October 2022

OCTOBER 2022

1 Oct – the female remains on the ledge until flying off at 4:35. The male lands at 6:30 for ten minutes. He is back at 9:30 and checks the box before moving to the ledge. He flies off at 9:40 and is replaced by the female but she does not stay long. The female returns carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 13:05, quickly followed by the male. She goes into the box and fends of the male who watches her from the ledge. She has finished feeding at 15:25 and he grabs what remains as she flies out. He has finished eating at 16:20 and flies out. He is back at 19:10 and sits on the ledge preening until leaving at 20:00. He is back at 21:15 for two hours.

2 Oct – the male returns at 2:45 and falls asleep until 6:35 when he flies off. The pair arrive at 7:05 and the male goes into the box whilst the female is preoccupied with something in the sky above. They fly off together at 7:10, returning at 8:55. There is a short bout of bonding on the platform, then the male moves into the box and the female onto the ledge. He soon flies out and she follows. He is back at 15:45 looking well fed but does not stay long and is back again briefly at 17:55. There is no further activity.

3 Oct – the male flies in clutching a half-eaten item of prey at 00:50 which he stashes. The female joins him at 2:40 but he quickly leaves. He is back at 6:25, picks up the stashed prey and flies out. The female remains until 6:50. The male is back at 9:45 and goes into the box. He leaves a few minutes later then returns with the female. She flies out at 10:00 and the male quickly follows. The female returns carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 11:55 and is quickly followed by the male. She goes into the box to feed, and he tries to grab scraps. There is little left when she has finished at 13:50. She flies out at he searches for bits in the box. He is back at 15:20 for ten minutes and briefly at 18:25. The pair are back for a few minutes at 20:20 but they leave quickly five minutes later. The well-fed female returns at 20:40 and is joined by the male at 23:25. The pair remain until midnight at least.

4 Oct – the well-fed pair remain on opposite sides of the ledge until 6:35 when the male moves to the box before quickly flying out; the female soon follows. The male is back briefly at 7:55. The pair return at 10:20 and go into the box. The female flies off after 15 minutes whilst the male sits on the ledge until 13:45. He is back at 15:15 for ten minutes. The female flies in carrying fresh feral pigeon prey at 15:25 and is quickly joined by the male. She goes into the box. He flies off at 15:55, but returns 45 minutes later. The female has finished feeding at 17:10 and moves to the ledge with a full crop; there is not much left for the male to salvage and he flies off. He is back at 18:10 and she goes into the box. She returns to the ledge 20 minutes later and forces him to leave. She soon follows, then returns at 18:40, remaining until midnight at least.

5 Oct – the female sits on the ledge with a full crop from the previous evening. She is joined by the male at 4:10 and he falls asleep. The pair go into the box at 5:55 but he soon leaves, and she returns to the ledge. He is back at 6:45 and she flies off at 7:00. He follows five minutes later. The female returns at 9:15 and looks into the sky. She then sits on the ledge but flies off at 9:30. The male is back at 11:40 and is joined by the female at 12:55. They go into the box, but he returns to the ledge after a few moments bonding. She moves to the ledge when the rain stops at 13:20. She flies off at 13:35 and he leaves 15 minutes later. She returns at 13:55 carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey. The male lands at 14:05 and watches her feed from the ledge. He flies off half an hour later returning at 15:25 and she is still feeding. He manages to steal a morsel at 16:30 but there is little left when she finishes eating ten minutes later. She flies out at 16:45 and he remains on the ledge until moving to the box when the female returns at 18:45. He flies off five minutes later and the well-fed female remains on the ledge until midnight at least.

5 October 2022 – Video: the female protects her meal from the male.

6 Oct – the male flies in to join the female carrying Golden Plover prey at 1:55. He stashes the meal by a column and falls asleep. The pair remain on the ledge until 6:30 when the male moves into the box. The female flies off five minutes later, and the male returns to the ledge. He takes a short flight at 7:40. The female is back at 8:10, grabs the stashed plover and takes it into the box. She leaves with her meal at 9:05. She is back at 10:05 and they go into the box, but he soon moves to the ledge. She flies out at 10:45 and he quickly follows. They are back at 11:50 calling loudly but quickly leave together – there looks to be an intruder around. The male is back at 12:30 and sits on the ledge until leaving at 13:50. The pair return at 17:20 and the female goes into the box with fresh Feral Pigeon prey. He watches as she feeds and eventually manages to snatch her meal at 18:55; she replaces him on the ledge. He stashes what little remains at 19:15 and the pair fall asleep, both well fed, and remain until midnight at least.

