31 March – (please note, these are on-screen times. BST did not change until noon approx.) the female remains on the eggs until 3:35 when she walks to the ledge, looks out and calls to the male before returning to the scrape. He finally arrives at 4:40 and the pair swap and she flies off a few minutes later. She returns at 6:15 and exchange places. The male is back an hour later and once more they swap duties. The female picks at some scraps left on the platform, then settles on the ledge. At 7:40, the male flies out and there is a mating attempt. They seem intent on a 5th egg. The female returns to the scrape. At 7:55, the male brings in a small prey item, a Starling, and the female snatches it from him. He flies off and she follows soon after. He is quickly back on the eggs and the female is on the platform with her meal. She has finished eating 15 minutes later and flies off. She is back after a few minutes and settles on the ledge before replacing the male on the eggs at 8:30. He picks up a few of the scraps she left from her meal, flying off 5 minutes later. He is back at 9:40 remaining for half an hour. He flies in again at 10:55 and goes into the box but the female will not let him take over so he returns to the ledge. The female stands proud of the eggs for a few minutes and at 11:00 reveals a freshly laid egg! That is number 5 in this clutch. In the years since we have been monitoring this pair, we have not had more than 4 eggs in a clutch. I did suggest that the fact they are a week earlier than last year and that they were continuing to mate after egg #4, there was a good possibility of a 5th. She drags the new egg into the clutch and resumes incubation as the male sits on the ledge. He flies off at 12:50. He is back at 13:50 and replaces the female on the eggs. She sits on the ledge for a few minutes then flies off. She returns at 15:00 and replaces the male on the eggs – he flies off. She remains on the eggs until midnight at least.
30 March – the male arrives at 4:25 and replaces the female on the scrape. She flies off 10 minutes later. The female returns at 5:35, the male flies out and there is a mating attempt. She then goes and incubates the eggs. The male is back at 7:15 and swaps places with the female who picks up a few scraps from the platform before flying off at 7:35. She returns at 8:40 and pushes the male from the scrape who flies off 5 minutes later. A Stock Dove lands on the ledge at 9:40 but leaves almost immediately as the male arrives. He spends 20 minutes preening, then has a snooze. He wakens at 10:15 and takes off quickly. The female moves to the ledge at 10:55 and flies off a few minutes later as the male arrives. He goes into the box and onto the eggs. The female returns at 11:45, replaces the male on the eggs and he flies off. She moves to the ledge at 13:00 but returns to the eggs half an hour later. The male is back at 14:20 and they swap places. She flies off 10 minutes later returning at 15:00. The male flies out and there is a mating attempt and she then returns to the scrape. She moves to the ledge at 16:00 and flies off a few minutes later but is replaced by the male soon after. She is back on the ledge at 17:25 and he flies out and there is another mating attempt. She then goes to incubate the eggs and does so until midnight at least.
29 March – the female remains on the clutch until 3:00 when the male arrives with a small item of prey. She takes the meal from him and he flies off 10 minutes later. She leaves it on the platform and returns to incubation duties. The male is back at 4:45 and sits on the ledge until 5:40 when he flies off. The female moves to the ledge and a few minutes later she too leaves. Soon after the male is back to cover the eggs. The female returns at 5:55 and remains on the ledge. At 6:35, the male flies out and there is a mating attempt. This is the first attempt noted after the 4th egg was laid and would seem to indicate that the pair are prepared to try for a 5th egg! Some UK Urban sites have previously noted 5 and 6 eggs in a clutch but we have certainly not seen more than 4 in Leicester. It would be unusual for all the eggs to hatch and young to fledge. The female then goes and incubates the eggs. The male returns at 7:25 and goes into the box and the female moves from the eggs to the ledge allowing the male to do the incubation. She flies off at 7:50, returning 40 minutes later. She eats the item of prey that was brought in during the evening then replaces the male on the eggs. He flies off returning to replace the incubating female at 10:20. She sits preening on the ledge until 10:55 when she flies off. The male moves to the platform and looks out over the city and then goes back to the clutch. She is back 5 minutes later with a large (unidentified) item of prey. She proceeds to pluck and eat it on the platform. The male moves to the ledge and looks at the female eating her catch and possibly looking to steal a little. She notices him looking, starts grunting and hops over to him and forces him off the ledge. She flies off with her meal and the male comes back and resumes incubation. She returns at 11:30, he flies out and she takes over on the eggs. The male is back on the ledge at 12:55 and the pair soon changes places. They swap places again at 15:20 and the male flies off returning briefly 20 minutes later. He is back for a few minutes at 17:00 and the female moves to the ledge. He is on the eggs 5 minutes later. She flies off for 5 minutes at 17:20 and then leaves at 17:30. Returning at 18:10, the male flies out and she incubates the eggs, remaining there until midnight at least.
