7.24 My first view of the different camera angle, and we find one chick pacing about the platform alone, while its two siblings are out on the roof of the church. One of the chicks on the roof is standing preening, while the other is lying down.
9.00 This session starts with one chick in the middle at the front of the platform, and the other two off to the right and out of sight. In recent minutes they have been on the far edge of the roof, flapping their wings and heading down the roof. One of the parents is perched on the stonework to the left, just visible in the top left corner of the screen. It apparently arrived about 10 minutes previously.
9.01 The solo chick entertains with a stretch of each wing in turn, followed by a slow two-wing flap.
9.08 The solo chick stands watching the antics of its siblings off to the right.
9.10 Another slow two-wing stretch from the solo chick. In the absence of its siblings, it is not possible to determine its gender.
9.14 One of the other chicks re-appears on the roof, and works its way back up to the ridge, then returns to the platform. This chick has much less downy fluff on its plumage.
9.16 The returning chick picks up a food fragment and moves quickly into the near left corner to consume it. After a few seconds, the other chick does the same into the right corner.
9.19 It is difficult to judge from the camera angle, but the chick which came back to the platform may well be a male, as it appears slightly smaller.
9.19 The other chick appears below the right edge of the platform, moves up onto the roof ridge and walks away to the far end.
9.23 The chick out on the roof ridge has moved part way down the left side of the roof, practising more wing flapping. The fluffier chick settles on the front left edge of the platform, while its sibling continues to pick at the food fragment.
9.26 The chick on the roof has worked its way back to the ridge for now, and stands looking around.
9.28 The roaming chick has headed down the right side of the roof and out of sight again.
9.31 The chick which has been picking at food in the left corner has now been busy for over 15 minutes!
9.33 The third chick out on the roof has re-appeared on the far corner, and makes its way back up to the roof ridge. Then it comes along to the platform and hops in. Up close, it too is showing much less fluff, and a similar size to the one in the corner, so probably these two are the males.
9.39 The three chicks are temporarily all together, the recent arrival having a preening session.
9.47 The fluffier chick at the front has been shuffling closer to its prone sibling and leaning on it, until it gets disturbed enough to move a little to the right. This seems just to make room for the fluffier one to do some preening!
9.58 The prone chick stretches its leg, which nudges the left-most chick to move a little to its left. 9.59 Suddenly all three chicks are alert, and the one recently prone chick was possibly calling as it moved into the platform.
10.01 The alert came to nothing, although chick on the left is seen looking round to its left. The other two have resumed competing for best spot to sun themselves at the front of the platform. There must be something special about that place! Through these moments, the parent perched on the edge has not moved.
10.05 After a brief trip to the back of the platform to “use the facilities”, the standing chick returns to the front and semi-settles by its fluffier sibling.
10.27 The fluffier chick rouses up and stands for a moment between its siblings, pointing its tail out over the roof (and we all know why!).
10.28 It then moves into the middle of the platform to find some space, and stretches its leg out as it settles down again. However, despite showing its leg ring, it is still not clear which chick it is, although from a purely size point of view, it would seem to be the female of the three.
10.35 Meanwhile, in the top left corner, the parent is doing its own preening.
10.44 Maybe 48 is on the left of the group.
11.00 Session ends with the three chicks clustered together on the front of the platform, the female is awake and preening, and a parent is still perched in the background, as it has for the entire session. Just at this point, the right chick also gets up for a stretch.
11.05 All 3 chicks closed to edge of box, alert and preening.
11.16 One chick (the female?) wandered back into corner.
11.19 Female stretching wings.
11.20 Female an 1 Male chick up.
11.21 Both males lying down.
11.28 Female preening.
11.29 Both males stretching.
11.33 Female chick more alert than others
11.35 Female chick preening.
11.46 Female chick wandering about.
11.53 Chicks having stretch.
12.05-12.47 All chicks variously changing positions between front and back of box, perhaps alternating sun bathing with a bit of shade. When at the front, chicks are looking out over town, and occasionally stretching and preening, or having a lie down.
12.48 Adult in with prey. Male chick in back corner snatched it off adult and began feeding on it.
12.50 Adult cleaning talons. Female close by, calling. Other Male chick on edge of box looking out.
12.52 Brief tug-of-war between adult and chick over carcass. Adult won and is now feeding the chick. Female chick close, looking on hopefully.
12.54 Female chick now being fed by adult. Chick on ledge now back in and showing interests in the proceedings.
12.57 2nd Male chick now being fed.
