AUGUST 2026
1 Aug – the female arrives at 4:15 carrying fresh Black-headed Gull prey. She stashes it by a column then sits on the ledge until leaving at 5:00. XRF flies in 20 minutes later, sees the meal and flies out with it. He returns to the ledge with a full crop at 6:45. He shelter in the shade of the columns at 8:15 for 15 minutes then moves back to the ledge and flies off at 8:40. He is back at 9:50 and shelters in the shade of the box until flying off at 10:30 but returns a few minutes later. The female flies into the box at 10:50 and is joined by XRF but he flies out soon after. She remains until flying out at 11:10. XRF lands at 21:20 but leaves after ten minutes.
2 Aug – the female flies in with a pigeon leg (just the leg) which she stashes by a column at 1:50. She sits on the ledge with a full crop. Strangely, at 5:00, she picks up the leg and flies off with it – waste not want not! XRF lands with a full crop at 9:10 and sits on the ledge. He then shelters in the shade of the column at 10:25. He moves back to the ledge at 13:10 and eventually leaves at 16:45. He is back at 17:30, checks the box and flies out after five minutes.
3 Aug – XRF flies into the box at 5:00 quickly followed by the female, but the male leaves immediately. The female looks from the ledge and follows a few minutes later. She returns at 6:00 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She plucks it on the platform and leaves with it at 6:15 without eating – is she taking it to feed the juveniles? She is back at 8:00 carrying another very fresh Feral Pigeon. Her crop is not full so did not feed on the previous pigeon. XRF lands but quickly leaves. She takes her meal into the box, plucks it and feeds, then takes the substantial remains when she flies out at 8:25. XRF lands ten minutes later and feeds on scraps on the platform, then sits on the ledge until leaving at 8:55. XRF is back on the ledge at 12:40 and is joined by a Stock Dove at 14:15, but he ignores a potential meal and it flies off after ten minutes. The male flies off at 15:05. The female is back at 20:05, checks the scrapes in the box and flies off 15 minutes later.
4 Aug – the female flies in at 9:40 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey and she is quickly followed by XRF. He tries to steal her meal, but she mantles it, and he is forced back to the ledge. He watches her pluck and feed, calling loudly begging for food. She takes her meal into the box at 10:05 and he sees some scraps and flies out with them. She feeds for another ten minutes, then leaves. XRF is back at 11:35 looking for food, tends to the scrapes in the box, then sits on the ledge. He flies off at 16:05 and returns to the ledge four hours later and remains until 23:35.
5 Aug – XRF flies into the box at 5:20 followed by the female; he quickly leaves. She tends the scrapes, then moves to the ledge at 5:35 and flies off 15 minutes later. She is back at 6:45 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey but leaves with it after a few minutes. XRF lands calling at 7:00 and flies off ten minutes later. The female is back at 7:30, checks the box, then leaves. She does not have a full crop so did not feed on the earlier pigeon – was that for off-site juveniles? XRF lands at 7:40, checks the scrapes then leaves. He is back at 9:45 for 15 minutes. The female returns at 11:50 and goes into the box and tends the scrapes. She moves to the ledge at 12:00 and flies off five minutes later. XRF lands again at 20:30 and remains until 22:05.
6 Aug – XRF flies into the box at 10:00 carrying fresh House Martin prey. He feeds on his meal then moves to the ledge. The female flies into the box at 10:15 and tends the scrapes, then dozes at the back. The male takes shelter from the sun in the shadow of a column at 11:10. He starts calling loudly a few minutes later and is distracted by something overhead. The female moves to the platform to check but neither fly out immediately. She leaves at 11:25 and he quickly follows. There is no further activity on camera today.
7 Aug – XRF lands on the ledge with a full crop at 8:10. He stands in the shadow of a column 15 minutes later and lies down at 9:00. He moves to the platform at 10:40 and then goes into the box after five minutes. He moves back to the ledge at 12:55 and remains until 15:45. The female lands with very fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 15:55. She plucks and prepares it in the box then flies out with substantial remains at 17:00 – is she still feeding juveniles? XRF arrives ten minutes later and sits on the ledge until 17:50.
8 Aug – XRF lands at 11:30 and stands in the shade on the platform. He lays down at 12:40 and flies out at 13:30. The female arrives at 15:25, checks the box, then sits on the ledge before leaving at 15:50.
