10.33. Changeover. The tiercel takes over the incubation gathering the eggs underneath him and settling facing E.
11.24. He reaches for pebbles to aid his digestion and settles again shuffling round to face W
11.52. The falcon enters the box. He sits tight. She is very vocal, a different sound to their usual chatter. He doesn’t reply. She carries on vocalising but he is not budging!!
She leans over him. He looks up at her, their beaks almost touch, but he isn’t moving.
He REALLY doesn’t want to go.
11.54. She stands over him and reluctantly he gives way. Guess who is the boss.
He wriggles away and departs. She is straight onto the eggs taking over the incubation.
12.08 The watchpoint reports that the male is on the SE pinnacle just out of view.
12.14. She turns herself around moving the eggs. She does a little bob, which we now associate with the male, and faces S looking out of the box.
12.36. She is alert and looking around, probably set off by a strange call from the male?
12.38- 12.41 She is making short and intermittent calls while keeping a look out.
12:36 The Falcon is on the eggs at the moment, and has been alerted by sudden calls, presumably from the Tiercel off camera. She is very alert, then begins to call too, looking up to her right. Nothing visible on the inset camera at this point. She keeps calling, even though she appears to have one eye closed!!
12:46 The Falcon’s head comes up again from a previous relaxed position, and she shuffles her feet in place before relaxing again.
12:58 She seems to be asleep, as her beak is almost touching the gravel in front of her!
13:04 After her snooze, the Falcon wakes up and begins to pick at some stones. She is stretching further away, then stands, shuffles the eggs, and settles back, now facing North West into the far left corner of the platform, where she continues her stone picking.
13:10 She stretches far enough forward for the eggs to be visible under her tail. She stands, shuffles round again, then settles down facing more or less East, toward the right side of the platform.
13:15 The Tiercel begins calling nearby, which sets the Falcon off too for several seconds. Then it goes quiet again.
13:17 The Falcon is very alert, as there is another odd call. Then she starts calling again, but not moving from her spot. There is another odd call off camera, making her look around on alert, but after a few moments she relaxes again.
13:36 The Falcon begins to look around at the stones, then shuffles round to face the back of the platform, more or less North.
13:39 The Tiercel lands on the roof ridge ( seen on the inset view), walks and then hops onto the platform. The Falcon gets up and leaves without a protracted discussion. He gives a few more chirps as he settles onto the eggs, facing North the same as the Falcon had been.
13:41 The Tiercel has another go at covering the eggs, facing more toward the right back corner of the platform.
14:01 The Tiercel has a look round, just before the church clock strikes the hour. He appears to be moving his beak – perhaps stone picking? He also has a minor shuffle.
14:07 The Tiercel stands, moves round to his left, and tries to get settled over the eggs again with his usual difficulty. He sits facing West, but for only a few moments, before having to repeat the exercise, rotating to the North and then back to face West again. He just has such a job covering the eggs – thank goodness there were not four of them!
14:11 He is continuing to move his beak from time to time.
14:12 He gives a little chirp, but only the one.
14:18 The Tiercel is relaxed enough that he is closing at least one eye, as far as is visible.
14:25 A fly catches the Tiercel’s attention for a moment, but he soon loses interest in it.
14:31 The Tiercel begins to gives some chirps, but no other sound can be heard. He relaxes again, one eye at least, closed some of the time.
14:41 He looks up briefly, but then relaxes again. Thanks to Chris for the info that the Falcon is perched on the East side handrail at this point.
14:57 The Tiercel is alerted by extraneous noise, but just sits and opens his beak a few times.
15:00 This session ends with the Tiercel sitting facing approximately South West, looking as if he is trying to regurgitate something.
15.00 Sitting quietly on the scrape, poor bird is being bombarded with noise from military aircraft.
15.45 Still no activity at all just looking around when the aircraft make a lot of noise which they have done all afternoon.
16.00 - Tiercel incubating the 3 eggs.
16.04 -more alert . Shuffles eggs around and then settled down
again.
16.08 -Alert looked up briefly.
16.16 - stirred briefly. Looked up briefly.
16.29 still not stirred since 16.16!!
16.33 opened beak and shuffled eggs then settled again.
16.40 suddenly alert just briefly.
16.52 wind getting up. Feathers ruffling.
16.57 shuffling eggs again.
16.00 signing off.
Thanks to Julia, Peter, Barbara and Sue for today's blog
I was on duty in the church when both adults were visible. With the church muted, heard the calling on my mobile etc.