Thank you to todays volunteers- Peter, Andrew, Barbara and Sue
09:00 This morning it’s a case of hunt the chick, as it has found a spot where it is hidden by scaffold poles and the walkway! This may turn out to be a very brief blog! We can but hope for a feed at some point. According to reports, the last feed was just before 5 this morning.
09:37 At last, some movement! A foot appears into view as the chick wriggles around, but sadly only to get more comfortable and as much out of view as possible! It is even less visible now!
09:42
09:46 The chick has moved around, so now its head is visible. However, it still seems comfortable where it is, although its head is moving around. Perhaps it sees a parent.
09:48 A wing stretch, and it looked as though the chick might be about to stand up, but it seems to have settled back again for now.
10:04 The chick has another stretch of wings, which moves it into view a little more, so now it is apparent that some preening is going on.
10:06 Now standing and preening. The breeze seems to be taking away some discarded fluff.
10:09 Preening vigorously now. Discarded downy feathers drift away.
10:14 The chick gives another extensive wing stretch after the preening, but is now less visible than before.
10:21 More wing stretching, and maybe preening too.
10:22 The chick is on the move, and heads to bottom left of our view where it is almost out of picture.
10:29 Thanks to our cameraman, we get our first clear view of the day:-
10:30 Lots of wing stretching , then the chick moves onto the ridge of the church roof. It appears to be calling. Standing just off the ridge, it continues to call.
10:35 The chick is tracking something, but not apparently calling. Then it starts calling, but only briefly, followed a stretch of right wing and leg. This is followed by the same for left wing and leg.
10:37 The chick turns as it watches, then after another stretch, it moves down and out of view bottom left. Evidently breezy up there as the picture wobbles slightly.
10:42 The chick was briefly in view, but has evidently found a new place to hide. It emerges at the run, then goes to stand on a cover of some sort, near the ridge of the roof. Great view of wing flapping from above, then it jumps off the cover onto the ridge, then moves out of view at the bottom of the picture.
10:58 Just in time for the end of session, the chick comes back into view, and no wonder, the Tiercel comes in with food!
11:00 The Tiercel is continuing to feed the chick, which now appears to be bigger than him. He moves closer, as the chick seems to be less interested, and does not try to take hold of the prey. In fact, its attention wanders and it watches something else flying around, before it bothers to take some more food. The Tiercel carries on offering, and the chick becomes more interested.
11:12 The chick seemed to have lost interest, so the Tiercel took the prey a little further away along the ridge tiles. However, the chick was still interested enough to follow, so the Tiercel fed it a little more, then carried on feeding itself.
11:15 The Tiercel left with the remains. The chick stood on the ridge with the pier and the sea in the background, before almost running across the roof and out of view.
1116: Female on SW pinnacle.
1150: Male flies from perch.
1206: He returns to SE pinnacle.
That’s how it stood at 1300 at shift changeover.
AFTER THE BREAK…
12:42 Having had a feed, the chick has settled down on the roof, near to the walkway, where it has remained.
13:02 The chick is fairly alert, its head up and watching fixedly in one direction. Eventually it relaxes.
13:05 The chick stands up and stretches its wings a little, and looks around as if planning its next move. Then a bit more preening, before it settles on its haunches. It has a downy feather on its head, which it tries to dislodge with its feet, first one, then the other. It seems frustrated not to have shifted it yet. It looks skyward, almost straight at the camera.
13:10 It gives another stretch of its wings, displaying its developing plumage quite well from this angle of view. It continues to preen.
13:17 After an extensive preening session, the chick settles down onto the tiles.
13:19 The chick is on its feet again for a wobbly stretch of wing and leg. It stands, leans forward and ejects two white streams in quick succession. Then it resumes preening.
13:28 The chick has turned and is now facing up the tiles, but very close to edge of our view.
13:36 This position is quite close to where it was first thing this morning (9 o’clock).
13:41 The chick’s tail feathers are now big enough to be blown upwards by the stronger breeze this afternoon.
13:54 With a wave of a wing, the chick lurches to its feet, but settles back down almost immediately.
14:08 The chick is on its feet and stretching again. It scratches its head, then tries to preen the down fluff on the same leg in the semi-seated position.
14:12 The chick has another stretch of each leg, then tries to stand on one leg. The breeze does not help with this exercise, so the chick resumes the two-footed stance. Stares straight at the camera!
14:15 A large downy feather is removed from somewhere under the right wing,, and clings briefly to its beak before being shaken off. There is still one on top of the chick’s head. More stretching, this time left side.
14:18 It has a bit more success with scratching its head this time, even if still a bit shaky.
14:22 The chick backs up, and probably has a quick squirt, but not on screen. Then it moves rapidly out of view, being tracked down by Chris as it stands on the ridge tiles. It has an experimental run, flapping its wings, then turns and scoots back and off camera. When we catch up again, it is nearly back where it was this morning. Over the next few minutes it manages to find exactly the same spot, almost invisible again.
14:36 The tips of the chick’s wings are just visible, so judging by the way one is moving, it’s probable the chick is preening again.
14:44 The chick looks like it is fast asleep on the tiles. Its head is just visible this side of the scaffold pole. The strong breeze seems to keep pulling the end of its left wing over to the right, but does not disturb it.
14:59 One of the parents comes in, but without food (Tiercel?)
It only stays for a few seconds, then leaves again. The chick does not move.
15:00 As this session ends, the chick is still largely hidden, fast asleep, on the tiles and almost out of view of the camera the other side of a scaffold pole.
16.02 male(?)appears briefly from left of screen. Shrieking from other adult.
03 shrieking continues but no birds in site.
04 chick on ridge of roof. Flaps it’s wings. Remains alert with back to camera. Windy - ruffled feathers.
08 turns slightly then preens
09 walks off left out of view
11 back on ridge - and alert.
12 on to tiles near the ridge.
17 screeching from adult - keeps starting and stopping
26 adult appears from left with looks like a foot to feed on !!
Chick begging for food. Adult appears to feed it with something then chick proceeds to help itself. One adult screeching the other wanders off left. Chick tries to eat the claw! Adult back for a moment. Chick at last manages to eat the claw whole but is looking round for more. Adult goes. (32)
33 Chick back to camera. Adult calling but not seen.
34 Chick moves towards the grill and does a poo the walks back to the ridge. No action for some time.
52Chick shuffles around and then settles for a while but then walks along the ridge towards the camera, looking around and hopeful of something for appetizing.
57 Then it happens. Both adults appear briefly with food then one flies away. Adult plucks the prey. Chick moves towards the adult and is eventually fed. Then chick moves in and helps itself.
The last 3 minutes or so produced a little more action.