28 March – the female remains on the eggs until the male arrives at 3:25 and they swap over and she falls asleep on the ledge. The male leaves at 5:00 and the female takes over. He returns at 5:45 and the female moves back to the ledge and he covers the eggs. She picks at a few scraps left on the platform. At 6:10 he flies out and there is a mating attempt. The female resumes incubation at 6:30. The male is back at 7:10 and they swap over again. He does appear to be doing his fair share of incubation. She preens on the ledge. At 7:25 he flies out and there is another mating attempt. She flies off at 7:35 and the male arrives a few minutes later to cover the eggs but the female is just a few moments behind. She remains on the ledge whilst he incubates until 8:00 when she flies off and he walks to the platform and looks out over the city. She returns after a few minutes and he flies off. She then goes and covers the eggs. When the male returns at 9:20, they swap over. At 9:45, she starts to walk around the platform picking at scraps of previous meals. She takes a short flight 5 minutes later and again at 10:00 – possibly hunting. At 10:30, the male flies out and there is a mating attempt, then the female takes over incubation. She spends a few minutes on the platform at 10:40 before returning to the scrape. She moves to the ledge at 12:30 and 5 minutes later the male arrives to continue the incubation. She flies off at 13:05 returning 20 minutes later. She calls him off the scrape at 14:15 and once he flies out, she takes his place. She moves to the ledge at 15:20 and is looking for the male and flies out 5 minutes later. The male arrives and covers the eggs. She returns at 16:10 and settles on the ledge. After a few minutes, she moves to the scrape and he flies out. At 17:00, she moves some stones around. At 17:35, she stands over the eggs and appears ‘fidgety’ and 5 minutes later the 4th egg of the clutch is revealed. She remains on the clutch until midnight at least.
27 March – the female continues to incubate the eggs until 3:15 when the male arrives and he takes over. The female falls asleep on the ledge. The male flies out at 5:05 and the female resumes incubation. At 6:05 she moves to the ledge and 10 minutes later the male comes in with a piece of pre-plucked prey which she takes from him. He flies off whilst she feeds. She flies off with her meal at 6:25. The male arrives at 7:00 and goes to cover the eggs. The female is back 5 minutes later with a full crop and replaces the male in the scrape. At 8:55, she moves to the ledge and appears to be looking for the male. He arrives at 9:10 and goes onto the eggs. At 9:30, the female starts chipping and a few moments later the male flies out and there is a mating attempt after which she resumes incubation. The male is back at 10:20 and replaces the female who moves to the ledge. She flies off at 10:35, returning at 12:45 then flies out at 12:55. The male walks to the platform and looks out over the city before returning to the eggs. The female is back at 13:05 and the male flies out and there is a mating attempt. She then goes to incubate the eggs. The male is back at 13:15 but leaves almost immediately. He brings in another meal an hour later and the female takes it from him and he flies off. She moves to the ledge when she has finished at 14:30 returning to the eggs 5 minutes later. The male returns with a full crop at 15:20 and he remains on the ledge until 16:45 when they swap places. Five minutes later and the female flies off. He flies out at 17:40 and there is a mating attempt. The female then covers the eggs and continues incubating until midnight at least.
