Thank you to Jonathon, James, Andrew and Rachel for todays amazing blog
Good Morning from a cloudy but calm Cromer with a sea mist on Camera 2
9:00 Falcon is standing on Scrape, turning head from left to right while alert.
9:04 Left eye closes briefly
9:05 Both eyes closed briefly while Camera 2 looks for Henry, but unsuccessful.
9:10 Preening feathers.
9:11 turns 180 degrees and starts moving gravel. She then turns again facing left to right and moves more gravel.
9:16 More preening.
9:20 Right eye closed briefly.
9:25 moves into corner of box and starts moving gravel and making a small hole while choosing the best bits of gravel.
9:28 Church Clock strikes 09:30 and returns to scrape for more sitting.
9:31 A bit of traffic is heard including Car Horns.
9:32 She stands and bites his talons before lying down and moving more gravel.
9:34 Distant Gulls heard calling.
9:39 Turns towards camera and both eyes closed briefly.
9:40 Distant Calls heard and she walks to edge of box.
9:43 Something catches her attention as she looks from Left to Right a few times.
9:44 Distant building works heard.
9:47 Scratches and preens right leg (while standing on one leg trick).
9:48 Slight ruffle of feathers.
9:49 Preening of wing feathers.
9:52 More preening of feathers.
9:58 Church Clock chimes for 10:00 with double chime and a dog is heard barking in the background, with no reaction from Poppy
10:03 Distant calls heard from unknown source.
10:11 Male is heard calling, with no reaction from Falcon.
10:17 More preening.
10:23 Camera 2 now looking SW in the Sunshine.
10:24 Female Stretches before facing left to right.
10:27 Stands to face Camera.
10:28 Church Clock strikes 10:30 with Gulls heard in the background.
10:33-10:36 Both eyes closed briefly then intermittent with Left eye open, then closed etc.
10:37 Male calls again, but still no reaction from female.
10:41 Both eyes closed then Right eye open.
10:44 Poppy enters nest and Henry Departs onto Crocket of SW Pinnacle before flying off.
10:47 Poppy Departs to leave an empty nest.
10:49 High pitched calling heard off camera.
10:56 Poppy Calling from nest box.
10:58 Church Clock chimes for 11:00
11:00 Box is empty, female is on a fleur de Lys on south side of tower.
11:03 Female left fleur de Lys and called, Chris scanned with camera and she had landed on NW turret in the sea fret.
11:23 Female evacuates.
11:29 She starts to preen.
11:40 She cleans her talons
11:41 Both birds call and she is alert
11:44 Male flies in from west and copulation takes place.
11:45 Male arrives to inspect the scrape.
11:46 Female resumes preening. Male continues to groom the scrape and peck stones.
11:48 Male leaves the scrape and perches on the edge of box surveying the scene.
11:49 Male looks round very alert and also at 11:51
12:01 The sun has finally decided to shine on Cromer. The male returns to the scrape. The camera feed is very fragmented.
12:06 Male leaves the scrape again and returns to perch on the front of the box on one leg in his usual pose.
12:16 Male appears to be catnapping, female continues to perch on NW turret, preening.
12:27 Male turns and leaves the front of the box and goes to the scrape for more maintenance.
12:30 Male returns again to front of box and stands on his left leg instead of right! Female is now just perching and looking around.
12:35 Female restarts preening and cleaning left talon
12:41 Male start to clean his right talon and then tucks it back inside his feathers.
12:44 Female becomes alert and leaves NW turret and flies off east and then there is a glimpse of a bird flying close to nest box.
12:46 Female arrives on box and there is mutual calling and bowing (photo)
12:47 Male leaves box and disappears from view. Female goes to scrape and moves some stones and looks hot with wings opened.
12:48 Male is found by camera moving perched on NE turret in the sun and starts serious preening.
13:00 End of shift, female is standing over the scrape and male is perched on NE turret.