9 Aug – XRF lands briefly at 5:30. He is back at 8:20 with a full crop and sits in the shade of the box. He moves to the ledge at 9:45 but is quickly back in the shade. He lies down on the platform at 10:40 and goes into the back of the box briefly ten minutes later, then stands in the shade of a column. He flies out at 11:20. He is back with a re-filled crop at 18:35 calling loudly. The female flies into the box at 19:50 and XRF leaves a few minutes later. She moves to the ledge and flies out at 20:05.
10 Aug – the female flies in at 00:35 carrying very fresh Sandwich Tern prey. She eventually stashes it by a column and flies off at 1:00. XRF lands at 5:00. The female returns with a full crop at 5:40 and goes into the box and the male flies off. She moves to the ledge after a few minutes. She flies off at 7:40 and XRF lands and sees the stashed tern and feeds on it. He has finished 30 minutes later and sits on the ledge. He moves back into the box at 9:10 and returns to the ledge at 12:15. The female lands at 13:45 and goes into the box to tend the scrape as XRF stands over the remains of this morning’s meal protecting it. She flies out after 15 minutes and he feeds on the tern remains, then moves back to the ledge and leaves at 16:55. The female returns at 20:45, feeds on scraps on the platform and flies off at 21:10.
11 Aug – WATCH DAY – XRF lands at 5:50, picks at scraps, checks the scrapes in the box, then sits on the ledge but leaves at 6:00. The female arrives at 6:55 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She plucks it and flies out with the remains at 7:25. When we arrived for the Watch Day, the female was sitting on the highest north-facing cross whilst XRF was sitting in a round window just below. They remain in their respective places until two Buzzards fly over at 11:50. First XRF takes off in pursuit and is quickly followed by the female. He is soon back in the box tending the scrapes for ten minutes then sits on the ledge. The female did not make an appearance before we left, and the male remained on the ledge until 15:10.
12 Aug – XRF lands at 2:15. He checks for scraps in the box and flies out 15 minutes later. He is back at 17:00 and goes into the box when the female arrives at 17:10 but quickly leaves. She remains in the box tending the scrapes until 17:25 when she moves to the ledge then flies off at 19:10.
13 Aug – the female lands at 5:25 calling loudly but leaves after a few minutes. XRF arrives at 6:35, checks the box and leaves after ten minutes. He is back at 12:15 and goes into the box to shelter and tend the scrapes. He moves to the ledge at 14:30. He tries to get some relief from the intense heat by standing next to a column at 16:10. He is back on the ledge 40 minutes later and flies off at 16:55.
14 Aug – the female lands at 5:05 and she calls at XRF as he misses his landing. She flies off after ten minutes. XRF lands at 5:55, tends the scrapes in the box then sits on the ledge until 6:20. There is no further activity on camera today.
15 Aug – the female arrives at 1:45 carrying the remains of a Feral Pigeon meal that she has just eaten and stashes them by a column. She sits on the ledge with a full crop until 5:05. XRF lands 15 minutes later calling, sees the stashed pigeon and feeds on it. He flies off with the remains at 6:45. He is back on the ledge with a full crop at 10:25 and goes into the box on the arrival of the female ten minutes later. He flies out after a few minutes, and she leaves at 10:50. He is back on the ledge at 14:45 until 17:55. He flies into the box at 19:00, tends the scrapes and flies out five minutes later.
16 Aug – XRF arrives at 5:30 calling loudly quickly followed by the female. She goes into the box but he flies off when she walks to the platform a few minutes later. She leaves soon after. XRF lands briefly at 8:50. There is no further activity on camera today.
17 Aug – XRF sits on the ledge from 5:30 until 5:55. He is back at 13:05, goes into the box to tend the scrapes, then sits on the ledge flying off a few minutes later. The female arrives at 18:45 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey. Whilst standing on her meal, she looks around the city skies. She takes it into the box and plucks it but did not feed on the pigeon. After plucking it, she looks out over the city again – the possibility of her still feeding juveniles is still real. She stashes it by a column and eventually flies off at 19:25.
18 Aug – XRF arrives at 5:50 quickly followed by the female. He goes into the box, and she joins him. She picks up the stashed pigeon meal and leaves with it. He moves to the ledge and flies off at 6:20. He returns at 12:00 and lies on the platform until 14:15 when he preens for 30 minutes, then lies on the platform again. He goes into the box at 16:05 and flies off after ten minutes. He flies into the box briefly at 19:20, then sits on the ledge until 20:30.
