8 Mar 23 — The two eggs in colour
The two eggs in glorious colour a few minutes ago. The first egg is on the right and the second one on the left.
Similar Posts
27 Apr 23 — Day 16
I’ll start with a very short funny clip 😉
Another good day. Azina did a fair bit of brooding again in the morning but left them on their own a bit more in the afternoon.
Azina brooding the chicks All three chicks can now be quite active at times. The oldest chick has been trying to stand a few times.
Interestingly they seem to take turns at feeds. Rather than compete, one will feed while the others either rest or flap or wander.
There were seven feeds today, one by Tom. Pigeon was on the menu for almost all of them. For a change, Collared Dove was also on the menu, only the second time I see the pair bring one.Shots for today:
21 Apr 23 — Day 10
The two oldest chicks are getting to the age where they can thermoregulate and so the chicks may be left on their own for longer periods from now on. Tom hasn’t tried brooding them at all today. And they were left alone for half an hour early afternoon.
Tom came in early and waited for eight minutes before Azina moved on but it doesn’t look like they did much chatting this time.
Tom standing waiting for Azina to move (she did after eight minutes) The chicks had six feeds today, some lasting quite long. On the menu only pigeon today.
The youngest chick missed out on the second feed. I guess it wasn’t hungry. It caught up at the next one and got a private feed for a while by again separating itself from its siblings. It joined them back by itself this time.
Azina feeding the chicks Tom spent a fair bit of time perched by the ledge today.
Tom by the ledge. He’s put his tutu on 😉 Shots for today:
10 May 23 — Day 29
I was starting to think that it was all about Chicks #1 and #3 the last few days but today Chick #2 stole the show by being the first one to go explore the paddling pool. On its four weeks birthday too 🙂
Chick #2 One of my favourite moments when the chicks discover the pool. It didn’t go as far as having a bath but it seemed to be enjoying itself. Check the clip if you haven’t already.
The rest of the day is about the same as the last few. Sleep, eat, flap, preen, sleep, flap, sleep, eat… 😉
Chick #2 There were four feeds, all given by Azina, all of pigeon.
Azina feeding the chicks
There was very heavy rain around 6pm. The shot below is of the three chicks huddled close together in the corner. It must have been scary with the noise on the roof of the box…
Huddling together as hail starts falling on the nest box About half an hour before that I heard Tom alarm calling. I checked at my window and saw him rushing to gain height over my street. I went out and by then he’d gone beyond the cemetery and was over Kensington dive bombing a Buzzard.
A funny clip to finish:
Shots for today:
9 May 23 — Day 28
Happy 4 weeks birthday to Chick #1!
I forgot to mention yesterday that it was starting to mantle prey after grabbing it from a parent. It’s done it again twice today. 😉
Chick #1 mantling prey
It’s also been ‘weird’ and sleeping sitting up on its own on the ledge while its siblings were pancaked in the nest box. I don’t remember a chick doing that before.
Chick #3 sleeping sitting up on the ledge
It rained all night but the day was dry so they went out to exercise a few times but they spent most of their time inside.
Pancakes
They were fed five times, four times by Azina and once by Tom. All feeds lasted around 25 minutes and all feeds consisted of pigeon.
Chick #3 has now caught up with its siblings in size; no more tiny one in the middle. And it looks like it’s growing bigger, bigger than Chick #1 for sure. It could be all the down giving a false impression but probably not…
Chicks #2, #1 and #3 from left to right
The chicks will be ringed on Friday morning.Shots for today:
10 Apr 23 — Days I-29 to I-32
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.And a couple of videos:
22 Apr 23 — Day 11
Happy one week birthday to the youngest chick! And I am pleased to say that it is thriving. And is a bit of a character, definitely holding its own against its bigger siblings.
It has just started to show pin feathers on its wings. And you can clearly see the difference 3 or 4 days make when you look at the older two.
Nice pin feathers Tom had taken a bit of a step back yesterday. He took two steps forward today 😉 He ended up feeding the chicks twice and doing a fair bit of brooding. Azina still did the majority of it but the chicks were left on their own a bit more again today.
Azina brooding – chick preening Pigeon and starling was on the menu today. There were six feeds.
Some people are saying that they would usually bring Parakeets. But they wouldn’t, that’s always a bit later in the season (and the Peregrines are nesting earlier than they used to). The Peregrines mostly catch the Parakeets at dawn and dusk when they go from and to their roosts. As the Parakeets are nesting at the moment they’re staying put and the opportunities are fewer for the Peregrines.
Azina feeds the chicks – in a line again To finish, this made me laugh when I saw it first. A game of ‘pass the morsel’ 😉
Shots for today:
