Many thanks to Malcolm, Rachel, Daniel and Debbie for another amazing blog
08.55 Falcon standing in scrape looking at the back wall.
08.57 Keeps shuffling around in scrape with occasional pushing gravel with her feet.
08.59 Church clock strikes. She takes no notice and continues to look out from the tray.
09.00 She looks well and begins to doze.with left eye closed.
09.06 Alert, looking around occasionally. Apart from her head moving standing motionless in the scrape. Sunshine has almost reached her talons.
09.11 Steps out of the scrape and stands in the sunshine.
09.14 Dozing again.
09.16 Preens feathers on left leg and has a quick chew on her left talon.
09.18 Preens and pulls on the claws of her left talon. While preening her back she looks as if she has no head.
09.25 Still preening, shows a clenched left talon. Moves back into the scrape and looks out from the tray. Moves out to the edge of the scrape. I think she is bored.
09.29 Clenches left talon and tucks into feathers. Still standing on her right leg. Resumes dozing in the sunshine.
09.36 Moves to the front of the tray and stands on the edge of the tray. After a few seconds she moves out of sight from the west corner of the tray.
10.00 Peregrine vocalising. Assume it's the falcon out of sight on the edge of the tray. She walks into sight squawking. Moves half out of sight to the west corner of the tray. Giving a full view of her rear end.
10.05 Standing on the front edge of the tray half out of sight.
10.09 In the same position has a quick preen.
10.15 She walks back into the scrape and stands there. Fidgets in the scrape pecking at the gravel.
10.18 Standing in the scrape, a flying insect catches her attention for a second.
10.20 She preens, tugs at talons, shuffles in the scrape and tries to lay down, unsuccessfully. Ends up standing the scrape.
10.32 Has a good stretch of her left wing and leg. Stands on edge of the scrape looking out, preening occasionally.
10.37 Walks out of view from the west corner of the tray.
10.51 Fluffy feathers visible on the edge of the screen possibly her leg feathers.
10.59 She is probably still on the western edge of the tray.
11.00 as I take over from Malcolm the turret the camera is focussed on is devoid of peregrines but overlooking a sunny Cromer, the nest box is also empty and partially illuminated in sunlight.
11.07 there is a peregrine on the left side of the nest box (as I look at it) but only occasionally see some feathers so unable to ID who it is
11.15 the nest box camera is repositioned to show the female (falcon) sitting perched in the sun out on the corner of the box….
She then walks across to the other corner calmly surveying her domain before perching on the front of the box again seemingly calmy and quietly just looking around.
11.25 sitting on the other corner at the front of the nest box edge with her back to the camera Poppy is now preening herself
11.30 the bell strikes half past the hour – no change
11.31 the camera on the turret is manoeuvred to see if we can spot the male (tiercel) aka Henry. We are now overlooking a very calm sea but no peregrine.
11.38 Poppy has a wriggle and a good stretch on her perch …she doesn’t seem impressed it clouded over and got a bit more breezy
11.48 Poppy still sits on the edge of the nest box
11.51 the camera on the turret pans all round looking for the male (tiercel) but no sign of him.
12.00 the church bell strikes noon and there is no change to the situation
12.15 still the situation remains unchanged, no sign of Henry and Poppy of dozing and occasionally stirring to look around.
12.23 Poppy stirs and preens some more
12.25 Poppy hops into the briefly box from the edge and then retakes her position on the corner, seemingly momentarily distracted by the American fighter jets flitting about low at the moment.
12.28 Poppy suddenly starts calling quite loudly as the church bell strikes half past noon she suddenly seems very alert and poised to fly
12.29 Poppy flies off the nest box and out of view
12.40 no sight or sound of either peregrine on either camera at this time
12.45 no change
12.48 obvious peregrine calling before Henry appears with prey in the nest box still calling to Poppy who can be heard off camera, she flies into the box, takes the prey and leaves…
12.49 Henry just standing there with Poppy calling in the background …. guess she’s thanking him for lunch
12.50 Henry flies off the box and both birds can clearly be heard calling
12.53 all gone quiet and both birds not currently on camera
12.55 Poppy flies back into the nest box and scrabbles about in the scrape briefly before just standing in it…where she remains until….
13.00 I hand over to Daniel as the bells toll
13.05 female grooming her feathers.
13.06 head up, alert.
13.08 male sitting on north west turret.
13.12 female grooming feathers again.
13.13 scraping gravel out of scrape.
13.16 male moves to a side on view.
13.18 female picking up more stones and moving them.
13.20 female moved to bottom left corner of box, scraping stones.
13.22 female noel sitting facing the camera at a slight angle, lying over scrape.
13.28 female moved and now sitting with a side on view, stopped moving stones, resting in scrape.
13.52 male grooming himself.
13.55 female picked up a stone and moved it.
14.02 female grooming back feathers.
14.04 female caries on moving a few stones around the edge of scrape.
14.07 female moves and is now directly facing the east of box, side on view.
14.16 female resting her right eye.
14.35 female stood up, cleaning her feet.
14.39 female sits up, moves around, gies back to sitting on the scrape with a side view.
14.48 male grooming his feet.
14.58 female cleaning feathers
14.59 female sits up moves some stones out of scrape, grooming her back feathers.
15.00 Poppy on her nest, preens and arranges gravel .....meanwhile Henry on turret in full sun
15.11 Poppy moving and possibly ingesting gravel from outer edge of nest box
15.12 She scrapes and settles facing outwards and in full sun
15.19 Henry excretes and then calls frequently....meanwhile Poppy looks asleep in the scrape
15.35 Henry calls and flies off
15.37 Poppy stands at edge of box and flies off.....Henry still calls
15.41 Calling off camera
15.46 A calling commotion and Henry arrives on ledge of pinnacle
15.56 Calling off camera
16.04 Calling off camera
16.17 Henry calls from ledge and flies off and arrives at nest box, pecks at gravel, plods to edge of nest box and stands half asleep (screen shot)
16.30 Camera rotates looking for action but finds none
16.40 Henry looks all around him especially behind into the nest box
16.43 Henry squeaks and moves back to the scrape
16.46 Neck and head jerks by Henry
16.49 Henry comes to front of nest box and preens
16.51 Henry clucks and moves back to the scrape
16.54 Henry comes to the front of the nest box .... Poppy calling off camera
17.00 Shift finishes....still no egg