8:53 The Tiercel has been incubating since 5:50, thanks to early-bird WhatsApp sources.
8:55 He gapes for a second or two, then stands, shuffles, and settles with his characteristic rocking action back onto the eggs, facing South-East-ish.
8:58 He seems relaxed enough for one eye to drift shut, but still looks around as if there might be something going on.
9:00 The morning is currently dry but dull, with a gusty breeze ruffling the Tiercel’s feathers.
9:03 Previously his left eye kept slowly closing, but now the right eye is taking a turn.
9:06 The Tiercel suddenly looks skywards, relaxes, but then his head comes up higher as if alerted by something outside our view.
9:10 Again, the Tiercel is on alert, tracking and watching quite intently. Eventually he relaxes, and his right eye drifts shut again.
9:13 The Tiercel appears to be calling quite frequently, so presumably the Falcon is nearby. He does this with one eye shut though, so the situation is not too serious!
9:19 His head is sinking slowly down, as if he is fully asleep, and yet he must be alert to the slightest extraneous sound, as his head also moves a little from side to side in response to noises outside the platform. Interesting too, that the lower lid comes up to cover the eye when it closes.
9:24 Alert again, with head up and checking surroundings. Nothing visible on the inset view, but the Tiercel has his head held up high for a few seconds before relaxing back again with right eye shut.
9:36 The Tiercel looks round, revealing that his left eye is currently closed, then moves his head back to resting position and his right eye also closes.
9:38 He is watching again, then the Falcon arrives, and he leaves immediately. She settles onto the eggs facing North, directly away from the camera.
9:43 The Falcon is getting buffeted by the gusty breeze, possibly more than the Tiercel because she is facing into the platform.
9:53 The Falcon’s head looks round from time to time, possibly in response to the apparently stronger gusts of wind.
10:08 She looks round suddenly, but it is nothing of concern, as she settles back again.
10:10 Alert again, the Falcon’s head is up as she checks around. She settles back after a few seconds.
10:16 The Falcon stands, and shuffles the eggs, then settles in more or less the same position as before.
10:39 She picks at stones beside her for a few seconds.
10:44 The Falcon has a shuffle round, facing East, and indulges in a few moments of stone picking. She then shuffles round further, now facing South-West, and resumes picking, but stops for a while, holding one particular stone in her beak. Eventually she drops it, and continues looking, as if for a replacement!
10:51 She is relaxed, such that one eye is closed, but as with the Tiercel, she is still alert enough to react to the outside world. Not entirely comfortable, she seems to move her feet around under her.
11:00 As this shift ends, the Falcon is on the eggs, relaxed, facing South-West. She shuffles her feet again.
11.00, Now taking over from Peter with
Poppy busy incubating her three eggs facing s/w.
11.15, Poppy still incubating in the same position facing s/w, mainly asleep, occasionally opening her eyes to have a look what's going on around her.
11.25, She wakes up and starts taking in stones to help with her digestion.
11.27, Change over, Henry comes in, Poppy leaves immediately whilst Henry moves to his eggs and starts incubating facing s/w
11.31, Henry alert, keeping an eye on what's going on around him.
12.00, no changes, with him in the same position.
12.12, Henry starts turning his eggs has a shuffle to get comfy incubating, facing south.
12.42, Another shuffle about, gets comfy once again, now facing s/e.
13.00, Now handing over to Debbie with the Tiercel still busy incubating.
13.00 Tiercel has been incubating since 11.27. He is facing to the front and slightly right. He looks upwards. It is sunny and breezy at the moment
13.07 He is sleeping
13.25 He shuffles and settles facing to the right
13.45 He moves some pieces of gravel
14.09 The weather has changed and rain blows across the nest
14.12 The rain has eased
14.15 He is sleepy and relaxed, his beak almost rest on the gravel
14.46 The sun shines again and tiercel sleeps on (Screen shot)
15.00 Tiercel incubating on a very breezy platform and dozing in a ray of sunlight.
15.15 -15.20 Unilateral hemispheric sleeping in the sun.
15.45 Alert and watchful. Shuffled moves eggs, bobs and resettles.
16.01. Dozing again
16.11. Shuffling eggs and repositioning himself.
16.14. Preens chest feathers briefly.
16.35. Tiercel alert, looks as if he might be calling falcon.
16.42. Extremely fast change over. 14 seconds from when falcon can first be seen approaching platform to when tiercel leaves and she takes over; 15 seconds until she has settled into incubation.
17.00. Falcon continues incubating on the breezy platform.
Thank you to todays volunteers for this blog- Jan, Graham, Peter and Debbie
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