walks from left to right. You can see one chick has noticed it and watches it intently as it moves.08.51 mum moves down from railing to the roof then onto front corner of box.08.51 mum moves down from railing to the roof then onto front corner of box.
12:00 Tiercel circling the tower, female flies out, both adults in flight.
12:30 Tiercel on NE pinnacle, falcon on the nest box with the two chicks. Handglider seen to the E of the tower.
13:26 A drone was seen being flown to the NE of the tower, we looked for the drone operator but was unable to locate them.
13:30 Male on E side fleu de leis at the bottom of the NE pinnacle.
13:44 Male moved to SE fleu de leis SE pinnacle
14:33 Male preening before flying to the E ledge.
14:40 Male flies a few laps of the church before landing on the E.
14:41 He flies again and is now on NE pinnacle, moving quickly back to E fleu de leis
Falcon and chicks in the nest box
14:50 Male arrived back with prey and sits on the E side of SW pinnacle.
15:05 Female flying laps of the church, beautiful display
15:06 Female lands on SW pinnacle besides the male.
15:07 Both birds have flown, male into box with prey
15:08 Female on E fleu de leis taking a break.
15:12 Female takes flight, laps church (one visitor said to see her had made their day).
15:14 Female had been on S gargoyle now flown out of sight.
15:19 Male back on E side fleu de leis, female is in the nest with the chicks.
90 visitors today.
Thank you to today's volunteers- Bev, Rachel, Brendon, Mick and Zoe