07:58 The falcon feeds the chicks some prey (cuckoo).
10: 00 Tiercel perched on SE pinnacle.
10:10 Flies to the W.
10:20-10:30 Tiercel flying around the tower, settles on SW pinnacle
10:45 Tiercel flew around and settled on the E parapet and dropped into the nest.
11:00 Tiercel landed on SW pinnacle where he stayed for 1 hour.
12:20 He flew off S.
12:55 The Falcon has just settled over the chicks, one of whom complains about the treatment. One head, and one behind sticking out from under Mum! The Falcon is sporting a feather on her forehead, just above her beak.
13:00 As the clock strikes the hour, the second chick complains again. We know this because the other one is fast asleep, and the back end of the complaining one was moving about! All sorts of feathers are laying about the platform as the prey brought in sometimes gets plucked in front of the chicks.
13:04 The Falcon is standing over the chicks, taking the opportunity to do some preening, which is possibly the source of the adornment on her head.
13:12 After further preening, the Falcon stretches her right wing and leg, then turns and picks up a wing end which was laying in the left back corner as we look.
13:13 She then brings it toward the front of the platform, which stirs the chicks, and they begin to squeal, like the distant noise of little children running around a school playground!
13:14 The Falcon then puts on a demonstration of how to pluck a wing end to get the last bits of food from it, even finding a fragment to feed to one of the chicks.
13:15 Eventually she has stripped as much as she can from it, and then swallows the last piece. The chicks immediately go quiet at this point, presumably as there is no food left! She considers the debris strewn around her feet, then moves off to the front of the platform, then to the right side in our view, and away.
13:16 The chicks subside to silence, one giving a wide yawn before collapsing on its sibling.
13:22 One of the chicks does a little preening of its own, and is looking around while the other remains head down on the gravel, presumably asleep.
13:30 The Tiercel comes onto the platform, chirping to the chicks, and then the Falcon comes back too.
13:32 She carries on calling and the Tiercel leaves the platform and flies away. For her part, the Falcon returns to the front edge of the platform, then flies away too.
13:33 The Tiercel returns, sadly without food, and endeavours to stand guard over the chicks.
13:56 The Tiercel is distracted by a fly which is zipping around above his head.
14:01 He continues to be annoyed by a fly, staring at it intently, before returning to gaze at his children.
14:02 The Tiercel indulges in some preening, including that difficult bit just under his beak. Meanwhile, the WP reports that the Falcon has returned with prey onto a gargoyle on the South side.
14:05 Both chicks have begun squeaking, and the Tiercel shuffles around, trying to provide cover.
14:18 The Tiercel has time to get a little shuteye, one at a time!
14:25 He looks round sharply as that fly zips past again. Despite appearing to be asleep, both chicks are now squeaking away.
14:32 The Tiercel suddenly becomes alert, steps away from the chicks, and leaves the platform. Calls off in the distance from one of the parents. The chicks begin squeaking, and food arrives, brought in by the Falcon.
14:34In the background, the Tiercel can be heard calling.
14:35 Both birds in flight, Falcon perches on SW pinnacle.
14:44 The Falcon has carried on, mostly feeding herself, watched by the two chicks.
14:44 She picks up the carcass and leaves. In the inset screen, she half walks, half hops along the roof ridge, then seems to struggle of down the roof out of sight with the remains.
14:46 The chicks continue squeaking, although one does take the opportunity to do a little preening. The Tiercel continues to call somewhere in the background, and then he returns to the platform.
14:48 Having settled over the chicks, the Tiercel picks at one of the many feathers which now litter the platform. I can imagine that the next windy day will waft them all out!
14:51 The Falcon arrives, the Tiercel leaves, and she settles over the chicks immediately. She shuffles about to get them just where she wants them.
14:57 She continues to shuffle about, still not entirely happy with the position.
15:00 As this session comes to an end, the Falcon is in place, beak a bit bloody, chicks quiet at last.
Thank you to today's volunteers- Peter, Roger, Bev, Richard, Tim and Val
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