Thanks to Mike, Julian, Stephen and Sue for todays blog
Sunny but blustery day in Cromer.
09:04 The Tiercel comes into the nest box. Between then and
09:20 there is a changeover (I was on a works call and missed it unfortunately!)
9:20 She starts digging at the scrape. She remains upright and dozing throughout apart from several minutes preening herself thoroughly at
09:31 and 10:31 and more digging at the scrape at 10:14 and 10:30.
10:32 She makes her way closer to the front of the nestbox where she is in the sun and remains there, dozing and preening.
10:48 The Tiercel can be heard calling but the Falcon seems oblivious and continues to doze to start with. Then as his calls get more frequent she gently replies. This goes on for several minutes and at
10:55 the Tiercel eventually arrives at the box and she leaves. They are both very vocal as the male lies over the scrape and the bells toll 11:00 things start to calm down.
11.00 male on scrape in nestbox
11.40 male departed
12.30 calling out of view, then female arrived, stayed until 13.00. It
sounded like two birds were calling off camera
13.00 Still no eggs but the birds are still around the box. The Falcon is preening.
13.04 Lots of vocalising from both birds accompanied by sirens from the street. Sounds like at least 2 emergency vehicles.
13.10 Can still hear the sirens, I hope nothing awful is happening to anybody. The Falcon is preening again.
13.28 Bong. The clock’s still fast. But then continued bongs, have I missed something? Falcon still preening.
13.33 Falcon settles down in the scrape.
13.35 Gets up and starts eating gravel.
13.41 Standing, alert, in the box.
13.50 Some screaming from outside. Falcon is settled in scrape.
13.52 Tiercel arrives. Lots of squealing. Falcon moves to side, Tiercel settles in scrape.
14.02 All’s quiet on the Northern front.
14.08 Shuffles about a bit, pecking at gravel, then
14.11 Flies off.
14.41 No noise but a bird arrives. I think it’s the Falcon, she looks quite large in the box, has a flat crown, indistinct edge to the malar stripes, and more spotting on the upper breast. She starts eating and re-arranging gravel then
14.45 settles down in the scrape. Some noise off camera, not from her.
14.54 Emergency vehicle sirens again. Bird is still settled and quiet.
16.00 Poppy sitting in scrape facing left ( her left). Henry squawking outside. as he sits on the top with his back to the sea.
16.02 Peregrine intermittently turns head to look out of box looking alert.
16.04 pecking at gravel and then hunkers down a bit more in scrape.
16.06 rearranges scrape then pecks at the gravel in the back left hand corner of the box.
16.08 stands on edge of box looking around until
16.28- Has now flown the nest.
Empty box until 17.00