Chichester Peregrine Blog

Off she goes again asking for her dinner. He goes off and comes back with one of his out of date ready meals that he had prepared earlier. He keeps a secret stash in a turret out of her sight but she was not impressed. I am sure I heard her say “it’s out of date bring me something a little more tasty”, he duly obliged and came back with a much more acceptable offering. If you go to the March 2009 gallery there is a sequence of about 20 pictures showing the action that took place as she claimed her fresh meal. Afterwards peace at last… she seems satisfied at least for the moment.

Today mum was sitting on top of the nest turret looking in, then dad returned to the cathedral after an outing – he was empty-handed!  She was not happy.  She shouted at him a lot, obviously expecting dinner.  Ah, but he had a trick up his sleeve!  He popped into the NE turret and emerged with a ready meal!  He took it into the nest turret for her and she took it round to a pinnacle on the west side to eat in peace.  He followed, presumbly wanting a snack himself, but she soon sent him back to guard the nest.  After half an hour, she returned to her vigil on top of the turret, attentively watching the nest.

What a cold, grey afternoon!  It didn’t dampen the peregrines’ spirits though.  An hour before sundown, mum was sitting in the top of the nest turret looking out, and dad was in his favourite spot high on the spire.  She squawked loudly at him and he immediately took off (he must have been expecting it – he usually pretends he hasn’t heard!).  I assumed he was going to get food…I was wrong.  She joined him and they flew around together for a minute before landing on a pinnacle.  The same pinnacle.  She landed, he followed – number four!  That’s at least one mating for each egg she’ll lay (a peregrine falcon normally lays the same number of eggs every year – our mum lays four).

Making a hasty retreat the interloper was caught on camera – unfortunately there appears to be no rings so no means of identification therefore not likely to be a Chichester juvenile.  Our male prevails!!!

Around 11.30 this morning he started making a terrific sqwauking and looking skyward.  Plently of angry posing and lots of angry noise until we saw the reason – another peregrine!!!  As it got close he took off after it like a Bat out of Hell and chased it off  in a southeasterly direction with some very fancy flying.  He returned about 15 mins later (having chased the intruder a very long way off – it could have been one of last years’ juveniles) made several passes around the spire and of course in front of the missus (showing off I suspect – no reaction from her though!!) and disappeared up to his favourite spot on the north side of the spire.

After disappearing in a northerly direction for 10 minutes, dad returned at 13.25 with lunch.  It’s a sad fact that peregrines are not vegetarians – they eat other birds (I don’t like that much either, but there you have it – nature in action!).  He brought it in and landed on a perch next to his missus on the east blind-window, and proceeded to pluck it.  From the moment she saw him returning with prey, she started squawking very loudly (back to her normal volume!) and continued while he was trying to concentrate on preparing the meal.  He got tired of this and moved to another perch on the other side of the blind-window.  Not a great move – he was still only about 2 feet away from her, and within plain sight.  She was quiet for a moment (presumably while she wondered what on earth he hoped to achieve by moving such a short distance away), then squawked again.  A short time later, he went to perch on the north side, out of her sight, and thought better of it, returning to his original perch right next to her.  She hopped up and stole the prey from him, taking it to the top pinnacle, while he flew off, eventually landing on his favourite spot high on the spire with nothing.

She sat plucking and eating her meal for the next half-hour, afterwards still looking hungry.  Making babies obviously takes a lot of energy!

Early this afternoon a sparrowhawk lazily circled around the north side of the cathedral for a minute or so.  Surprisingly, both peregrines sat quietly on their perches, neither batting an eyelid at the arrival of their visitor.

I arrived a little earlier today, at 4.45 I was just in time to see mum leave the nest to sit on a pinnacle, and dad go into the turret.  After a couple of minutes, he flew out, round in a circle, and landed on her – just like yesterday!  He sat on the NE turret looking very proud of himself (as well he might – I think he’s forgotten how much nagging he’ll get over the next few months if he’s successful though!).

An hour later, strike three!  He was a bit restless for a while, changing perches while she called softly to him (yes, she can talk quietly!).  Then, just before the sun went down, he was at it again.  Three times in two days (possibly four times – I might have missed one!).

I imagine this means the eggs will hatch within a couple of days of each other, like last year.

After sitting quiety and enjoying the sunset for a while, our man popped into the nest turret, closely watched by the missus.  She went to join him, sitting on top of the turret while they had a quiet chat.  Shortly afterwards, she returned to her perch on the south central pinnacle.  A few minutes later, he emerged from the turret, flew around in a wide circle, and landed on top of her.  Evidently he’d decided that the nest has been empty for long enough!

 This is a week or so earlier than seen in previous years…

Our chap is doing his bit to win over his lady.  On Monday evening, he was seen bringing a large portion of food in to her while she waited in the nest turrett.  After a brief squabble, she flew to a pinnacle to eat in peace, generously leaving him with a small morsel to snack on.