Thank you to Val and Nick, Graham, Sean and Stephanie for today's blog.
It's Friday yeah!
9.00 No sign of either Peregrine on a grey gloomy day. The sea is flat calm.
9.04 The sound of distant gulls.
9.20 Sound of screeching Peregrine and then gentle clucking.
9.21 The male Peregrine (Tiercel) arrives and heads for the scrape, calling.
He sits down facing south east and has a quick scrape with his back legs, then turns his back to the camera – I think he is re-arranging the gravel at the front.
9.22 He settles into the scrape facing south and moves some more gravel with his feet, but then stands up again, looking at the view.
9.23 He makes his way slowly to the edge of the box, fluffing up his feathers, looking around, one leg tucked up out of view.
9.24 The Tiercel ooks up briefly and then continues to stare out of the box and check around.
9.25 Very alert.
9.26 He looks up again.
9.27 Big yawn – he’s obviously getting bored (if only there were eggs to sit on!).
9.29 Dong!
9.31 Another yawn. Dozing off – right eye closed, and then both.
9.32 Awake.
9.33 Starts preening his back.
9.36 He shuts his left eye for a few moments, then he’s awake but nodding, his eye keeps shutting. Now his right eye is closed.
9.37 Still half asleep, occasionally both eyes shut momentarily.
9.38 Right eye still shut.
9.40 Time for a quick snooze - both eyes closed.
9.41 Awake but bleary-eyed, he soon nods off again, no now he’s awake – make up your mind!
9.42-9.51 More unihemispheric sleeping, with moments when both eyes are shut, but he is obviously partially aware because he doesn’t fall off his perch! There are brief moments of alertness when he looks around, even with one eye shut.
9.49 The female (Falcon) is on the north western turret, preening
9.54 In the nest box the Tiercel is now much more alert – looking round. Gulls can be heard in the distance.
9.55 He briefly puts his second foot down but then withdraws it again.
9.56 He goes into the scrape and scrapes some more gravel out towards the front of the box.
9.57 He pecks at the gravel, facing the back of the box.
9.58 He wanders into the north-eastern corner and inspects the stones there, before heading to the front of the box, where he resumes his one-legged vigil.
9.59 The clock strikes ten.
10.03-10.27 He starts to nod off again, but is generally a little more alert in between naps. The wind is ruffling his feathers.
10.27 A quick yawn and back to dozing.
10.28 He turns his head to listen to a noisy motorbike, but still needs some more shut-eye.
10.29 Dong! He wakes with a start, but falls asleep again almost immediately.
10.31 He stares intently upwards for a few seconds.
10.32 That was clearly quite tiring so he goes back to sleep.
10.37 The wind is picking up and he wobbles a little as he dozes.
10.43 He is more alert, looking round.
10.45 Getting sleepy again.
10.59 The clock strikes eleven – the Tiercel looks up and then relaxes again.
11.00, poor old Henry so tired, can't keep his eye open, with the other looking out for any trouble. He weakens, becoming more alert what's going on around him.
11.10, Henry starts having a preen, then decides its exercise time by stretching his legs and wings.
11.17, after all that, he's still not satisfied with his looks, so he's starts to manicure his nails.
11.25, Henry finishes his manicuring, then looks up into the skies as Poppy's voice bellows in the back ground.
11.31, Henry calls back, when suddenly Poppy arrives on the box, where they start doing there Courtship ritual. Henry leaves, leaving Poppy home alone as she makes her way to the back of the box to her scape.
11.38, Poppy moves out of the scrape and just sits there looking about, stoops down to take in some stones then moves once again back to her scrape where she places her head on her wing and falls fast asleep.
11.53, Poppy quickly awakens from her slumber bows down, whilst hearing Henry in the back ground. Poppy once again puts her on the her wing for another forty winks.
12.07, She wakes up, decides to stretch her legs to the front of the box. AND FALLS ASLEEP ONCE AGAIN!
12.34, Poppy awakens for more preening, suddenly gets up, very upset and leaves the nest box, where you can hear them in the back ground.
12.51, don't know who it was, but someone was calling again from somewhere on the church.
13.00, End of shift, hand over to Sean.
13.16 Muffled by the church bells ringing in memory of the passing of HM Duke of Edinburgh, peregrines can be heard calling.
13.45 Poppy arrives on the edge of the box where she perches with her back to me, occasionally closing one eye.
13.56 – 14.12 Lengthy sleep with head tucked behind her back, between her wings.
14.12 Poppy wakes up, looks around, occasionally drifting off, closing one eye.
14.16 Back to sleep, same position as earlier.
14.21 Starts to preen herself. One of her wing feathers (covert?) is slightly damaged – small section missing from it, on left wing.
14.42 Poppy moves into the box, briefly settling into the nest.
14.44 – 15.00 Constantly in and out of nest, sometimes settling, otherwise pecking at gravel as she sits or moving around the perimeter, again picking things off the gravel.3pm Female near the right front of the box, facing outwards and dozing slightly.
3.01 Tiercel arrives, lots of calling from both of them as they are in the box together.
Female turns to the front obscuring the view of the tiercel.
3.03 Female now back to the camera and preening
3.-04 Female moves to the right, still back view, and looks out of the side of the box. Tiercel chirps from the back of the box.
3.06 Both motionless
3.07 Tiercel leaves suddenly, female remains at right front corner in the same position.
3.19 Still in the same position , looking round occasionally.
3.34 She watches a fly as it comes into the box and then leaves again. Weather now a bit brighter.
3.51 Chirping loudly she turns to face the front. Now alert as the tiercel is heard calling outside.
3.53 Female dozing.
3.55 Preening the top of left wing and chest.
3.56 Dozing again.
3.58 Cleaning left foot.
4pm Scratching face with right foot, then left and cleans left foot.
4.01 Looking around alert.
4.05 Dozing
4.14 Stretching and pecking at left foot.
4.15 Resting left foot tucked up.
4.17 Head now tucked back over left shoulder, asleep.
4.23 Awake again briefly, but soon asleep, head back.
4.25 Awake.
4,26 Head back again.
4.35 Head up briefly before going back again.
4.40 Facing front still dozing. One sleepy peregrine.
4,45 Now preening chest and shoulders.
4.48 Resting left foot again.
4.58 Now facing front left
5pm Head turned towards back of box.
Yorumlar