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Wednesday 24th March 2021

Writer's picture: ChrisChris

Hello and welcome to the virtual Cromer blog, we hope you enjoy following the Cromer peregrines and hopefully we will have eggs within a few days. Thanks to Malcolm, Graham


09:00 Nest tray unoccupied. Depression scraped in gravel deeper than I remember from last year. Nesting tray clean (except for defecated spray on walls) with no prey items on gravel. Weak sunshine showing on gravel.


09:18 Soft chirping heard before the falcon came into the tray. Continued chirping while she lay down in the scrape for a few seconds before standing up still in the scrape. Continued chirping and looking out of the tray. There appears to be a slight sound delay on the display.

I don't know if chirping is the correct word for the soft call of a peregrine but it's not the usual cry of a peregrine.


09:24 Leaves the scrape and perches on the metal edge of the tray. The wind ruffles the pale feathers on her sides. Looking all around and upwards. Her talons have blood and a prey feather on them.


09:34 Still perched on the tray edge looking around and up intently.


09:36 She flies away. Small feathers in gravel by scrape move in the wind.


10:52 Can hear a peregrine chirping but out of sight.


10:59 Church bells chime, no birds present.


11.00 now starting my 1st shift, unfortunately with no one in attendance.


11.33 1st sign of life, heard someone calling out. Think it was poppy somewhere nearby.


11.42 something going on, can hear more movement in the background.


11.45 Henry arrives in box, goes to the back and starts to scrape eventually moving to the front of the box.


12:13 poor Henry so tired he keeps falling asleep with one eye open.


12:21 Henry has a scratch of his beak, then off he flies.


12:51 back ground sound of sea gulls, making me anxious to see the sea.


12:53 sound of flapping wings nearby, making me think something going to happen. Nothing occurres.


1:00 finish of 1st shift.


1:01 falcon looked around and suddenly bent over, male flies in and they mated, only lasted for a few seconds until the tiercel flew away. Lots of vocalisation and wing flapping in the process. Happend on the west facing turret.

1:06 falcon puffed up her feathers to keep warm, feathers flapping in wind.

1:11 lots of vocalisation, falcon very startled, flew to base of roof, heard lots of seagulls passing. She then flies back to the turret and starts grooming feet.


1:21 falcon eating black bird, ripping it apart but constantly on the look out for danger. She then looks around, picks it up and flies away leaving the remains of a leg on the roof.

1:52 lots of gulls flying about and lots of vocalisation between them.

2:17 falcon sitting on turret, grooming herself, sticking one leg in the air.

2:28 the female seemed alert and then flew away, More vocalisation

2:31 female flies into nest box, looks around, seemed alert, starts scaping gravel, picking up left over feathers.

2:33 more scraping of gravel, picking up lots of stones and moving them about.

2:38 seemed very alert, looking up and down.

2:41 grooming and cleaning her right foot, staring straight into the camera on the edge of the box.

3:00 Poppy sitting in nest hollow facing outwards. Church bell tolls 3

3:05 Alert and preening

3:10 Using beak she is rearranging gravel. Rear end pulsating seen.

3:15 Scraped gravel with feet. Rear end pulsating.

3:17 Standing and scraping. More pulsating.

3:28 Aircraft overhead, motorbike below. Poppy alert but unperturbed.

4:00 Bell strikes 4. Poppy sits facing outwards, preening.

4:02 Scrapes at nest, gravel in beak, settled in hollow.

4:07 Poppy stands at edge of nest box.

4:30 Bell strikes and Poppy still at edge of box.

4:52 (Male calls off screen)

4:55 (Male calls again)

5:00 Poppy flew off

Thank you to todays volunteers for helping with this blog. Malcolm, Graham, Daniel and Debbie

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