7 Oct – they waken at 5:30 and the male flies off with the remains of yesterday’s pigeon. He is back at 6:30 and the female flies off ten minutes later. She returns at 8:30 and the pair go into the box briefly. The male moves back to the ledge and the female remains in the box picking at scraps until moving to the platform at 8:50. She flies off ten minutes later but returns to the box at 10:35. Something overhead causes the male to fly off quickly at 12:25 and he is soon followed by the female. He is back after 30 minutes but is off again at 13:20. The female flies in carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 16:35 and is followed by the male. She goes into the box to feed as he watches from the ledge. Over the next two hours, he continually tries to steal part of the meal but fails returns to the ledge. She finally finishes feeding at 18:25 and he grabs what remains; she flies off. He moves to the ledge at 18:30 and remains there until flying off at 20:50. He is back at 23:05 carrying fresh Golden Plover prey and stashes it by a column and flies out.

8 Oct – the male flies in at 00:45 carrying another Golden Plover. He stashes it next to the one from the previous evening and sits on the ledge, then flies off at 1:15. The female lands at 3:05 but is already well fed and falls asleep on the ledge. She leaves at 6:45. The male is back at 7:55 and immediately starts feeding on the most recent plover. He has finished at 8:30 and stashes the remains. The female arrives and he flies off; she leaves five minutes later. The pair are back at 11:20 and the female feeds on the partly-eaten plover as the male sits on the ledge. She flies out with her meal ten minutes later but returns with it a few minutes later and goes back into the box. She stashes the remains at 11:45 and falls asleep in the box until flying out an hour later. The male remains on the ledge until 15:55 when he feeds on the second plover. He has finished at 16:20 and flies off, landing briefly at 18:50.

9 Oct – the male is back at 6:40 and repositions the plover. He feeds on it at 7:45 and stashes the remains at 8:00, then flies off. He is back at 10:35 looking well fed, and falls asleep on the ledge. The female lands at 13:25 and her reaction seems to indicate the presence of an intruder. She leaves quickly and the male returns to the ledge. He flies off at 13:40 and is back at 17:45 to feed on the plover remains, leaving at 18:05. There is no further activity.

10 Oct – the male arrives at 5:45 taking a short flight an hour later. He leaves at 7:05 and is back briefly after three hours. He returns at 18:10 for a few minutes, then makes a brief visit at 23:15 but there is no further activity thereafter.

11 Oct – the male arrives at 2:45. He falls asleep and remains on the ledge until 7:05 when he flies off and quickly returns with the female. He picks at the remains of a plover then flies out, she quickly follows. He is back at 8:30, feeds on the plover and stashes the remains ten minutes later, then flies off. There was no further activity today.

12 Oct – the first activity of the day was late at 18:05 when the male arrives quickly followed by the female. They go into the box for a few moments bonding, then move to the ledge. The female flies off at 18:25 and the male follows 15 minutes later. 

13 Oct – the male arrives at 6:55 and calls into the darkness but leaves after five minutes. The female flies in at 8:15 carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey and is followed quickly by the male. She drags it into the box to feed and tries to protect it from him. He manages to secure it at 7:00 and flies off with it. She flies off five minutes later and is back briefly at 12:30. The male returns at 13:40 and is quickly joined by the female who goes into the box whilst he sits on the ledge. At 13:55 she moves to the platform and the pair watch something in the sky until 14:00 when they both leave. The male is back at 18:25 remaining for 20 minutes. He returns at 20:25 carrying very fresh Teal prey and feeds until stashing the meal at 20:45. He flies off five minutes later. 

13 October 2022 – Photo: the pair watch the sky above the platform.

14 Oct – the male flies in at 1:00 and is joined by the female at 2:05. They sit on the ledge and fall asleep until the female flies off at 6:20. The male remains and 30 minutes later starts to feed on the stashed Teal. He leaves what is left at 7:20 and flies off and is back at 11:10 to resumes feeding. He has finished at 11:50 and sits on the ledge, then flies off. The pair are back at 13:05 but leave five minutes later. The female returns at 14:10 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She takes it into the box and feeds until 15:00 when she flies out. The male is back at 18:10 and feeds on the remains of the Teal. He flies off with his meal when the female lands ten minutes later. She already looks well fed and sits on the ledge. The male is back at 18:40 and sits on the ledge opposite the female until flying off at 22:50. He is back at 23:45 and they are both there until midnight at least.

