0000 hrs All quiet and 2 pancaked chicks asleep in NW corner. Other than a few stretches, a bit of jostling for the best position in the corner and a bit of a preen the night is uneventful.
0400 hrs VZN is standing up and looking around. VXN has an eye open but is happy to stay flat.
0427 hrs VZN moves to front of box. VXN now sitting in the corner.
0428 hrs Yoga time for VZN, followed by a very strong flapping session.
0446 hrs VXN’s turn to come to the front of the box. VZN soon comes to look over her shoulder. Both start to look around. The remaining down on their bodies is blowing in the breeze.
0527 VZN standing forward in the box, VXN tucked in the NW corner. The downy breast now changing to the vertical stripes that identify the juveniles.
0554 hrs the male lands on the roof with good sized prey, very quickly followed by the female who sends him packing. Both chicks were pleased to see him, but equally happy for the female to start feeding. Neither chick is making much effort to feed themselves.
0611 hrs both chicks have lost interest and moved away so the adult female has a feed until VXN comes back for seconds.
0626 hrs with food finished the female leaves and hops onto the east side rail. The chicks are squashed in the NW corner where they stay until about ……
0818 hrs when they start to shuffle about, moving slowly around the box.
0849 hrs Start of my blog session. There is a pile of chicks in the NW corner. The weather is overcast and breezy at best.
0856 hrs the chicks are looking round and alert intermittently.
0858 hrs One chick wing stretches and they shuffle and preen a bit.
0902 hrs they settle down again in the NW corner.
0924 hrs We hear an adult off camera calling briefly suggesting an adult somewhere. The chicks ignore it and look fast asleep.
0927 hrs One chick has a beady eye on the camera and outside world.
0933 hrs One chick rotates and they lie head-to-head.
0934 hrs the closer chick stands and preens (possibly VXN).
0940 hrs The other stands up and wing stretches and turns round and settles.
0943 hrs There is persistent adult female type calling off camera.
0945 hrs The chicks follow an object passing the box
0952 hrs All quiet again, settled and snoozing.
0953 hrs the chick in the corner stands up and preens for a bit.
0955 hrs It settles with head on top of the other chick.
1000 hrs More calling from one of the chicks and then they settle with heads in NW corner.
1004 hrs One chick is calling hard
1008 hrs an evacuation! (Bodily function)
1009 hrs Chicks are stretching their wings and walking about, then one picks up a scrap of left over prey and tries to feed the other.
1010 hrs Both chicks are at the front of the box alert and hungry. I can now pick out ring letters and the different plumage patterns as VZN has more secondary feathers and less down on her chest. The watchpoint reports the female is on top of the SE pinnacle and the male is on the East side Fleur De Lis before flying off to the West side.
1012 hrs VZN feeds on scraps
1013 hrs VZN stretches wings
1018 hrs VZN evacuates (bodily function)
1022 hrs Gradually they settle in the NW corner again and VZN practices some wing stretching.
1024 hrs They come to the SW front corner and stand alert and looking round before settling back in NW corner.
1025 hrs the male takes off after a Gull
1035 hrs There is some more chick calling and head bobbing and looking to the SE corner. The watchpoint also note the male has just flown in with prey on the plucking ledge.
1037 hrs the chicks stand up and run forward to the front of the box but remain in it.
1038 hrs the tiercel appears on the runway and jumps in the box with prey (juvenile Moorhen?) and starts to feed the chicks.
1039 hrs the falcon pushes the tiercel out and takes over. VZN appears to get first food.
1045 hrs the falcon leaves with prey remains to SE.
1046 hrs The chicks clear up any scraps and they go quiet
1047 hrs They settle at the back of the box but remain standing.
1051 hrs Both adults are flying, the male takes the prey to the East ledge and is plucking, the female goes to the SE pinnacle, the male then feeds.
1053 hrs VZN comes to the front of the box to digest food and preen
1057 hrs an adult is seen on the rails to the left (West) of the nest box, one chick appears to be watching it.
1059 hrs VZN wing stretches at the front.
1100 hrs End of blog session.
1110 hrs the male flies to the West side
1130 hrs the male is now sitting on top of the SE pinnacle
1135 hrs the male feed the chicks (this time without being chased off by the female)!
1245 hrs the female is sitting on the bottom of the SE pinnacle giving the watchpoint a view of both adult birds
1400 hrs no change from 1245 hrs
(photo: Jane)
1505 hrs the male has moved to the NE pinnacle and the female still remains on the SE pinnacle
1515 hrs the male flew away
1525 hrs the female flies away, no adults currently in view
1528 hrs the female has returned to the SE pinnacle
1555 hrs the watchpoint report an adult with prey on the South face, it took off possibly with then dropped the prey and chased a gull
Thanks to James for online blogging today & on a very chilly watchpoint this morning was Jane C & John H and this afternoon Martin J and Stella B, despite the weather they engaged with 176 visitors.
Commentaires