15 Mar 23 — Day I-6

2023, breeding
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Pretty much the same as yesterday. A few more intruders. I happened to be walking through the cemetery this morning when I spotted Tom sparring with a female Peregrine (who may have been a juvenile – it all happened so fast). But it didn’t look overly aggressive, a bit playful. Then Azina came off the eggs, Tom went to incubate and the intruder took off East.

A clip for you: ‘If I ignore her maybe she’ll let me incubate a bit longer’… Tom ignored Azina for two minutes before she went into the nest box and then she had to beg him 😉

And a few shots from today.

12 Mar 23 — Azina lays egg number 4

2023, breeding
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Azina laid her fourth egg this evening.

She got up at 6.47 p.m. At 6.49, you can clearly see three eggs. At 6.50 she turns round and starts pushing at 6.52, laying the egg at 6.53. At 6.55 she turns and settles, showing all four eggs in the process as she gathers them together. Easy peasy!

And here are a few shots from today.

  • Tom
  • Discussion around some eggs
  • Tom
  • The three eggs
  • Azina and a fly
  • Azina and the three eggs
  • Another discussion
  • Kissing
  • Azina
  • Azina lays the fourth egg
  • Azina has laid the fourth egg
  • Azina reveals the fourth egg

10 Mar 23

2023, breeding
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A few shots from today.
I was a bit off in my estimation for the egg laying time. Azina got up and settled in egg laying position a few times in the night but it’s when Tom came in with food that she finally laid it, 61hr11m after the second one.
I think they’ve started incubating in earnest now and Azina hasn’t let Tom do much of it.
I expect the fourth, and presumably last, egg to come Sunday afternoon/early evening.

9 Mar 23

2023, breeding
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A day of exchanges, food offerings, egg keeping. I saw them mate this morning and witnessed a food pass late afternoon. Azina refused the pigeon offered when on the ledge but accepted it in the air and went to eat it on the roof of Muscal House (that block of flats she’s taken a shine to).
I am expecting the third egg sometime in the night: around 4:30 if she keeps to the same schedule as the second egg (60 hours) or before (last year it took 57 hours so it could be as early at 1:30). Time will tell. She is currently in the box, on the eggs, after her dinner, which took about an hour.