15 Oct – the pair remain on the ledge until 6:55 when the female forces the male to fly off. She feeds on the scraps of the Teal, then leaves at 7:25. The male is back briefly at 8:00 and at 9:05 feeds on scraps then sits on the ledge. He is joined by the female at 9:30 and she goes into the box until 11:00 when she moves to the ledge and flies off. The male takes a brief flight at 13:00, then returns a few moments later with the female carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She goes into the box and feeds. He flies off at 13:25 and the female ten minutes later. The male is back briefly at 13:55 and at 15:00 he goes into the box and feeds on the pigeon until moving to the ledge at 15:35. He flies off five minutes later before returning at 16:05 and is joined by the female ten minutes later and she feeds on the pigeon remains. She has finished at 17:00 and flies out. The male leaves at 18:30 returning an hour later and remaining on the ledge until midnight at least.

16 Oct – the male remains on the ledge and is joined by the female at 4:10. They sit opposite each other and fall asleep. The female flies off at 6:55 and the male at 7:35. He is back at 8:40 and remains until 9:55. He returns to the ledge 25 minutes later and is briefly joined by the female at 11:10. He flies off at 12:40 and returns with the female at 14:30. She feeds on scraps, then flies off after ten minutes, whilst he remains on the ledge. He flies off at 16:25 and is back briefly at 18:30 and the female arrives at 20:05. She is joined by the male at 20:45 and he goes into the box. She joins him at 21:10. He soon leaves and she returns to the ledge a few minutes later and takes a shower in the rain. She remains on the ledge until at least midnight.  

16 October 2022 – Video: the female takes a shower in a rain storm.

17 Oct – the male joins the female at 1:50. The female starts looking for scraps on the platform at 6:40. They then fly off together but the male is soon back. He is off again at 6:50 and back a few minutes later. At 8:10, he leaves but returns a few moments later with the female carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey which she takes into the box. The male sits on the ledge and watches her feed. At 8:50, he manages to snatch the meal from her and feeds on the platform. The female flies off. The male has finished feeding at 9:00 and stashes the remains in the box and flies out. He is back an hour later and the female joins him at 13:45; she goes into the box. He joins her in the box at 14:35 and returns to the ledge a few moments later and she flies out. The male is back at 16:10 and takes a short flight at 17:40. He remains on the ledge until 21:20 when he leaves for ten minutes. He is off again at 22:10 and returns ten minutes later with a Jack Snipe item of prey which he stashes. He is off again at 22:25 and does not return before midnight.

18 Oct – the male flies in at 3:10 and falls asleep on the ledge. He is joined by the female at 8:20 and the pair go into the box. There are a few minutes bonding, then the male moves back to the ledge; the female leaves at 8:45. The male flies off at 9:25 and the female lands briefly at 11:55, checks the box, then leaves as the male arrives. He flies off after 15 minutes. He is back again at 18:10, checks the stashed Jack Snipe but quickly puts it back. He goes into the box at 18:30 before returning to the ledge where he remains until at least midnight.

19 Oct – the male remains sleeping on the ledge until 5:20 when he moves into the box. The female arrives at 9:15 and there is brief bonding. She then picks up the stashed Jack Snipe, but it is immediately snatched from her by the male and he flies off with it. She quickly follows. She returns at 11:25 for five minutes. At 14:10, she is back carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey and takes it into the box to feed. She stashes it 20 minutes later and flies out. The male is back at 17:45 and is joined by the female at 18:20. After a few moments bonding, she feeds on the stashed pigeon. She has finished 20 minutes later and flies out whilst the male remains in the box until at least midnight.

20 Oct – the male moves to the ledge from the box at 00:55 and flies off at 1:20. He is back at 10:10 and is joined by the female at 10:35. She goes into the box, then quickly leaves. She is back at 15:05, picks up a stashed meal and flies out. She is back briefly 15 minutes later. Meanwhile, he remains on the ledge until 19:10, then moves into the box until at least midnight.

