28 February – The male arrives at 9:25 but left just after 10:00. He returned at 10:10 but left 10 minutes later and again at 11:00 for 5 minutes. He male a brief visit at 13:15 but there was no more activity probably due to the extreme weather.
27 February – There was a sprinkling of snow overnight and a hard frost but no more on the platform. At 6:45 what looked like the male was already in place but soon flew off. The male returned at 7:30 but didn’t stay long. Both birds arrived at 8:20, the female with prey. The male went to the back of the box but flew off shortly after flowed closely by the female. The male returned at 9:40 calling but left after 15 minutes. There was no other activity reported for the day.
26 February – The male arrived at 6:40 but didn’t stay long, returning again at 7:45 calling. He went to the back of the box and shuffled a few stones around. He flew off at 8:10 to play with a few more stones before leaving soon after. One bird was seen briefly at the back of the box at 13:10 but there was not activity reported thereafter.
25 February – the male arrived ta 6:40but didn’t stay long. The snow showers arrived about 7:00 even though the sun was out. At 7:45 the male returned calling, went to the back of the box and shuffled a few stones. It sat of the ledge for a few minutes before flying off. At 8:10 one bird was moving stones but did not stay long. By 2:30 the platform was covered in snow. There was no further activity reported.
24 February – the male was already in the box at 7:10 then moved to the platform to eat yesterday’s left-overs. At 7:20 the female joined him and they engaged in bond-posturing. The male flew off and the female continued to eat the remains. He returned calling at 9:40 but she was too interested in what she was eating so he flew off. At 9:50 she had finished and sat on the ledge before flying off. At 13:20 the male arrived and went to the back of the box moving stones but left just 5 minutes later. There was no further activity.
23 February – Very little activity today. The male arrived at 6:40 followed shortly by the female with prey. The male left at 6:45, the female leaving 10 minutes later. The male returned at 15:25 but left at 15:30 to return at 16:40 with a small prey item. He left at 16:50 leaving the remains of the prey. He returned for a few minutes at 17:45 but there was no activity thereafter.
22 February – The male arrived at 6:55 for just a few minutes, left and returned at7:30 calling. He moved a few stones around then sat on the ledge until 7:50 when he went to the back of the box calling (was the female close by?). He left by 8:00 returned at 8:20 only to leave again 10 minutes later. Unfortunately, pictures were lost for about 4 hors (thanks to Darren and Richard for resetting comms). The female was feasting on a pigeon when pictures returned about 14:00, left at 14:15 to be replaced by the male who fed until 14:50 when he flew off only to return at 17:05 to eat the remains. At 17:50 he made a brief flight and had gone by 18:00.
21 February – The male arrived at 6:40 calling but left 10 minutes later returning at 7:40 only to leave at 7:45. He returns again at 10:10 but only stays for 5 minutes. At 13:40 he flies in calling and goes to the back of the box before sitting on the ledge for 35 minutes. At 15:10, two Feral Pigeon land on the ledge and look around but within two minutes the male had returned only to leave again at 15:20. There were no further sightings.
20 February – The high winds seemed to disrupt activity again today. Both birds were seen on the spire for most of the morning and short visits to the platform occurred at between 7:55 and 10:00 and 12:35. The male entered the box at 14:55 calling but soon returned to the ledge and left shortly after.
19 February – Both birds flew in at 7:45. One was calling and carrying prey and ate a small amount. The flew off quickly but immediately. The male went to the back of the box and the female stood on the ledge with the prey. Both were calling and seemed to be getting excited. The male left at 7:50 and the female had gone by 8:40. The male returned at 12:15 left at 12:50 and returned again at 13:55. He was joined by the female at 16:40 but he departed a few minutes later. She remained until 17:10.
18 February – The male was already on the platform at 7:00 occasionally calling and was joined by the female. After a few minutes ‘bond-posturing’, the male left and the female sat on the ledge until 8:30. Ten minutes later, the male returned with some prey and began eating it. When the female arrived at 8:50, the male left with most of the prey. After a little stone-turning, she consumed some left-overs, then sat on the ledge, calling occasionally until the male returned at 13:00. He picked at some of the remains then both entered the box ‘bond-posturing’ where they stayed until the male left at 13:25. He returned again at 14:45 but left a few minutes later. At 16:20 both birds were again at the back of the box, the male leaving soon after, the female leaving at 16:45. There were no further reports of activity.
17 February – After spending the whole night on the platform, the female left at 9:45. The male flew in at 10:20, doing quite a bit of calling, but had gone by 11:10 returning 5 minutes later, returning at 11:15, leaving at 11:20 and back at 11:30. He was most likely sitting on the spire waiting for the female. At 11:45 he walked to the back of the box as the female came in calling, walked to the back, and male flew off. The female stayed for a while then moved to the ledge leaving at 13:15. The male came back at 13:30 and stood on the ledge walking to the back of the box when the female came in calling at 13:55. She left after 15 minutes leaving the male at the back of the box pecking at the stones. At 14:45, the male arrived with a pigeon, followed by the female who took it from him. He left and she followed him both returning at 14:50 and went to the back of the box. The male left at 15:00 returning at 16:55 and both went to the back of the box moving stones. The male left at 15:05, the female 10 minutes later. There were no further reports.
