Thank you to todays volunteers- James, Graham, Valerie and Andrew
09:00 Chick is sitting on hind legs and preening her fluff on its own in quite a breeze. 09:03 Chick looks out intently for a few seconds, watching a fly and then settles down on its tummy but is continually annoyed by them. The lone egg remains in the nest area. 09:18 Chick stretches out its left leg and left wing momentarily. 09:19 Chick sits up on hind legs and restarts preening. 09:20 It stands up and starts calling and walking about the nest box, resting momentarily in various corners and then moves to front of box and head bobs and calls and looks around and up.
09:27 Chick stands up again and walks off on her feet to near the egg and continues to preen with its back to the camera. 09:32 Falcon has been spotted sitting on east handrail near the box, (thanks, Chris). 09:36 Chick stands again and rotates round 360 degress and ends up facing the camera and preening. 09:43 It settles down again on lies on tummy in the sunshine. 09:46 Tiercel arrives with prepared food and starts feeding the chick.
09:55 The feed is slowing down, its crop is full and the Tiercel tucks into some hefty chunks of food. 09:58 The feed comes to an end and the chick starts to snuggle into the Tiercel and settle under him, head first.
10:04 Tiercel looks round intently as doing his brooding part. 10:19 The chick moves round further 10:20 Tiercel moves away from covering the chick and stands to one side with the chick asleep flat out beside him. 10:23 The Tiercel starts to clean his talons. 10:33 The Tiercel moves round clockwise but still keeps a lookout whilst being pestered by flies. 10:45 The Tiercel moves away from the chick and perches on the right hand edge of the box keeping a lookout. The chick remains prostrate on the nest scrape sleeping of the recent feed. 10:55 The Tiercel starts some serious preening and more looking round. 11:00 I hand over to Graham with Tiercel on the right hand box edge and the chick flat out digesting second or third breakfast.
11.00, Now taking over from James with Poppy looking out from the edge of the nest box.
11.30, No change, Poppy still looking out from the edge of the nest box.
11.35, At last Poppy moves and makes her way to her chick and covers her up as much as possible.
11.53, Chick awakens and sits up next to mum. Can see how big the chick is now.
12.09, The chick decides she wants a cuddle and snuggles up to mum.
12.35, Much the same, Poppy still in residence with her chick.
12.52, Henry comes in with prey, Poppy immediately takes it from him then starts feeding their chick, whilst Henry disappears with his tail between his legs.
13.00, Shift now finished, Handing over to Val.
13.00 The Falcon is tearing bits off the prey item and feeding them to the chick. 13.01 The Falcon takes the remains of the carcass and flies off with it. 13.02 The chick is alone.
It has a quick scratch with its enormous talons and then flops down to peck at the gravel. It picks up a large piece, but then decides this is much too big to swallow and drops it again.
13.04 It turns gradually through 360 degrees and then stomps unsteadily to the south side of the box.
13.05 The chick returns to the other side of the box.
13.06 The Tiercel flies in and wanders around by the chick. He seems to want to feed it.
The adult and the chick are standing facing each other, with a little beak-to-beak contact. The adult picks at the down on the chick's chest.
13.07 The chick wanders to the front of the box, while the Tiercel pecks at the gravel.
13.08 The chick is calling gently and looking alert. The male trots to the edge of the box.
13.09 He flies off.
13.10 The chick continues to wander about in the box.
13.11 The Falcon flies back in. She has a brief look at the egg but then turns her attention to the chick.
13.12 She covers it with her wing.
13.15 The chick settles down in the south west corner.
13.16 The chick gradually closes its eyes.
13.30 The chick is sound asleep in the south west corner, with the Falcon standing over it facing the back of the box. She is beginning to doze.
