It's the last blog of the 2022 season!
The watchpoint will remain open for a few more weeks outside Cromer Museum so do go down and have a look at the birds live if you get the chance.
We owe a huge thank you to all of this years volunteers the CPP Committee for all of their members contributions and to Cromer Church for their continued support and collaboration, Viking optics, NENBC and Norfolk Peregrines.
Thank you to todays volunteers- Graham, Debbie and Peter.
Weather in Cromer this morning: Sunny intervals, 18 degrees, moderate breeze from SW
9.00 Bong x9. It took me some time to realise that the flat bird shape with feathers moving slightly in the breeze, on a crocket of the SW pinnacle, was Jack. He is sleeping and completely still.
9.30 Bong! Jack starts to preen. Camera zooms in and makes it much easier for me to see what's happening.
9.40 He stops preening and watches the world from his vantage point.
9.57 Jack calls
9.58 Jack calls again.
10.00 Bong x10
10.03 Jack preens
10.11 Jack calls and turns his head to look around. He flaps his wings but stays firmly on the crocket.
10.13 Camera zooms out while Jack calls persistently.
10.38 Jack calls again.
10.40 Jack stretches his wings and flies northward out of my view.
10.43 Calling heard off screen
10.44 Jack returns to exactly the same crocket/vantage point.
10.59 He flies off again as I finish my last watch for this year.
11.00, Now taking over from Debbie, with a empty turret where Jack was perched not so long ago.
11.19, Looks like Jack is feeding on the top left hand corner camera.
11.35, With the juvenile finished himself, looks like he's fallen fast asleep in the beautiful Cromer sun.
11.55, Sounds like Jane has been very busy on the Cromer watch point, with lots of school children and the public popping in.
12.00, Sorry to say there's no change on the camera.
13.00, That's all folks from me for this season. Wishing you all the best for the future!
14:48 Getting set up for the final session of the season, the Juvenile is perched on the South-East pinnacle, on its North-East side and in the shade. He is facing South-East too, and is interested in what is going on below, his head moving and bobbing in typical fashion. On one occasion, he also looks up above him, which might indicate that one of the parents is perched above him.
14:51 He has a stretch of right wing and leg. The breeze is ruffling his chest feathers in that characteristic way we have seen so often in the past on his parents.
14:58 Another stretch, this time both wings upwards, which is slightly awkward so close to the stonework, and in the breeze.
15:06 The Juvenile has his head down as he preens his front. He is still facing away to the South-East.
15:10 He is giving particular attention to those awkward spots just under his beak, getting ever more curvature in his neck as he does so!
15:14 Preening finished, the Juvenile gives a shake of his feathers. The gusts of wind cause him to rock around, lifting his tail for balance.
15:19 The Juvenile begins to call, and spins round on his perch to face over the rooftop.
15:20 One of the parents flies in to deliver prey (WhatsApp report was that the Tiercel delivered), which he wrestles away and the Tiercel leaves.
He then covers the prey, mantling to protect it from competition. He continues to call for some time, and remains standing over the prey.
15:25 Eventually the Juvenile begins to pick at the prey, but still stops to call while looking across to our left.
15:29 The Juvenile picks up the prey and moves round to face towards the pinnacle, then just stands over it.
15:33 He has picked up the prey again, and moved round to face towards the roof, then begins to pick at the prey and eats some. He continues to move round while eating, presumably changing his angle of attack, which is trickier than when he was on the open roof space below. He still has time to call repeatedly
15:39 The Juvenile continues to call, and seems to be looking down onto the roof. He is evidently watching one of the parents, and perhaps contemplating taking the food down onto the roof.
15:42 The Juvenile takes a couple of attempts to gather himself and get a firm grip on the prey, then takes off out of picture to the left. Thanks to Julia at the Watchpoint for reporting that he went round to the North-West side before he disappeared from her view.
16:00 The church clock strikes the hour.
17:00 Sadly, this last session ends with no sighting of the Juvenile since he flew off with prey earlier.