21 Oct – the male remains in the box from the previous evening and the female lands on the ledge at 7:30. She moves into the box briefly before flying out at 7:45. She is back ten minutes later and calling into the sky. During the next 30 minutes she lands briefly five times and leaves quickly. She is back at 9:10 for five minutes. At 11:00 she goes into the box and tries to bond with the male, but he ignores her and does not move. She then goes to the ledge before flying off at 11:25. The male is looking rather poorly. The female is back at 12:05 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She stashes it next to the male, who does not move, and sits on the ledge and flies off at 12:25. She is back at 13:00 and feeds on the stashed pigeon; the male does not move but watches her feed. She stashes the remains after ten minutes and flies off at 13:20. He is now looking moribund and is lying in the stones. She is back at 16:15 and goes into the box to feed on the pigeon remains and is back on the ledge 20 minutes later. She calls to the male frequently. At 17:05, the male summons up all his strength and tries to crawl across the platform. When he reaches the end, he tumbles off the edge. Despite no evidence over the last ten weeks, it looks like the male may have succumbed to Avian Influenza. The female flies off at 18:00 and there is no further activity. We are devastated at the loss of another bird.

22 Oct – the female lands at just after midnight and remains for 20 minutes. She is back two hours later watching the skies from the ledge, then falls asleep. She flies off at 7:25 and returns 20 minutes later for five minutes. She is back briefly at 8:50, twice at 11:20, and again at 11:45 and 11:55. Her action suggests that there is another Peregrine in the area, either fending off another female or already trying to bond with a new male. There is no further activity until she returns briefly at 17:20. She is then back at 20:25 carrying the remains of a meal. She looks well fed and sits on the ledge until midnight at least.

23 Oct – the female remains on the ledge until 5:50 when she flies off. She is back at 12:10 picks up some scraps and takes them into the box and flies out five minutes later. She returns at 12:55 and stands on the platform looking out, then leaves at 13:00. She flies in again at 17:50, watches the sky from the box, then flies out a few minutes later. There is no further activity on camera.

24 Oct – the female flies in at 8:00 for five minutes. She is back briefly 40 minutes later and flies in at pace at 11:10. She goes into the box and leaves five minutes later. During a visit to the Cathedral she was seen on the north and east crosses between 11:00 and 12:00. She is back in the box briefly at 12:40 and 13:00. She is back at 18:55 carrying part-eaten prey which she leaves on the platform and flies off ten minutes later. She returns at 19:55 and sits on the ledge until 22:35 when she goes into the box, remaining until midnight.

25 Oct – the female moves back to the ledge at 2:05 and flies off at 4:45. She is back at 8:10 and picks up the remains of her meal and leaves. She flies into the box at speed at 10:55, quickly flying out. She is back again briefly at 11:30 and again a few moments later. She flies into the box at 15:25 but soon leaves, returning briefly ten minutes later. There is no further activity on camera today.

26 Oct – the female flies in at 2:15 and settles on the ledge. She flies off at 6:05 and returns briefly at 11:10. There is no further activity on camera today.

27 Oct – the female lands on the ledge at 2:10 and watches the skies. She flies off ten minutes later and returns at 2:25 carrying fresh Woodpigeon prey. She plucks and feeds on the platform until 3:15 when she has finished and sits on the ledge. She resumes feeding at 6:10 and stashes the remains in the box at 7:25, then flies out. She is back at 10:40 and picks at scraps on the platform, then moves into the box and feeds on the stashed Woodpigeon. She is back on the ledge at 11:15, then flies out. There is no further activity thereafter.

28 Oct – the female flies in at 6:30 and sits on the ledge before moving into the box ten minutes later. She drags the remains of yesterday’s Woodpigeon onto the platform to feed. She has finished at 7:50 and flies off. She returns at 13:45, grabs some scraps and goes into the box to feed. She flies off with what is left at 14:05. There is no further activity today.

29 Oct – there was no activity on camera today.

30 Oct – the female lands on the ledge at 2:10 but leaves 35 minutes later. She is back at 8:30, spends five minutes looking out from the platform, then goes into the box and feeds on scraps, then flies out. She returns at 12:30 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey which she takes into the box to pluck and feed. She has finished at 13:20 and flies out. She is back at 13:55 goes into the box and looks out over the city. At 15:40 she feeds on the remains of the pigeon. She flies out with the remains of her meal at 16:00 and there is no further activity on camera.

31 Oct – the female lands very briefly at 13:25. She calls to the sky and flies out. There is no further activity on camera.