JANUARY 2026
1 Jan – the male flies in at 1:20. He leaves at 3:45 and the female lands at 5:40. She goes into the box at 7:55 as the male joins her. She soon flies out and he follows a few moments later. The female is back at 12:00 and spends 15 minutes tidying the scrapes and around the platform. The male lands at 16:20 for 15 minutes.
2 Jan – the female lands at 6:30 and goes into the box on the arrival of the male at 7:15. He flies off a after a few minutes and she leaves at 7:35. The male is back at 8:30, checks the box then leaves ten minutes later. He soon returns with the female, and they go into the box. The female leaves, and the male quickly follows. The male is back at 9:20, goes into the box and moves to the ledge five minutes later. He visits the box again at 10:05 but soon returns to the ledge before flying off at 10:20. The female flies in at 10:30 and checks the box, then leaves at 10:50. She is back at 14:20 for a few minutes. The male is back at 16:00, checks the box then sits on the ledge until 17:05.
3 Jan – the male lands at 7:30 and takes a short flight at 7:55 before leaving at 8:05. The female lands briefly at 9:30. The male arrives with a full crop an hour later and sits on the ledge. The female joins him at 11:20, they have a short bonding session, and both fly off. She is back at 11:35, checks the box and leaves. She returns a few moments later and sits on the ledge until 12:40. The male returns at 15:55 and sits on the ledge until 17:05.
4 Jan – the male lands at 7:25 until 7:50. He is back at 11:25 and goes into the box, then moves to the ledge where he sits with a full crop. He flies off at 12:00 but soon returns, then leaves at 13:10.
5 Jan – the male lands at 6:40. He takes a short flight 15 minutes later but quickly returns. The female flies into the box at 7:20 and tends the scrapes. There is a short bout of bonding then the male leaves at 7:35. The female moves to the ledge and flies off after five minutes. The male is back briefly at 10:30. The pair return at 12:30 for a few minutes of bonding, then the male flies out. The female moves to the ledge with a full crop until flying off at 13:05.
6 Jan – the male lands for five minutes at 16:20. He is back at 21:50 and goes into the box for 15 minutes and checks the scrapes. He returns to the ledge and remains until midnight.
7 Jan – the male remains on the ledge from the previous evening and takes a short flight at 7:45 returning with the female. There is a short bout of bonding, then the male leaves. The female tends the scrapes then moves to the ledge at 8:05 and flies off.
8 Jan – the pair fly in at 7:45. The male quickly leaves whilst the female tends the scrapes. She moves to the ledge at 8:15 and flies off at 8:40.
9 Jan – the male lands briefly at 12:05. He returns with the female at 12:50 and they go into the box. He moves to the ledge after a few minutes bonding then flies off. She flies out a few minutes later.
10 Jan – the female lands with a full crop at 13:20 but leaves after five minutes.
11 Jan – the female flies in at 4:40 and sits on the ledge. She is joined by the male at 6:35 and there is a brief bout of bonding, then the male goes into the box. The female leaves at 6:45 and he moves to the ledge. She is back at 7:30 carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey. The male leaves and she plucks her meal. She flies out with it at 8:20 and returns at 11:20 looking well fed. She goes into the box at 11:30 to tend to the scrapes and moves back to the ledge at 14:25. She flies off at 15:35 and is replaced by the male. He checks the scrapes in the box then sits on the ledge until 15:55. He is back at 22:50 and remains until midnight.
12 Jan – the male remains on the ledge from the previous evening. He flies out when the female arrives at 2:05. She goes into the box when an intruder arrives on the ledge at 7:20. This is a colour-ringed male [XRF], one of her juveniles from 2024 that was interfering with the breeding pair last March and April. She forces him from the ledge a few minutes later and she flies off at 7:35. The resident male flies in at 9:30 and sits on the ledge until 11:35. The pair are back at 13:25 and go into the box for a bout of bonding and to tend the scrapes. He soon leaves and she moves to the ledge ten minutes later, then flies off. The male is back at 15:35, checks the box then sits on the ledge until 19:00. He is back 15 minutes later and remains until 21:10, when he takes a short flight. He is off again at 21:30 and is back after ten minutes. Another flight at 22:10 results in him returning a few minutes later carrying very fresh Redwing prey. He quickly leaves with it obviously to stash it as he is back on the ledge at 22:25. Another short flight a few minutes later, then leaves at 23:20.
13 Jan – the male flies in at 1:10 carrying very fresh Redwing prey. He initially stashes the meal but then flies out with it. He is back at 1:40 and sits on the ledge until 3:20. He returns five minutes later with another Redwing. He stashes it by a column then sits on the ledge. He takes a short flight at 7:35 and leaves five minutes later. He is back at 8:00 with the female. They go into the box for a short bout of bonding. He soon leaves and she follows a few minutes later. He is back at 10:50, checks the box, then leaves after five minutes.
13 Jan – WATCH DAY: during the morning watch, both adults were on east- and north-facing crosses on the spire all morning, except for at 12:15 when the female went on a short flight south-west but returned after ten minutes.
14 Jan – the male flies in at 3:20 and sits on the ledge until 7:10. He is back briefly at 7:30 but leaves after five minutes. He returns at 7:50 until 8:15, at 9:45 for ten minutes, and 15:30 for a few minutes.
15 Jan – the male lands at 7:15 for 30 minutes. There was no further activity on camera today.
16 Jan – the male flies in at 00:20 and remains on the ledge until 7:00. The female lands for a few minutes at 8:35 and the male does likewise at 10:45. The pair arrive together at 15:30 and call across the platform. The male leaves after a few minutes and the female soon follows.
