Thank you to Peter, Andrew, Graham and Brendon for todays amazing blog
9:00 A bright, sunny Sunday morning in Cromer. We have the rear view of one of the peregrines in the right side of the platform screen. It is believed to be the falcon. The main screen view is of the countryside around the town.
9:05 The peace is disrupted by the siren of an emergency vehicle going past the church.
9:07 The falcon indulges in a spot of preening. The microphone is sensitive enough that it picks up her work on the feathers in her wing.
9:16 Some odd squeaks, which might be peregrine (equally possibly just gulls!), although the falcon is standing far enough to the right that her head is not in view, so I am unable to say if it is she who made the noise.
9:18 More preening in the sunshine.
9:21 The falcon looks up briefly, but resumes further preening, working towards tail feathers.
9:25 Sudden alert and calls from both birds. The falcon turns round, then walks along the front edge of the platform out of shot to the left of view. A massive fluttering of feathers is heard from just off camera, which might just be a shake-out rather than a bird taking flight.
9:28 The falcon is stood just far enough to the left that there are just a few pale feathers visible, fluttering in the breeze.
9:29 The falcon returns to the scrape for the ritual settle, scrape and move round, then stands in the scrape picking at stones.
9:32 The tiercel calls from off camera somewhere. The falcon has finished with the stones for now, and stands in the scrape, facing out of the platform.
9:37 Further cleaning, this time the talons!
9:38 The falcon begins picking over the stones, then repeats the earlier action in the scrape before standing centre stage again.
9:50 The falcon is looking around, quite alert, but no calls from either bird at this point.
9:52 An aircraft is heard passing in the distance. The falcon comes to the front edge of the platform, as calls can be heard from the tiercel. The falcon begins calling in answer to the tiercel.
9:53 The tiercel arrives in the platform, and after an exchange of calls, the falcon leaves. The tiercel then performs the same scrape ritual, settling into the scrape for a moment. He sits, facing the front of the platform, then emerges onto the front edge, where he fluffs his feathers out and adopts the one-legged stance.
9:59 The tiercel stands in the sunshine as the clock strikes the hour.
10:03 The tiercel turns away from the edge and returns to the scrape, where he again settles and picks at stones.
10:13 The tiercel gets up from the scrape and walks to the front edge, then takes flight. He can be seen as he flies round the church tower and across the view to the South East. Moments later, a peregrine flies up onto the South East turret, but lands just high enough to be out of view, so it is not possible to confirm that it is the tiercel who has just had a been flying around.
10:26 The second camera is scanned around the roof of the church, and finds the falcon perched in the sun preening. Moments later the clock strikes the half hour.
10:33 The falcon indulges in some extravagant head moves, attempting to preen the back of her head!
10:37 Demonstrating tremendous grip or balance, the falcon now decides to preen while standing on one leg!
10:59 As this session comes to an end, the falcon is sitting in the sun on the seaward side of the church. The tiercel is not visible, and the platform is unoccupied.
11:00 End of shift!
11.00 Female perched on pinnacle. Nest box empty.
11.08 Male in est box. Female still on pinnacle. Male squawking.
11.10 Male settling down in scrape. Female flies from perch. Male comes to edge of nest box, chirping.
11.13 Both birds in nest box bowing and squawking.
11.14 Male leaves box.
11.16 Female standing in scrape, pruning.
11.17 Cam 2 panning around. Male on NW pinnacle. Female raking out scrape.
11.21 Female rakes at scrape and settles down.
11.43 Female pecking at gravel and gets up to wander over to corner of nest box, then returns to rake out then lie in scrape.
12.36 Male flies from pinnacle. Female stands in scrape and starts preening and racing gravel
12.48 Cam 2 panning around. No sign of male.
12.58 Female calls and flies from edge of nest box.
13.00 Now taking over from Andrew G with no sign of Poppy or Henry
13.04 lot of commotion going on in the background from either Poppy or Henry
13.09 Henry suddenly appears from nowhere, goes straight to the scrape, sits down and starts taking in stones to help with his digestion
13.15 He eventually makes himself comfy facing the right hand side wall of the nest box
13.41 Henry has a change of direction, now facing the rear of the nest box, with his back in the beautiful Cromer sun. He starts exploring the box whilst eating even more stones
13.45 He finishes eating stones and moves to the front of the nest box, has a quick look around then leaves
14.00 as the church bells strike two the camera starts exploring the church roof and eventually finds Poppy hiding on one of the turret crockets with what looks like a golf course in the background
14.07 Poppy leaves with Henry crying in the background as she flies to the nest box and makes her way to the scrape where she makes herself comfy with her back facing the camera
14.23 all quiet on the on the North Norfolk coast front with Poppy fast asleep and no sign of Henry
13.34 Henry now making himself heard, disturbing Poppy from her sleep and she starts eating more stones then stretches out sunbathing in the Cromer sun
14.46 a quick scan of the roof by the camera with no sign of Henry whilst Poppy once again consumes even more stones
15.00 end of shift, now handing over to Brendon
15.03 Male relaxing in the sun on the platform
15.10 Male moves gravel around
15.27 Male stays put and looks around
15.49 Female can be seen on turret
15.57 Female spots something and starts calling, the male leaves the platform
16.00 The female takes flight
16.12 A peregrine can be heard calling in the background
16.14 The female returns to the nestbox and scrapes
16.30 Male was on turret but left at speed
16.41 Female preens in the box and the male can be heard calling in the background
16.53 Male does a fly past
17.00 The rain starts to fall and the female stays put in the platform