8.24 Male on the box brooding the 3 chicks
8.25 Changeover as the female takes over
8.48 Female has a good preen
9.08 Female has a stretch and settles down
9.59 Female pecks at the gravel
10.17 Female has a wander up to the edge of the box
10.20 Female departs
10.26 Female returns with food and begins to feed the 3 chicks
10.36 Female takes flight with the food
10.39 Female returns minus the food and settles on the chicks
10.43 Female shelters the chicks as the sun warms up
13.00 female brooding chicks, pushing them under her with bill,
covering with partly opened wings
13.16 female calling, then left nest bow, returned in few seconds with kill
13.17 female feeding chicks, can't identify prey as shielded by female
13.34 one chick sated, two others with bulging crops soon stop
feeding, female devoured remains of kill. Kill too mangled and with
too few feathers to identify on video.
13.39 female left
13.40 male arrived and attempted to brood chicks, which are already
too large to fit under him.
13.41 female back, male departed
female brooding chicks until 15.00, usually facing away, with wings
spread to cover them from direct sunlight, female gular fluttering to
cool herself
15.00 Falcon facing away and still
15.04 Stretches and turns to her right
15.05 Stands and rearranges herself and her clutch
15.06 Chick excreted powerfully
15.08 One chick exploring, mum used her wing to recapture it
15.10 Falcon’s beak open as if she is panting (it is 15 degrees)
15.15 Chicks being allowed fresh air to cool
15.16 Falcon providing shade for chicks
15.19 She’s still standing, chicks sleeping
15.44 Falcon carefully walks off, looks out, returns to brood nestles over them facing away
15.50 Chicks under Falcon but she is partly standing to give them air and keep them the correct temperature
15.56 Falcon gently stands away from chicks and looks around
15.57 Falcon stands at front edge of nest and looks about
15.58 She’s gone from view, her brood wiggling about
15.59 She is back and chicks interested in food but there is none
16.00 Falcon stands near chicks and they all resettle
16.22 Falcon preens thoroughly
16.28 Falcon calling out and look alert
16.32 Falcon stretches and looking out, chicks in her shade
16.36 On edge of nest box, agitated, alert and calling out
16.40 She’s flown off, chicks wiggle gently
16.45 She’s back and resumes shading chicks
Julian Thomas, Debbie Colman and Robert Keatley
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