Thanks to Rachel, Graham and Debbie for todays wonderful blog
10.58 as I take over the watch on the bell tolls of the hour the nest box camera reveals Poppy (the female, falcon) sitting on the front right of the nest box preening and facing out over her domain, the other camera is focussed on one of the land side turrets, currently no sign of Henry (the male, tiercel). Just as the bell finishes striking the hour, she moves into the box to stand in the scrape. It’s a cloudy but sunny if a bit breezy day today.
11.02 Poppy still stands in the scrape and appears to be calling loudly and continuously …this continues until…..
11.05 Poppy walks to the front left corner of the nest box, again facing outwards so we can only see her back half.
11.12 Poppy moves still further and appears to be right on the front left corner of the box nearly out of view now.
11.14 Poppy turns to look towards the inside of the box and sits out of view except for the occasional glimpse of beak or feather
11.16 Poppy walks across the front of the nest box to the front right corner where she sits looking out over the church tower roof.
11.20 Poppy continues to sit here sometimes dozing and at others quite alert and observing things
11.23 Poppy begins calling again, it must be loud as at times I can nearly see what she had for breakfast she opens her beak so far!
11.27 Poppy turns and walks slowly into the scrape, has a bit of shuffle about, pecks at some gravel
11.28 Poppy now standing in the scrape facing the front of the box is calling loudly on and off again
11.30 the external camera is panned and settles on one of the seaward turrets and finds Henry (the male, tiercel) sitting on crocket up on the turret, in the sun and wind. The sky at sea is a very angry dark colour, a storm or rain seems to be incoming.
11.34 Henry appears to be dozing with his beak tucked into the top of his wing. Poppy remains standing in the scrape.... poised but eyes closed.
11.39 Henry has stirred and occasionally looks around; Poppy’s stance remains unchanged
11.45 Henry appears to be dozing with his beak tucked into the top of his wing again, Poppy stills stands in the scrape.
11.51 poppy stirs and starts shuffling her talons in the scrape and sits down we now have a side view of her, she stands again quite quickly more shuffling the gravel with her feet and sits again this time facing 180 degrees the other way.
11.55 a few spots of rain appear on the external camera one almost completely obscuring my view of Henry!
12.00 so the bells tolls noon and no changes to report
12.04 Henry still sits perched on his crocket looking around and the taking flight, circles the turret and off in an inland direction.
12.06 Poppy stands and walks closer to the front of the nest box, perching on the edge alert and looking around, I hear some chirrups which appear to come from off camera
12.11 Poppy decides it’s time to stretch her wings and flies away from the next box. Currently nether bird is in sight.
12.25 the external camera is panned and settles on Poppy sitting with her back to us up on a crocket on a landward turret awake and looking around.. such a lovely bird
12.30 Poppy is now preening ….
12.39 something briefly catches Poppy’s eye and she holds her gaze skyward but soon returns to preening and some stretches of her talons
12.45 the next box remains empty; Henry isn’t visibly around and Poppy is still perched on her crocket observing her domain.
12.50 Poppy turns to her right giving us a side view, I think the wind is increasing the camera is wobbling a little now
12.51 Poppy ensuring we get a good all-round view of her now she’s turned to face the camera
12.55 Poppy turns again and begins calling on and off – I can’t hear any replies
13.00 the church bell strikes and I hand over to Graham as Poppy continues to call increasingly and seems a little unsettled, I can now hear her being responded too presumably by Henry.
13.00, now taken over from Rachel with Poppy facing the camera, calling out on one of the turret crockets with no sign of Henry
13.07, Poppy still calling out from the crocket, when Henry quickly appears and starts mating with Poppy, so watch this space!
13.10, All quiet now with Poppy still on the crocket, her back facing the camera now
13.15, preening time for Poppy in this cold rainy Saturday afternoon
13.25, with Poppy's back still facing the camera, you can see her beautiful patterned back
13.32, faint calling of Henry in the background, making Poppy look around for him
13.38, Henry still calling, but falling to death ears from Poppy whilst she carries on preening. Henry suddenly appears in the nest box captured by the small nest camera in the top right hand corner
13.39, Henry make his way to the scape, layes down and makes himself comfy
13.42, all quite once again with Poppy still on the crocket and Henry in the nest box
14.06, Henry leaves his scrape and sits on the edge of the nest box
14.21, no change in the proceding, as Poppy and Henry still in the same position
14.32, Henry gets fed up with sitting on the front of the nest box, makes his way to the scrape, but not for long as he's moves to front again and leaves
14.42, Poppy leaves the crocket and flies directly to the the nest box, where she makes her way to the scrape, sits looking to the front of the nest box
14.46, Poppy finally layes down making herself comfy, whilst taking in stone to help with her digestion
14.55, the main camera, scanning the surrounding area on the hunt for Henry. Thanks to Chris or Kim!
15.00 Poppy is resting in the nest box, no sign of Henry currently
15.07 She rearranges the gravel
15.09 Sea is a weird green as the sun lights it....Poppy preens and scrapes
15.10 Poppy is settled
15.20 Grey cloud threatening rain
15.23 Camera scans to spot Henry on turret, he is resting too, he is well camouflaged
15.40 Poppy in the nest, scrapes and looks about
15.41 Poppy comes to the edge of the platform
15.42 She moved off the platform out of view
15.43 She flew to same turret as Henry is on
15.44 Poppy scratches her head
15.47 How many peregrines can you spot?
15.49 Henry flew off....Poppy seemed aware
15.50 Calling
15.54 Poppy hopped to another lookout ledge
16.18 Poppy is preening
16.20 More calling 16.22 and again
16.23 Poppy changes her vantage point, one more hop upwards
16.30 More calling
16.50 Henry chirrups and arrives into nest box, he scrapes and settles
16.51 He pecks at gravel and scrapes
16.50 Henry comes to front edge of platform and looks about