18 Aug UPDATE – I received notification this morning that juvenile 4AB (male) had been rescued from a gull attack near Abbey Park and was sent to the Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital. His injuries were determined to be too severe and he was euthanised. On a positive note, this does confirm our belief that juveniles were still in the vicinity being fed by the female. This gives us hope for 4BB and 4CB.
19 Aug – there is no activity seen before the cameras go down at 7:25.
20 Aug – the cameras are off-line today.
21 Aug – the cameras are back on-line at 13:25 but there is no activity recorded.
22 Aug – the female arrives at 3:20 carrying fresh Moorhen prey and falls asleep on the ledge. She flies out with it at 8:00. She flies out with it at 8:05. XRF lands at 11:50 and sits on the platform preening. At 12:45 he lies on the platform, then flies out in a hurry at 14:00. The female is back at 16:45 and goes into the box until flying out at 18:20.
23 Aug – the female arrives at 2:35 carrying very fresh Black-tailed Godwit prey. She stashes her meal and sits on the ledge until 3:25. XRF lands at 7:10 having already fed with a very full crop. The female flies into the box at 8:20 and remains there in the shade tending the scrapes until XRF flies off at 9:30. She moves to the platform and leaves at 9:45. The female returns at 17:05 to collect her Godwit meal and quickly leaves. XRF flies in at 23:25 carrying very fresh Little Grebe prey. He stashes his meal and sits on the ledge until midnight.
24 Aug – XRF remains on the ledge and makes a quick visit to the box at midnight and flies off at 00:45. He returns at 5:40 followed by the female. She spies the stashed Grebe, picks it up and flies out followed by XRF. He returns a few moments later, checks the box twice seemingly looking for his meal, then sits on the ledge before quickly flying. He lands briefly at 7:25. The female flies into the box at 13:15 where she remains tending the scrapes and dozing until flying out at 16:25. XRF lands at 18:05, checks the box and leaves a few moments later.
25 Aug – The female lands at 4:05. She goes into the box at 5:40 as XRF arrives on the ledge. He quickly leaves and she follows. She is back in the box at 11:55 and remains there until flying out at 17:05. XRF is back at 20:20 but leaves after 15 minutes.
26 Aug – XRF arrives at 1:20. He falls asleep on the ledge until flying off at 5:40, and being replaced by the female. She leaves after ten minutes. XRF returns with a full crop at 9:00 and sits on the ledge. The female flies into the box at 13:20 until she leaves at 15:35. XRF remains dozing on the ledge until 19:15.
27 Aug – XRF lands at 6:50 until 7:05. He is back at 16:35 with a full crop and sits on the ledge until leaving a three hours later.
28 Aug – the female flies into the box at 7:35 and moves to the ledge at 7:50. She is back in the shade of the box at 9:05 and remains in the box until flying out at 15:45.
29 Aug – XRF lands at 5:45 and tends the scrapes in the box ten minutes later before returning to the ledge and flying off. The female arrives at 6:10 for five minutes. She returns at 9:10 and sits on the ledge until 12:25 when she goes into the box, tends to the scrapes and dozes before flying out an hour later.
30 Aug – XRF lands at 6:20 quickly followed by the female. He goes into the box but leaves after a few minutes whilst she sits on the ledge and flies off a few minutes later. She returns at 8:05 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey and plucks it on the platform. She feeds briefly then stashes the remains in the box and leaves at 9:20. XRF lands a few minutes later, picks at scraps then sees the stashed meal. He feeds on it for 30 minutes, then flies off with the remains at 9:55. The female is back at 10:20 and goes into the box. She moves to the ledge at 13:55 and returns to the box at 16:50 for ten minutes as something flies over her head. She is back in the box briefly at 18:50 for the same reason – presumably XRF landing on the spire. She flies off five minutes later and is quickly replaced by XRF. He checks the box then moves to the ledge until flying off at 21:35.
31 Aug – XRF lands at 5:50 quickly followed by the female. He goes into the box but quickly leaves. She sits on the ledge until 6:10. XRF is back on the ledge with a full crop at 8:50. He lies on the platform at 9:20 for 30 minutes, then returns to the ledge and flies off at 12:50. The female returns at 15:20, tends the scrapes in the box then moves to the ledge and leaves 20 minutes later. She is back at 18:05, checks the box and scrape, then moves to the ledge and flies out at 18:30. XRF returns a few minutes later, checks the box, tends the scrapes, then sits on the ledge until 19:15. He is back at 19:55 and sits on the ledge with a full crop until midnight.