Another juvenile still present

September 17th



I think there all getting in on the act of proving me wrong, this one in particular I am very happy to see, she is the female (no 3) I released after grounding and a subsequent visit to the Wildlife Hospital( see A very busy week in June)
Although I did see her on the weekend of July 21st since then I have visited the site on at least 6 occasions and only seen her brother once early on, after this I presumed both had gone. Of course she may well have gone and be occasionally returning to beg for prey, but on observing behaviour the adult Tiercel fed her quite willingly. I have seen adults mantle the prey to keep the juveniles off, the message is clear to the juvenile, time to go.

Whatever it is, it is very satisfying seeing her and knowing that despite her ordeal, and the stress that she went through from grounding, I found out later that she had been grounded for a day and a half, she has come through it. A lucky Falcon considering the abundance of urban Foxes.

Record shot of the juvenile female feeding

Before I know it the time will again come round to clean the nest boxes up, peregrines as some may know are not house proud, boxes are great but they don’t get cleaned out ‘naturally’ by the weather. I usually do them all in January leaving it as late as I can so that they do not mess them up too much again, adults with prey mostly. After removing the old substrate I scrub them all inside with a wire brush, at least 3 this year will need weather coating paint on the outside as some are over 4 years old.

In regard to nest boxes I visited a site a month or so ago, and looked in an area which I know they have a fondness for, low and behold I found an old infertile egg, as peregrines eggs go it is rather pale than the usual rusty colouring.

Rather pale for a peregrine egg

I will now send it away for analysis, amongst many checks they will look at the thickness of the shell.

My main aim on Tuesday morning was to see if I could refind the 2 hybrids, I have had recent reports from the block they were last seen near of roof activity by calling raptors. Presuming it may well be them or indeed if they are still not present, peregrines, I staked the block out at dawn.
Watching from 6.15am to 7.30am revealed nothing which is when I went to the other site. Hopefully I will pick them up again soon; both are quite breathtaking to watch in flight.