13.00 Clock strikes 1. Tiercel (I think) in scrape in nest box. Falcon perched on one of the pinnacles.
13.01 Tiercel preening. Falcon on pinnacle. With eye closed.
13.08 Tiercel raking at scrape.
13.25 Tiercel pecking and raking scrape.
13.32 Tiercel preening.
13.37 Tiercel preening. Falcon still on perch with eyes closed.
13.41 Tiercel now lying down in scrape.
13.50 Falcon still on pinnacle and preening.
13.55 - 14.30 Tiercel and Falcon have kept their positions and are both having a snooze.
14.30 As the clock strikes the half-hour, the Tiercel is alert and looking around.
14.37 Falcon has been calling for a minute or so then appears in nest box with Tiercel
14.45 Falcon has called a couple of times more. Tiercel making clucking/ squeaking noises.
14.48 Tiercel flies off. Falcon remains on edge of nest box, and preening until end of the shift
15.00 The clock strikes as I take over the watch from Andrew, the female (falcon, Poppy) is perched on the front right corner of the nest box in the sun with her back to us busy preening and stretching occasionally, meanwhile the male (tiercel, Henry) is nowhere to be seen at this time. The other camera is facing out to sea in the general direction of Overstrand.
15.10 Poppy spends some time looking into the nest box and generally around her before continuing preening.
15.20 the situation remains the same this is a long preening session … I wonder if she preparing for a big event! 😉
15.22 a noise briefly disturbs Poppy she appears to be looking up but she soon carries on preening.
15.26 Poppy can obviously hear something she’s looking all around and quite alert.
15.28 time for a good stretch……
15.30 the bells strikes the half hour and Henry is still away and Poppy is now just sitting in the same position casually looking around
15.35 Poppy is closing her eyes on and off and has stopping preening, her pose makes me thing of someone on sentry duty, guarding her territory.
15.41 Poppy has a good scratch ..it amazes me with those talons how gentle they can also be… she then starts preening again
15.45 I still have a lovely view over the sea on one camera and Poppy remains in the same position she was on the nest box
15.47 more scratching and preening from Poppy.
15.48 calling from outside the box can be heard, it’s fair, I think, to assume it’s Henry, Poppy doesn’t really react and soon continues beautifying herself.
15.54 the nest box camera is zoomed out slightly so we can now see the full view of our Queen of Cromer making herself look more lovely. Seconds later the other camera is being panned around looking for Henry.
16.00 the church bell strikes the hour; nothing has changed albeit the external camera now rests in a slightly different position on the turret with the sea in the background
16.02 calling can be heard again; Poppy looks but no response.
16.03 Poppy has decided it’s time to close her eyes and doze some more
16.06 there goes the ice cream van seems to disturb Poppy who is now looking all around again
16.11 Calling can be heard and Poppy flies from the box and loud calling can be heard off camera
16.14 lots of calling off camera one very close one replying from further away
16.15 the flash of a peregrine wing on the next box camera
16.18 the external camera is panned around and focusses on a fleur de Lis atop which Poppy peregrine is perched in the sun calling occasionally
16.21 the nest box camera takes a rare venture away to another Fleur de Lis where this time we can see Poppy …..she appears to be considering flying off
16.22 but nope she decides to poop towards the camera, how unladylike!!
16.23 she has flown off again…they can both be heard calling …. the camera now settles on Henry perched on a sunny crocket while Poppy is perched just across the tower on the NW turret consequently the nest box camera awaits their return.
16.25 Henry is now resting is beak on his wing and having a snooze
16.27 Henry decides to exhibit his toilet “skills” once more before turning to sit with his back to the camera, calling can occasionally be heard
16.31 with shade now falling on parts of the nest box it’s apparent just how deep that hole in the scrape is!
16.41 Henry continues to be staring out to see with the sun on his back perched up on his crocket.
16.46 calling can be heard, I’m quite sure this is Poppy
16.50 the nest box remains empty and Henry remains in his position.
16.56 Henry occasionally glances over his wing between some gentle preening, again Poppy can be heard calling.
16.58 Poppy still calling periodically
17.00 the church clock strikes and that brings to an end another day of the watch. We leave with Henry with his back to us up on his sunny crocket, Poppy calling in the background and the nest box empty – have good evenings one and all.
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