13.01 As I start my shift an Adult, male?, is feeding a male chick, number not visible. 49 is standing back watching and the other male chick is standing on the left hand side of the ledge. 13.04 Male chick leaves the ledge and goes towards the food, leaves it then goes over to the right hand corner of the ledge. 13.08 The other male chick goes to the ledge. The adult joins them, hops down onto the gable. Then flies off. 13.10 49, the female chick, goes to the front and pushes her way in front of a male chick pushing him back. All 3 now in a row settle down in the sun. 13.16 Adult comes into view from the SE corner and lands on the roof. 13.18 Adult makes its way up to the gable at the far end. 13.19 49 stands up and flaps wings, picks up a carcass and takes it into a corner. 13.22 49 , lots of wing flapping. 13.29 Male chick leaves the platform landing onto the gable. Flaps wings. The remaining 2 stand and watch. 13.32 Male chick returns to the platform. 13.37 All dozing. 14.01. Able to ID 48 as a leg is stuck out. 47 stands up. 49 dozing in the shade. 14.35 47 & 49 stand up and stretch, 49 preens. 14.40 48 stands up. 14.52 49 moves forward and lays between the 2 male chicks who are sitting upright looking out. 14.57 48 jumps up onto the ledge. The adult hasn’t moved since 13.18.
15.00 All three chicks standing at the front of the Box No. 48 standing on the ledge of the box female 49 in the middle sat down.One adult at end of Ridge sat possibly Tiercel keeping an eye on chicks in the box .
15.02 All 3 chicks looking out of box.
15.04 Number 49 stood up and walked to the back of the box sat down in the shade.
15.06 Both the males 47 and 48 preening.
15.08 Number 49 got up from the back of the box and joined the two males all three now laying down.
15.10 Adult meal became alert walked down the roof and flew up onto Fleur delays .He can now just be seen sitting on stonework.
15.11 He flies off.
15.12 Chicks stood watching out intently.
15.12 Number 49 returns back into the shade and sits in the corner.
15.14 Number 48 chick standing on ridge and nearly blown off by gust of wind. He then jumps down onto the The roof ridge.
15.14 Number 47 at the front and number 49 still in the shade watch his antics.
15.15 Number 48 walks along the ridge flapping wings vigorously and then walks halfway along the ledge he then proceeds to walk down the roof tiles to the bottom of the roof.
15.19 Number 47 flapping vigorously on the edge of the platform.
15.20 Number 48 Now goes down to the bottom of the roof.
15.21 Number 47 Picks up some old prey at the back of the box and begins to eat it.
15.23 Number 49 and 47 looking down to the bottom of the roof watching number 48.
15.26 Number 48 almost flies back up to the ridge. Now flapping vigorously walking along the ridge.
15.27 He now walks down the other side of the roof tiles.
15.28 Female goes back into the shade and sits down.
15.28 Number 47 looking down at the antics of number 48.
15.31 Both chicks in the box look down at number 48 who now walks up the ridge and jumps back into the box.
15.34 Number 47 now up on the edge of the box and drops down onto the ridge flapping wings as he goes.
15.37 Other two standing in the box watching number 47.
15.37 Number 49 goes back into the corner of the box and looks at the wall.
15.45 Two birds in the box doing a lot of preening.
15.46 Number 47 jumps back into the box now all three sitting in the box.
15.48 Both males go to the front of the box and the female walks up behind all three now looking out expectantly. After a short while all three slumped down together
15.51 All three resting in the Sun.
15.52 Number 49 moved to the back into the shade.
16.01 All three sleeping resting in this position for a long while.
16.09 Female and breaks the peace walking from the back and joining the males at the front. Males being disturbed one standing up number 48 while number 49 stairs to the back of the two males.
16.15 Number 47 more alert.
16.19 48 and 49 preening again all three chicks now standing up, number 47 then walked into the corner into the shade.
16.20 All three birds now alert
16.28 All three chicks are standing up..
16.38 The two males are looking out earnestly.
16.42 Both males stood up and calling.
16.45 All three birds stood up and calling.
16.46 Number 47 drop down onto the ridge and going down towards adult.
16.47 For the two stood on the edge of platform looking down towards number 47
16.51 Number 47 comes back up onto the ridge.
16.57 Number 47 gone to far corner and appears to be eating a piece of prey which perhaps he has brought in.
17.00 Number 47 out again on ridge the other two sat down in the box
Thanks to Andrew Gorton, Peter Ducker, Julia Ivison and James Ramshaw for todays blog