05:09 Change of the night guard seen on playback, Falcon leaves, eggs exposed for a short period and then the Tiercel takes over.
08:41 Tiercel still on duty with back to the camera, gently keeping an eye out over his left shoulder.
08:47 He rotates anticlockwise and moves eggs and settles looking out to the west.
09:00 Tiercel is dozing in front of the camera.
09:24 He starts persistent calling and looking round as though another peregrine in sight.
09:25 My suspicions are correct as Falcon arrives up the nave roof and into the box. They exchange a few words and inspect the eggs together, he leaves and she takes over incubation with her back to the camera.
09:35 Falcon stands up and moves round anticlockwise, rolls the eggs and settles down again, looking out to the west.
09:42 The Falcon continues to look around and up intermittently.
09:46 Time for some shut-eye.
09:50 A sudden look out to the east and then settles again.
10:00 Another jiggle of eggs and look around. Meanwhile the Male lands on the North East parapet.
10:06 Head drooping and visible eye closed.
10:37 More gentle looking round intermittently and minor jiggling.
10:39 Sudden looking upwards and minor calling seen!
10:42 More looking upwards on inner facing eye
10:47 First gravel pecking of the morning
10:48 Falcon stands up and rotates anticlockwise and shuffles the eggs again and settles looking eastwards with a few more stones adjusted.
10:57 She starts to preen along her back, then she rotates further anticlockwise and settles with her back to the camera after more egg jiggling and we cannot see her head.
11.00, Now taking over from James with Poppy incubating her three eggs facing facing N/W.
11.10, Henry leaves the North East pinnacle with purpose returns struggling with prey 3 mins later, dropping blood on the W/P table on the way. From W/P.
11.32, Poppy starts calling out, eventually gets up and leaves at 11.34.
11.35 There is a mid air food pass! The male delivers food (a pigeon) to the Falcon.
Photo credits- Jane Crossen
11.36, Henry arrives makes his way too his eggs, settles down facing South.
12.06, No change, Henry still in the same position facing South.
12.19 The Falcon rests after a feed. With a full crop and some blood stains on her talons.
12.29, Change over, Poppy arrives, Henry departs immediately, leaving Poppy to make her way over to her eggs gently shimmies down and gets comfy facing West.
13.00, Now handing over to Val, with Poppy in residence.
13.00 As I start my shift the Falcon is facing south and pecking furiously at the gravel.
13.02 She stretches further and further from the nest, raising her tail so that the eggs are on view.
13.03 She shuffles around and is now facing north. Tenderly she turns each of the eggs with her beak before another 180 degree turn.
She settles on the eggs, facing south. She looks very relaxed and the wind is gently ruffling her feathers. 13.07 Her eye starts to close, and she begins to doze fitfully. 13.09 She is alert and looks round briefly, but then returns to her dozing. 13.10 She ruffles her feathers up and then snuggles back down. 13.16 She awakens for a few seconds but then drops off again. 13.30 She is suddenly very alert and looks round.
13.31 She preens the feathers on her back, and then bobs her head a couple of times.
Though she is clearly wide awake, she has her right eye shut - catching a bit of unihemispheric sleep
13.41 A bit of looking around.
13.43 She is more alert and looking up from time to time.
13.44 She keeps looking upwards as though she can hear something.
13.57 She is now settled and dozing.
13.57 She is looking up again.
14.09 It's gravel pecking time again.
14.10 The Falcon lifts up off the eggs and shuffles round to face east, rearranging the eggs in the process. She ruffles her feathers as she settles to show off her beautifully marked breast.
14.19 She is looking out of the box, occasionally moving her head, cocking it on one side or looking up. 14.24 She stands with her wings slightly extended, and moves the eggs before sitting back down facing north. Then another wriggle and she shuffles round to face south, rolling the eggs with her feet as she moves. 14.32 She pecks at the gravel and seems to be eating it. As she pecks at the stones at the side of the box she reveals the eggs once more. 14.34 The sun is shining on the eggs, showing off their colours. She stands and turns to face the front of the box, rearranging the eggs and then settling down to face north. 14.35 She appears to be chirruping softly. 14.45 She looks around. 14.53 She gives the feathers on her back a good preen, realigning the shafts on each feather.
Then she is up off the eggs, moving them with her beak and her feet as she turns through 180 degrees to face the south.
14.54 She is back on her feet and turns the eggs with her beak, settling down to face south east out of the box, giving me a great view of the baffles in the top of her beak. 14.55 She picks up a piece of gravel and then drops it. 14.56. She is resting on the eggs but is quite alert, looking around. 14.58 She stands over the eggs and then lowers herself back on to them, facing directly out of the box at the camera. 14.59 She has a yawn and a little shake of her head. 15.00 As I finish my shift she is dozing with the sun illuminating her beautiful chocolate brown plumage. 15.00 Falcon on eggs. Suddenly tiercel flew in and an easy change over took place. He is settling facing to the left. 15.02 He's not quite comfy and is bobbing and shuffling using his beak to gently turn the eggs. 15.06 At last he's settling facing away from the camera 15.07 No not comfy yet. More bobbing and shuffling. Ended up facing the way he was ie away from the camera. 15.09 Settles and rests 15.25 Alert and looking behind 15.26 Resettles 15.37 Looks around briefly 15.40 More looking about 15.56 Looks about 16.00 Looks about 16.08 Constantly looking about 16.21 His head is turned to face outward but his eye is closed 16.23 Head down 16.30 He bobs and shuffles but remains facing away
Outside of the box on the East side of the tower the Falcon is preening.
16.41 Back to the male in the nest box. Another wiggle and settles as he was
16.44 He looks about
16.57 He is settled and resting
Thankyou to todays volunteers- Debbie, Graham, Valerie, Jane, John and James.
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