07.00 Tiercel alert but only moving head
07.17 Shuffles about. Pecks at gravel
07.24 Vocalising
07.25 Change-over, no prey brought in and the Falcon settles down quickly
07.35 Looking around
07.48 The Falcon is dozing at the moment, then briefly extends her neck a couple of times
08.49 The Falcon continues incubating, seemingly asleep, but always ready to react
09.00 As I start this shift, the Falcon is incubating, and the sun is beginning to light up the nest box. Right on time she has a pick at some stones, a quick preen, and then turns her back on the camera!
09.03 Having turned to face into the back of the nest box, the Falcon now has to make regular checks over her shoulder. She peers round, then nuzzles her beak in under her left wing. She appears to be asleep, and her right eye is closed, but just visible over the edge of her wing.
09.10 Briefly very awake, but after a quick check, she resumes her position of beak behind wing,
09.15 Clearly sleeping with one eye slowly opening and shutting at intervals.
09:17 Wakes up suddenly, and after a quick look round, starts busily preening her right wing. This leads to a shuffle around and re-positioning of the eggs, which are briefly visible underneath her.
09.21 An active session of stone picking leads to the eggs being uncovered and visible for a few seconds, before the Falcon returns to incubation, now facing the side rather than the back of the box. 09.37 After a few minutes of apparent peaceful dozing, the Falcon stirs and the Tierel arrives to take over. A nice clear view of the eggs with the Tiercel watching as the Falcon leaves.
09:38 After the changeover, the Tiercel highlights the size difference between the sexes as he struggles for several moments to get the eggs gathered underneath him. He can be seen calling to the eggs as he does so.
09.52 The Tiercel shuffles round on the eggs, facing straight out of the box, clearly showing one eye open and one closed! The inner eyelid can just be seen as it flicks across the eye, and it is apparent that peregrines (maybe all birds?) close their eyes with the lower lid moving up, rather than the upper moving down.
10.05 The Tiercel’s head droops as he is very relaxed and dozing, then he picks his head up again before his beak can quite touch the gravel! He re-shuffles slightly, now facing almost directly at the camera.
10.10 Both eyes closed again and head drooping.
10.13 Another shuffle in place, but again one egg shows slightly under his chest.
10.18 Amusing to watch the Tiercel’s eyelids drop open one at a time!
10.33 Well and truly asleep now!
10.35 Having woken up again, he is momentarily distracted by a large fly buzzing round his head (at least I think it was a fly!).
10.45 A little bit of buffering, but only brief, and the Tiercel was asleep anyway!
10.54 The Tiercel continues to doze, all seems calm at the moment, unlike yesterday’s confrontation with crows which was evidently quite dramatic, and showed the falcon’s defensive stance to good effect.
11.00 As the session ends, the Tiercel is incubating, seemingly quite relaxed and dozing.
11.20 View switched to Cam 2 and Falcon perched on north east turret. Flew off after a couple of seconds and view switched back to Cam 1 and nest box.
11.46 Tiercel shifted on eggs briefly
11.58 Falcon entered nest box and changed over with tiercel on eggs. Tiercel flew off.
13.00 Female shuffling around calling before settling.
13.07 Female pruning feathers
13.08 Female standing up and turning around while arranging 3 visible eggs, then settling.
13.20 Female alert and looking around.
13.34. Female relaxed.
13.46 Male arrives, quick changeover.
13.47 Male quickly settles on the eggs leaving 1 visible at the rear.
13.48. Male shuffles around covering all eggs and settles.
14.27. Male still relaxed and settled.
15.00 Male still in the same position, settled.
15.05 The male makes way as the female returns to the platform
15.14 Female standing on the ledge and calling. She appears to be agitated then Returns to eggs
15.35 Settled with head down facing into the box so possibly sleeping
15.40 She looks around slightly agitated
15.51 Turned eggs completely and the female turned around completely
15.59 Female sitting up very alert
16.19 Female scraping in gravel and leaving eggs moving to the right of the nest box
16.22 Change over tiercel coming down onto eggs
16.41 Male alert and looking round standing up and turning the eggs
Thank you to todays volunteers; Steven, Peter Ducker, Andrew Gorton, Julia Ivison and James Ramshaw.
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