13.44 The chick opens its eyes and has a big yawn before returning to its slumber. 13.46 The Falcon's attention is attracted to a fly that is meandering about on the gravel. 13.47 A second and third fly join in the entertainment. She is watching them over her shoulder. 13.49 The chick stirs briefly but then dozes off again. The Falcon suddenly turns her attention to the egg, rolling it towards her as though she is going to brood it, but then starts to preen her chest instead. She is now facing northwards, but looking out of the box. 13.54 From time to time one of the Falcon's eyes shuts as she goes into unihemispheric sleep. 13.55 The chick is awake, peeping out from beneath the Falcon's tail feathers. 13.56 The Falcon is cleaning her talons, and then sets about rearranging the feathers on her chest. 13.57 She twists her head around to preen her back. 13.58 A fly distracts her from her preening. Chick and adult both fall asleep - both eyes shut this time. 13.59 The Falcon is suddenly alert and looking around, cocking her head to the side. 14.00 She pecks at the gravel briefly and then starts to clean her talon before picking a few bits of food from among the gravel. 14.01 She appears to be calling gently, looking out of the box. Then she stands and waddles to the front of the box where I get a great view of her yellow talons, before she flies off. 14.03 The chick is now awake and sitting upright in the south west corner of the box. It begins to preen its chest. 14.04 It turns its back to the camera, and I can see its pin feathers clearly beginning to come through.
It defecates and then makes its way over to the centre of the box and sits down next to the egg.
14.05 It stretches out in the south west corner, with the sun shining on its white down.
14.06 It stretches its wings and then begins to preen.
14.10 The chick is stretched out in the corner. It raises its head to watch a fly, which it follows with its eyes.
14.13 There are several flies crawling around on the chick's back. It wriggles about and then flaps its wings to try to shift them.
14.16 The chick is preening in the corner.
14.18 It settles down facing towards the north for a change, lying in the shade. Although it is clearly quite breezy up there, with the loose feathers at the front of the box blowing about, the chick is sheltered in the back of the box. Its emerging primary feathers can be seen on the ends of its stubby little wings.
14.59 As I end my shift all is quiet - the chick has been left unattended for nearly an hour. Now that the chick is getting its pin feathers and the weather is reasonably warm, the adults can leave the chick alone for longer; the feathers allow the chick to regulate its own temperature and keep itself warm.
1500: Chick asleep in corner, with egg in middle of nest box.
1505: Chick shifting about, one talon visible.
1506: Chick sitting up and preening.
1510: Chick scratches with talon.
1514: Chick briefly faces back f box.
1515: Chick lies ba dow.
1526: Chick stretches wings.
1531: Chick fidget about fling wings. He gets up and wanders around fore a bit, then defecates into camera. Not trying to tell us something I hope. Now preening.
1537: Can’t seem to get comfy. Shuffles round and lies down, gets back up to stretch wings then gets back down again.
1557: Chick has been in same position for a while.
1603: Chick fidgeting about, perhaps disturbed by fly buzzing about.
1610: Henry (I think) in box. He shifts egg slightly to one side and looks chick over. Chick seems happy to see him.
1615: Henry leaves. Chick sitting upright and preening.
1619: Chick lies back down.
1624: Henry back in with prey. Feeds chick.
1627: Henry goes to edge of box with prey. Chick follows hopefully. Henry flies off after a pause. Chick remains at edge of box.
1632: Chick shuffles round to left and has preen.
1635: Chick lies down, then gets back up and wanders around nest box. Seems better at walking now. Pecks at small prey remains and has a flap. Poppy comes in and stands close to chick. Pushes egg under her but does not sit fully down in it. Chick flapping away on spot.
1639: Chick pecks at gravel.
1640: Poppy has a preen.
1642: Chick lies down.
1652: something seems to grab the attention of both of them. Both are looking up and to their left. Poppy moves to edge of nest box and has a look around.
1654: Chick makes attempt to stand.
1655: Poppy has good scratch with talon.
1659: Poppy looking around and occasionally preening.
1700: Chick stand sup.
1702: Chick comes and stand by mum an edge of nest box and defecates. End of shift.
