Today the Chick was ringed and the sound is working.
Thank you to todays blog volunteers- Graham, Richard, Peter and Andrew
Watchpoint volunteers- John, Jane, Julia and Stephen
Ringing team- Phil, Zoe, Chris and Dave
09.00, Good Morning to you all. Start of another day's blog with Poppy in attendance.
09.30, Not much happening only Poppy and chick moved to the right a bit.
09.34, Poppy leaves, she returns shortly afterwards with prey.
09.40, She leaves with all the prey consumed.
09.50, The not so little chick looking out for mum and dad, eventually moves to the back right hand corner of the box in the shade.
10.35, The chick still home alone
1051, She starts calling out, probably had enough of being alone.
11.00, Finish of my shift, now handing over to Richard.
11.00 Our chick is getting used to spending time on its own. It’s lying flat out with those over sized yellow feet held out behind. She appears to be calling four some attention from her parents, but no one comes.
11.10 She attends to some grooming
11.14 We can see a distinct shadow created by the bright sunshine which must mean it’s quite warm in the nest box and the chick must think so too as she retreats to the back of the nest box.
11.16 Her dad arrives with some prepared prey and begins to feed an apparently very hungry chick.
11.27 The male completes the feeding and then begins to devour the remains himself
11.30 The male leaves with the carcass
11.35 The chick had followed dad to the front of the nest box and is now too hot so retreats to the back for a snooze.
12.05 The male returns and considers brooding the failed egg which remains. Eventually, having turned the egg, he leaves again
12.32 Poppy, our female returns and, just like the male, hovers over the failed egg.
12.40 The chick seeks comfort from mum by trying to get underneath her…but she’s too big now!
13:00 The Falcon continues to keep the chick company, standing centrally on the platform. The chick has its head under Mum with its back to the camera. The Falcon has one eye closed until a fly buzzes past her head.
13:05 The chick has a long stretch of its right leg, extending it fully out and then leaving it there. It gives a lurch, its wings rise up and the leg is retracted. Leg is extended and retracted a second time.
13:08 The Falcon begins preening somewhere behind her and out of camera view.
13:12 The rear view of the chick allows us to see the beginnings of tail feathers, especially when the tail lifts as it extends its leg again.
13:17 The Falcon continues her relaxed and dozing state, until the chick stretches again and disturbs her, The chick shows signs of stirring, although not for long. After a few seconds it resumes its flat out position. Mum continues to watch the world at large.
13:19 A sudden change, the Falcon disentangles herself from the chick, moves quickly to the front of the platform and takes off. The chick sits up and faces front, appearing to call for a few seconds, then moves on to do some preening.
13:22 The chick continues preening, occasionally seeming to brush the side of its beak over its fluff. It is a slightly peculiar view when its head is down behind its back – looks like a headless chick sitting there!
13:29 The chick half stands, and perhaps shoots a white stream at the wall, but it is not obvious. Then it collapses in a heap again.
13:38 The chick seemed to be calling, the stands up properly and walks off into the far right corner, where it stands and then sits down for some more preening.
13:41 The chick emerges from the corner, and appears to be calling again. It tries a wing flap, which pitches it nose first into the gravel. It stands, looking out, its beak opening from time to time as if calling.
13:45 Having sat back down, the chick indulges in some stone picking. It begins looking skyward and possibly calling. The Tiercel arrives with food and begins feeding the hungry chick. It takes the food as fast as the Tiercel can offer it. At times, the chick lunges for the food as the Tiercel is pulling it off the prey.
13:52 The chick picks up a fragment that had dropped between its feet, while the Tiercel continues to dismantle the prey. The Tiercel picks up the remains and walks to the right of the platform, then to the front, and flies off with it. The chick has a pretty full crop, so doesn’t seem too worried, just resumes preening, then a little more stone picking.
14:00 The chick lowers its bulging crop onto the gravel as it settles down for a snooze.
14:04 The chick is sitting up again, and looking around and calling a little too. Eventually it settles down, but only briefly as it starts calling again, then gets up and retreats to the back left corner of the platform.
14:12 The chick had slumped into the corner with its beak to the wall, but now gets up and walks across to the right-hand corner and settles down there instead. Now out towards the front, it sits down by the egg and slowly slumps to the floor for a snooze. It too finds the flies to be a distraction and annoyance.
14:21 The chick seems oblivious to a couple of flies walking over its fluff, only twitching its head when they buzz past its beak.
14:28 The chick struggles half upright, then subsides again in more or less the same position. It opens one eye and waves its head around to drive off a fly.
14:37 The chick twitches its left leg, but its eyes remain shut as it continues to snooze.
14:46 The chick stirs and looks off to its left, but soon settles back to dozing.
14:49 The flies have finally been too much, so the chick sits upright and begins some further preening. As it works on a wing, the tips of feathers are now very evident.
14:55 Eventually preening comes to an end, and the chick settles back to the gravel, facing right. It finds a bony remnant and begins picking at it, then sits up to give it some proper attention.
15:00 Session ends with the chick now back in the right rear corner of the platform, looking at the wall!
1500: Chick on its own. S/he walks about quite confidently, then lies down for snooze.
1518: Chick has a stretch out.
1520: Chick sits up to preen.
1521: Stretches wings.
1723: Chick lies down for snooze
1530: Chick stretches wings and changes position. S/he stands up calling.
1532: Changes position and lies back down
1534: Chick gets and walks back to back corner of box and starts preening.
1539: Chick wanders about and comes near to edge of box to look around.
1541: Chick sits at back of box.
1542: Live stream is shut down while chick is ringed. Watchpoint reported that the Falcon flew around a lot, dive-bombing the tower, maneuvering and calling for the whole time. No sign of Tiercel. Chick was ringed and measured successfully. Ring code is VCP. Weight is 610 grams and and wing span is 144mm. Sex can’t be determined yet.
1613: Camera came back on, with the chick laying in corner of box. The egg has been removed and will be sent for analysis.
1645: Chick slightly more lively, but remains in position until
1700: End of shift and a bit of a milestone. The adults calm down after a bit.
The falcon is on the flue de leis outside the nest box.
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