16 February – The male was already on the ledge at 6:50. At 7:20 he started calling and began to get excited and ran to the back of the box, but turned back. He flew off at 9:45 but returned immediately. Between 10:20 and 11:45, when he left, he was very active, occasionally calling and moving stones around. At 11:55 both birds flew in, the female with prey (pigeon). The male went to the back of the box watching her eat. The male flew off at 12:00 and was noted on a spire cross whilst the female continued eating! At 12:25, after the female had finished eating, the male came in and pinched the prey and flew straight off with it, returning at 12:45 with the remains. She approached him but he flew off taking the prey with him, she sat on the ledge with a full crop! She left for a short time but returned calling at 14:10 leaving a few minutes later. Both returned at 16:20 and were bond-posturing in the box. After a few minutes the male left and the female was seen to be pecking amongst the stones. She then sat on the right hand corner of the ledge and remained on the platform until 9:45 the following morning.
15 February – The female arrived at 7:50 but left 5 minutes later. The male flew in calling at 8:45 remaining until 10:00. Both birds flew in at 10:30 with the male going to the back of the box calling. The female started to walk to the back but stopped an flew out. The male sat on the right hand ledge preening until 10:55 when he left. The female returned at 12:00 but had gone by 12:20. At 16:30 she was again on the ledge but had left by 17:50.
14 February – The male arrived at 7:30 calling. The female joined at 8:00 whilst the male was at the back of the box trying to entice her in. He left at 8:15 and she stayed on the ledge. She left at 10:10. There were no further reports.
13 February – The female was on the ledge at 12:00 but there were few reports today.
12 February – The male was already on the ledge at first light 7:00 but left at 7:15. The female arrived at 8:15 and was joined by the male at 9:05 at the back of the box ‘bond-posturing’. He left at 9:15 and the female left soon after. The male returned at 12:00 but was gone by 13:00. Both birds returned at 15:35 entering the box and were very vocal and posturing. The male left at 15:50, the female went to the ledge, leaving some time later.
11 February – The male arrived at 7:25 but left 10 minutes later. The female arrived at 8:40 and took up her usual position to be joined by the male at 9:00 and went through their ‘bond-posturing’ and calling. He left after 5 minutes. There was no further activity after the female left at 10:10.
10 February – The male came in calling at 7:00 and sat on the right corner of the ledge. At 7:55 he started calling and walked to the back of the box – no sign of the female. At 8:05, he moved to the left side of the platform, preening. At 9:25, he walked to the back calling and was joined by the female. They spent 5 minutes ‘bond-posturing’ before the male departed. The female left at 10:25. Both birds returned to the box at 10:50, the male leaving at 11:00. The female remained until 15:05.
9 February – the female arrived about 8:00 and sat preening until 8:30 when she left. Both returned at 9:10 and proceeded to go through their ‘bonding’ posturing at the back of the box. The male left and the female remained on the ledge until 12:00. The male returned at 12:45, left just before 13:00, returned a few minutes later but was gone by 13:10. At 15:30 the male arrived calling and looking around the box for about 10 minutes before leaving only to return again at 16:10, finally leaving at 16:20.
8 February – another day full of activity. The male had arrived by 7:05, went to the rear of the box returning to the ledge before leaving at about 8:45 and was seen on the spire at 9:20. Both birds returned at 10:00, the male to the rear of the box the female on the ledge with a large crop (see photo below). Both left by 10:30. The female returned at 12:00 and was joined by the male around 13:45, leaving at 13:55. He returned again at 17:05 leaving a few minutes later. The female left at 17:30.
7 February – quite a lot of activity today. Both birds arriving in the box at about 8:25, going through the bonding posturing before leaving after 20 minutes. There was a lot of vocalisation. The male returned a number of times between 11:30 and 14:30 before the pair arrived together at 15:45 leaving after 10 minutes.
Screengrab of a new camera we hope to go live in March.
6 February – the only action reported today was the male landing on the platform for a few minutes around 16:10. The cold easterlies could be putting them off as the wind could be heard on the microphone.
5 February – one unidentified bird flew in at around 8:00 but left soon after. There were no further sightings during the day.
4 February – there were no reports of sightings on the platform today.
3 February – it was the male that was present for most of the day (sitting in the female’s favourite spot), occasionally picking at the remains of yesterday’s meal. When preening, a silver BTO ring can be seen on the male’s left leg; the female’s is on the right.
2 February – it’s unusual for this pair to bring and eat food on the ledge. The female brought prey in early in the day and was later replaced by the male.
1 February – the female was already on the ledge at 7:15 but left at 7:30. She was not seen on the platform for the rest of the day but remained on one of the spire’s crosses.