With thanks to Malcolm, Julia, Daniel and Debbie for todays blog
08.59 Church clock chimes to an unoccupied nest tray. Everything looking as it did a week ago. The scrape is still waiting to host a family.
09.27 Single peregrine call.
09.44 Peregrine calls nearby.
10.23 Falcon arrives with bloody talons , goes into scrape and pushes at gravel with her talons.
10.25 Standing in scrape, dozing.
10.30 Pulls on talons with her beak before trying to lay down unsuccessfully. Steps out of the scrape and looks out from the tray. Resumes dozing.
10.50 Cleans talons and preens.
10.56 Moves into scrape and tries to lay down,before moving gravel around.
10.58 Moves to the back left corner to move gravel around.
10.59 Standing in scrape listening to the clock chiming.
11.00. The Falcon is standing in the scrape facing to the left. Time for a snooze.
11.11. A call can be heard and we get a fleeting glance of the Tiercel flying down from the top of the NW turret. He arrives in the box and heads straight for the scrape. The Falcon moves out of his way. The Tiercel softly chirps to the Falcon while they look at each other. Is he trying to encourage her to lay.
11.15. He chirps and leaves the box. She remains at the front left corner.
11. 25. She is still at the front, keeping watch and preening while her feathers are being ruffled in the breeze.
11.35. Both cameras are off line for a short while but I don’t think we missed anything.
11.39. The Falcon moves back into the scrape facing to the left, time for another snooze.
11.58. Time for a quick preen and manicure then a bit more pebble moving.
The Tiercel flies back onto the NW turret.
12.00. The Tiercel calls and she moves to the front of the box.
12.03. The Tiercel flies away. He can be heard calling.
12.17. The Falcon drops down onto the roof out of view.
12.18. The outside camera finds the Falcon sitting on the NE turret. It looks quite windy up there.
12.24. The Tiercel comes flying in and mates with her. I don’t think she was expecting that. She watches him fly away.
12.30. The Tiercel enters the box chucking continuously. He goes to the scrape and makes it even deeper.
12.34. He comes to the front and stands on sentry duty.
12.43. The Tiercel starts chirping and is joined by the Falcon. There is vocalisation between them as their heads are bowed down towards the scrape. He then leaves the box.
12.44. She walks into the scrape, facing left, starts to preen.
12.49. A little more housekeeping before she is alerted by something. She becomes unsettled, moves forward checking above and around. Intermittent calling.
12.55. She quietens down but stays alert.
12.59. Still alert she starts chucking again, moves to the front of the box.
13.00 female sitting on the edge of the nest box, vocalising.
13.01 male sitting on turret.
13.02 female looks to the left, very alert then flies off.
13.06 male looks down, very alert.
13.07 male constantly looking directly up.
13.10 stretches out wings, then flies of in the opposite direction of the camera.
13.20 male flies in, sits in the scrape and pushes gravel out the back of the scrape, directly facing the camera.
13.22 moves to the front of the box, facing the camera, feathers flapping in the wind.
13.27 turns head 180 degrees and looks behind at the nest box.
13.28 cleans left foot
13.31 rests his left eye.
13.39 rests left eye again.
14.01 moving stones and cleaning out the scrape.
14.03 walked to edge of box to sun himself.
14.05 male starts to vocalise.
14.15 female sitting on church turret. male continues to call again settling down on the scrape, moving stones and pruning feathers.
14.19 male moved to edge of box pruning his feathers.
14.22 turned his back, grooming.
14.43 male shuts his right eye, female resting her left eye.
14.50 male shakes feathers, now grooming himself.
14.51 female starts to groom her feathers.
14.52 male flies off.
14.52 vocalisation, female bends over.
14.55 female looks around, alert.
14.57 female cleaning her chest feathers.
15.00 Poppy is on turret and is very thoroughly preening / nest box empty
15.15 Poppy is still preening
15.17 Poppy shakes and stands still
15.19 She is preening again
15.24 She has stopped preening turned to face camera / calling off camera
15.27 Poppy flies off, calling as she goes
15.30 Camera pans but no peregrines to watch
15.37 Distant calling
15.47 Loud squeaking and Henry arrives into nest box / at the same time Poppy lands on a fleur-de-lis, she nipped across to an adjacent fleur-de-lis on the pinnacle
15.49 Henry comes to the front of the box and looks about
15.53 Henry flies off
16.24 Poppy flies away from the fleur-de-lis
16.25 Camera scans but no peregrines to watch
16.32 Peregrine flies by in the distance
16.38 Poppy arrived into nest box
16.44 She scraped and settled facing away from the camera
16.46 She closes one eye for a while then turns her head to see behind her
16.48 Poppy stands and turns to face the camera and evening sun (screen shot)
16.51 Poppy almost asleep / other camera scans to find Henry but he is not to be seen
17.00 Watch ends
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