26 March – the female is still incubating the eggs until 00:55 when she becomes restless. She comes off the eggs and reverses out of the box. She then defecates before returning to the scrape and continuing incubation. At 1:50, she stands over the 2 eggs and by 1:50 there are 3. She proceeds to incubate the 3 eggs. The male arrives on the ledge at 3:10 but the female falls asleep. He flies off at 5:00. She walks to the platform 20 minutes later, no doubt looking for her mate and he arrives at 5:30. They are obviously not satisfied with 3 eggs as he soon flies out and there is a mating attempt. She then returns to incubation, returning to the ledge at 5:55. She is back on the eggs at 6:05. However, just 5 minutes later, the male brings in a large meal – a Feral Pigeon. She plucks and eats with relish, stashing the remains between the columns at 6:20. It is noticeable recently that the Feral Pigeons the male brings in have a lot of white in them – possibly easier to see? She sits on the ledge with a full crop before resuming incubation. The male is back at 7:35 and the female goes to the ledge. He notices the stashed pigeon and grabs hold of it, dragging it to the platform before flying off with it as the female approaches. She is back incubating at 8:00. The male returns with heavy crop and takes over egg duties from the female. She tidies up a few scraps on the platform. The male flies out at 9:05 and there is a mating attempt. The female goes and covers the eggs. He is back at 10:35 and they swap roles at 11:15. Unfortunately, someone is using all the bandwidth and there is a break in recording. When the cameras are back up at 13:10, the male is on the ledge preening and the female is on the eggs. They swap places at 13:40. After she has finished preening, at 14:55 she starts ‘chipping’ and he flies out and there is a mating attempt. The female remains on the ledge until 15:30 when she gives 10 minutes of incubation. The male flies in at 16:20 and covers the eggs. The female searches for the prey that was stashed earlier between the columns but there is nothing there. She remains on the ledge with the male on the eggs until she starts ‘chipping’ at 17:10 when he flies out and there is a mating attempt, after which she resumes incubation. She moves back to the ledge at 17:50 and resumes incubation at 18:45. The male arrives at 19:05 with a large item of prey. The female leaves the eggs and takes they prey from him and he flies off. A few minutes later, the female leaves with the prey. She is back a few minutes later, presumably after stashing the meal and resumes incubation and keeps the eggs covered until midnight at least.
25 March – the female moves to the platform at 1:45 and calls out. The male immediately flies in to take over incubation and the she flies off. At 3:40, he walks onto the platform returning to incubate the eggs at 4:05. He moves onto the ledge at 5:10, flying off a few minutes later. Returning at 5:35, he resumes incubation. The female arrives 5 minutes later and he flies out and she covers the eggs. She goes to the ledge at 6:25 and flies off briefly. She walks around the box and stops on the platform looking out over the city – probably searching for the male. He arrives at 6:50 and goes into the box and covers the eggs for a few minutes before he flies out and there is a mating attempt. At 7:05, she become very vocal and agitated constantly looking around and up into the sky, at one point flicking out her wings. She settles down after about 5 minutes but flies off at 7:10. The pair return calling at 7:15 but the male is off soon after. She is much more relaxed at 7:30 and starts to preen. At 7:55, she goes into the box and covers the eggs. The male flies in at 8:10 and takes over on the eggs but after a few minutes flies out and there is another mating attempt. The female resumes incubation at 8:30 for half an hour when she returns to the ledge. She flies off 25 minutes later and is replaced by the male who goes to cover the eggs. He flies out 10 minutes later but is back at 9:45. He picks up the remains of yesterday’s Woodcock that was stashed and picks at it. The female flies in immediately and ‘relieves’ him of it! He flies off whilst she feeds. She leaves with it at 10:00. The pair arrive together at 10:30 and the male covers the eggs for a few minutes before flying out for a mating attempt after which, the female resumes incubation. She flies out at 11:35 and the male flies in to cover the eggs 10 minutes later. He takes a couple of short flights at 12:00 – probably in hunting mode – and leaves soon after. He is back at 12:25 and pick at some scraps on the platform. He has finished eating at 12:40 and goes to cover the eggs just as the female flies in. He then flies out and there is a mating attempt. She then covers the eggs. The movement of her feathers suggest a strong, cold breeze. She goes to the ledge calling at 14:10 and the male arrives 10 minutes later and incubates the eggs. It is the female’s turn to pick at scraps on the platform. A few minutes later, he flies out and there is another mating attempt. The female returns to cover the eggs. She is on the ledge at 16:25 and flies off at 16:50. The male fly in at 17:10, the male with an item of prey – a Feral Pigeon. The female snatches it from him and he flies off. She stashes the majority of it by the column at 17:35. She then settles down to incubate the eggs to midnight at least.
24 March – the female remains on the eggs until 3:45 when the male arrives and she moves to the opposite ledge. He flies off briefly an hour later and leaves at 3:50. