Tom was doing long shifts at the beginning of the long weekend but this got seriously reduced today. From 5hr19 on Friday to only 1hr21 today. The reduction today could be due to the weather and today’s downpours and Azina preferring doing the most of the incubation in these conditions. But this also corresponds to Tom starting bringing prey after not doing so for three weeks. This is the exact same pattern as last year two days before hatching… Here are a few shots from the last four days.
It is getting difficult to distinguish between chicks #1 and #2.
Azina feeds the chicks
Chick #2 has started standing up today but not much. Chick #1 has got better. Most of the day has been spent sleeping, as usual. No brooding at all today except for 30 seconds. Azina spent some time in the box overnight but didn’t brood them.
pancakes
Sleepy chicks
There were six feeds today, of varying lengths, but no varying menu. It was pigeon all the time.
Today was Chick #2′ 3 weeks birthday and to celebrate they all went out! 😉
Chick #2
The big excursion started while Tom was doing a feed and it was Chick #2 who went out first. Chick #1 followed three minutes later and Chick #3 22 minutes later, after Tom had gone. Chick #2 was out for well over an hour and Chick #3 for nearly an hour, but a lot of that time was spent huddled in the ‘hidden’ corner. Chick #1 came back in after half an hour and enjoyed some pancake me time in the box 😉
All three chicks are out
There was a clear difference in aptitude between the three. Chick #1 was standing and running around while flapping. Chick #2 could stand a bit and do a few steps. Chick #3 was mostly bum shuffling but was also trying to stand a bit. I’d say however that there seems to be more difference between 1 and 2 than between 2 and 3 even though they’re much closer in age.
All three chicks are out
The rest of the day was spent mostly sleeping as usual though there were bursts of activity from time to time, with plenty of flapping and playing with food.
So much flapping!
https://youtu.be/jVc-iWK9ELM
There were six feeds and again it was only pigeon on the menu. Tom did two of the feeds, Azina the other four. Funniest moment today was when Azina was doing one of her morning visits to the nest box, rooting around for bits and bobs as she does. She stepped on one the chicks’ tail and the poor chick ended up in total blind panic, hyperventilating!
A clip from yesterday with Tom and Azina preening by the nest ledge.
Very quiet days again with little to report. Tom has done average days (3h40) to long (nearly 5 hours). The coming night is going to be long for Azina as she refused Tom’s help twice this afternoon/early evening meaning that she’s been incubating since 2.50pm
