7am Intruder Alert! The male was incubating, but the sound of an intruder made him leave the eggs and chase it off. The Falcon remained on the South West Turret.
8.34 A beautiful sunny morning. Falcon standing close to eggs, she is preening and alert
8.35 She hunkers down checking the eggs with her beak
8.36 She pecks at gravel
8.40 She readjusts and settles again
8.48 She looks all around
8.50 Tiercel flies in and she flies off.
8.52 He settles quickly onto the eggs
9.07 He gently turns one egg, resettles directly facing the camera
9.09 He pecks and replaces gravel
9.14 Settled and sleeping
9.16 Opens one eye and then closes it
9.29 Alert and looking about. Gravel pecking
9.30 He rearranges the eggs; one rolls back to its original spot which he moves again until it stays where required
9.31 He settles facing right, the sun streams into the box
9.38 He preens
9.40 He resettles facing the camera
10.05 He changes position again, both eggs seen very clearly and the difference in the colour of these two eggs is apparent
10.17 A fly came in and disturbed him, he watched it with accuracy
10.42 A reshuffle and resettle
10.44 He pecks at gravel
10.45 Tiercel settles
11.00
Tiercel having a preen and adjusting the eggs. Love the way he “bounces” up and down when getting ready to sit on the eggs. Got to be comfy!
11.10
Having a gentle doze for a few seconds but then back on duty. Sun on his face making him a bit sleepy. Frequent opening of beak (calling or just hot?)
11.20
Beak opening must be to cool down. Now sitting up and looking more alert. Pesky fly buzzing about.
11.30
Continuing to gently doze for a split second and wake. Beak opening frequently to cool down.
11.40
Tiercel more alert and looking around the box but still cooling down by opening beak.
11.47
Tiercel adjusts eggs and turns slightly towards back of box. No – eggs still not right so has another go at getting them in the right place. That’s better. He has settled down and is now facing the back of the box and is out of the sun.
12.00
Back to a gentle snooze for a few seconds. Surely he will be relieved soon? He has been on the eggs for over 3 hours now.
12.10
The back of the bird rises and falls with each breath. Sometimes the breaths come quick quickly as though he is “panting” and then slows down slightly. Breaths are surprisingly quick.
12.15
Fully alert and looking around. Hoping for the Falcon to relieve him maybe. False alarm and settles down again but not to snooze.
12.20
That pesky fly is back. How can you have a snooze with that buzzing about?
12.30
Alert again and looking over shoulder. Nope! Falcon no where to be seen so back to snoozing.
12.31
Falcon arrives. Tiercel seems reluctant to move off the eggs at first. Maybe he has got cramp! He flies off and Falcon covers eggs after a bit of “scurryfunging” the stones out of her way to make the scrape bigger. She sits facing the back of the box.
12.40
She turns and more scraping of stones with her feet. Now facing with her back to the sun. Looking very alert. No snoozing on the job for her. More turning and scraping and now facing the sun with her left wing outspread to shade the eggs perhaps.
12.48
No, she cannot get comfortable. More turning away from sun with both wings covering the eggs whilst she stands.
12.51
Turning again and scraping the stones. Partly into the sun but facing back of box and with left wing drooped over eggs.
13.00
Falcon seems to be settled now. It is not possible to see if she is having a crafty snooze too.
13.00, Now taking over from Peta with Poppy settled down on her two eggs with her back towards the camera.
13.09, Poppy now sitting up with her wings open slightly, supposingly to try to cool down. Still not settled she actually makes her mind up and settles facing the camera.
13.17, Poppy still very unsettled has another change direction makes herself comfy with her back towards the camera once again.
13.23, Another change of position now facing towards Morrisons. Can't keep up with her keep changing her mind which way to face.
13.35, Another change, now facing the back of the box.
13.40, Poppy spreads herself flat, wings slightly open to shelter her eggs from the lovely Cromer sun and trying to cool down at the same time.
13.57, Poppy quickly sits up, looks around making me think Henry was coming in to take over, NO, whilst still sheltering her eggs, settles down with her back towards the camera once again.
14.04, Another change now facing towards Morrisons once again.
14.12, Poppy decides to rearrange the stones around her, why they do this i don't know?
14.18, Another change now facing towards the camera.
14.29, She actually settles and falls asleep but not for long, just sits there looking what's going on around her.
14.39, Change over. Henry comes to take his place in the box, makes his way over his eggs, where he settles down to hatch his eggs facing the camera.
15.50, Male trying to keep his eyes open, must have had a big dinner like me.
15:53 The Falcon incubates the eggs.
Will tonight be the night she lays her 3rd egg?
Thank you to todays volunteers Debbie, Peta and Graham