17 Jan – the male arrives at 7:20 and picks at stones on the platform, then sits on the ledge for 30 minutes. He is back at 16:10 with the female but she flies off immediately and he follows.
18 Jan – the male arrives at 6:40 for ten minutes. The female lands at 7:30 and sits on the ledge until 8:15.
19 Jan – the male lands at 6:20 and sits on the ledge until 8:05. He returns with the female at 8:40 but he quickly leaves, and the female follows a few moments later.
20 Jan – the male lands at 3:10 and falls asleep until 6:20. He leaves at 7:40 and returns at 10:30. He flies out at 11:05 and immediately returns with the female. They go into the box for a bout of bonding. He moves to the ledge after five minutes, then flies off. She tends to the scrapes then moves to the ledge at 11:30 and leaves ten minutes later. The male is back at 19:45 for ten minutes.
21 Jan – the male arrives at 1:15 and falls asleep until 4:35 when he flies off. He is back at 7:20 for 20 minutes. He returns with the female at 8:10 and they go into the box. He quickly leaves and she soon follows. The pair are back at 12:15 and spend a few minutes in the box bonding. The male then leaves but the female tends the scrapes until moving to the ledge at 12:30 and flying off.
22 Jan – the male lands for less than a minutes at 13:00. There was no further activity on camera today.
23 Jan – the male arrives at 6:05 and sits on the ledge for ten minutes. He returns with the female at 7:40. They go into the box for a brief bout of bonding, and he soon flies out. She then moves to the ledge and leaves at 7:50. The pair are back at 9:30 and he goes into the box. She remains on the ledge and flies off after a few minutes and he soon follows. He is back briefly at 10:20. The pair return at 13:30 and go into the box. He soon leaves and she follows 15 minutes later, after tending the scrapes.
24 Jan – the male lands at 9:05 for five minutes. He is back at 9:30 but quickly leaves only to immediately return and calls loudly into the sky, then soon flies off. He returns with the female at 12:25. He flies out after a few minutes of bonding, and she leaves at 12:40 after tending the scrapes. The male is back for five minutes at 13:25.
25 Jan – the male lands at 6:15 and goes into the box. He flies out at 6:45 and returns at 7:40 flies out at 6:45 and returns at 7:40, then moves to the ledge and flies off ten minutes later. He is back at 12:50, goes into the box then moves to the ledge where he remains until flying off at 13:25. He returns at 15:50, goes into the box then sits on the ledge for an hour.
26 Jan – there was no activity on camera today.
27 Jan – the male flies in calling at 10:50. Looking wet and bedraggled, he flies off after a few minutes. The female arrives at 15:45 and collects the Redwing meal that has been festering on the platform since 13 January. The female flies in at 21:20 with a full crop and the remains of her Teal meal. She stashes it by a column and flies off.
28 Jan – the male lands at 6:10 and falls asleep on the ledge. He wakes and flies off at 7:25. He is back at 9:10 and sits on the ledge with a full crop. The female arrives a few minutes later and grabs the stashed Teal and flies out. The male remains on the ledge until 10:00. The pair fly into the box at 16:30. He leaves after a few minutes bonding. She moves to the ledge after tending the scrapes for five minutes and flies off at 17:05. She is back at 21:35 carrying fresh Woodpigeon prey which she stashes by a column, then sits on the ledge until midnight.
29 Jan – the female remains on the ledge from the previous evening until 7:10 when she grabs the stashed Woodpigeon and feeds on the platform. The male lands at 7:20 and watches from the ledge for ten minutes then flies off. She leaves with the remains at 7:40. The male is back briefly at 9:35. He returns at 14:40 and grabs some scraps then leaves. He lands on the ledge again at 16:45 for 15 minutes.
30 Jan – the female arrives at 5:15 and remains on the ledge until 7:20 when she picks up some scraps and flies off. The pair fly in at 10:20 and the male goes into the box but the female feeds on scraps before joining him. He flies out after a few minutes bonding whilst the female remains in the box until 10:30 and flies off five minutes later after tending to the scrapes. The male lands at 12:30 but immediately leaves and the female does likewise a few moments later. The female is back at 15:40, goes into the box, tends the scrapes then returns to the ledge before flying off at 16:00. The male is back at 17:05 for 20 minutes.
31 Jan – The female flies in at 3:20 and remains until 4:35. She is back at 5:30 and goes into the box on the arrival of the male at 6:45. She returns to the ledge after ten minutes and there is calling between the pair. The male leaves at 7:00 and the female 25 minutes later. The male lands with fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 9:35. The female swoops in and takes it from him. This is the first sign of the male helping to get the female into good breeding condition – getting extra food for her. She flies off with her meal and he sits on the ledge until 11:15. The male is back on the ledge calling at 12:00, I happened to be in the city centre and a quick visit to the Cathedral revealed the resident pair. The male was on the platform calling loudly and the female on the top eastern cross. Also evident was a large female intruder circling the spire and swooping low near the platform. The male flies out and a few minutes later was on one of the eastern crosses. A quick check an about hour later and both birds were still in situ. They then fly into the box for a bout of bonding and the male quickly leaves. The female moves to the ledge with a full crop. She tends the scrapes at 14:30 then returns to the ledge until flying off at 16:25. The male is back at 17:15, falls asleep and remains until midnight.