07.10 The chicks are all resting in the back left corner of the nestbox – two appear to be asleep and one is more upright and watchful.
07.14 The young can be seen vocalising and the tiercel arrives with food. The alert youngster – which we can now see is 47 – is first onto the scene, and is the sole recipient of food offered by the parent.
07.16 The female arrives and takes over the feed. This puts an end to 47’s dominance, as mum feeds 48 and 49 in turn.
07.20 While it’s siblings are being fed, 47 skulks around the platform trying to find a way back into the feed from all angles.
07.25-07.35 All the young are getting a good share of the prey, and are starting to look very full! At times each one loses interest and wanders off, before coming back for a few more scraps.
07.36 The female starts feeding herself, gulping down the last few remains of the prey item – finishing with a whole foot! She’s also fortuntate not to be in the firing line when one of the youngsters relieves itself…
07.38 She finally leaves the nest box.
07.39-07.43 While 47 & 49 settle down to digest the latest meal, 48 is quite active, moving around the platform and wing-stretching.
08.00 The chicks have largely settled down into a heap to rest, with the occasional fidget and preen.
08.41 – 47 is awake and preening for a while, and taking quite an interest in the flies buzzing around the debris.
09.00 All three are dozing at the back of the nest box.
09.09 One of the young backs towards the edge of the platform for a ‘comfort break’; this prompts a bit of rearranging and stretching for all, before they settle back down.
09.25 The chicks are preening quite a lot now, giving a really nice look at the feathers growing through the down.
09.44 After more grooming and stretching, the young settle in the back left corner of the box again.
09.50-09.55 While two of the chicks are resting, one has remained alert. A change of position reveals that it’s 49, who then settles down with the others
10.10 47 is awake and begins preening. After five minutes, 48 and 49 have had enough of his fidgeting and after a bit of shoving, 47 moves to the edge of the platform.
1015-1020 A real flurry of activity, particularly from 47 while his siblings are preening. There are several spells of flapping his developing wings, sometimes while running around the box, and twice perilously close to the edge! A piece of food detritus is found during this, and the young Peregrine looks to be practising removing scraps from it. This draws the attention of 48 and 49, who also peck at the item.
10.25 After all the excitement, the three are back in a heap in their favoured spot.
10.30 The trio are more alert now, sitting upright.
10.34 One of the chicks (it looks like 47, although the colour ring isn’t visible) finds a piece of what appears to be bone and swallows it whole.
10.45 Again the brood is huddled together in the corner.
10.55 Yet again, while 48 and 49 snooze, 47 is restless. After another pace around the nest, he eventually disturbs the other two before settling down once more.
11.00-11.10 Two chicks up and alert, other chick lying down. 48 looks particularly sharp. 11.14 Chick 47 up and preening. Others lying down. 11.44 Chick 48 stood up to defecate, then pushed its way into far corner. 11.47 Chick 48 preening. 11.52 Chick 58 stretching and preening. 11.59 Chick 47 calling 12.12 All chicks now up. 47 preening. 12.15 48 picking at bits of carcass. Now calling and having a real good flap. 12.16 Chick 49 calling. 12.19 All chicks having a shift around in their corner. 12.22 Chick 49 calling 12.28-12.37 Chick 47 close to edge of nest box. 49 calling. 12.37 48 and 49 front right hand corner of nest box. Looks like their both focused on the same thing outside of the nest box. 12.40 47 and 48 wandering about, stretching. 12.44 All chicks now at front of nest box, looking out in the same direction.
12.48 Tiercel brought kill in, possibly a starling. Falcon came in a moment later and Tiercel left. Falcon began dismembering prey and feeding chicks. 12.50 - 13.00 Two chicks seem to be getting fed the most until the third chick barged in. Chicks then went for a wander as Falcon plucked and dismembered prey. Shift ended with 48 and 49;being fed with 47 standing back and having flap.
13.00 Young being fed by Falcon
13.08 Adult leaves and they all settle down
14.02 All awake and moving around.
15.00 2 eyasses asleep, one preening
15.12 All eyasses huddled at back of nest boxes asleep
15.50 All three alert and watching at front of nest box
15.54 All 3 eyasses preening
16.07 One asleep, 2 preening
16.33 Tiercel arrived with kill. too mangled and plucked to identify
with certainty, but grey beige feathers suggest collared dove. male
feeding eyasses
16.30 Female arrived, male left, female feeding eyasses
16.47 falcon eating some of kill, but still giving some bits to eyasses
16.50 Wing flapping from some eyasses
16.52 Falcon departed
16.53 49 and 47 wing flapping
Thank you to Michael Hoit, Andrew Gorton, Ann Cleall and Julian Thomas for todays blog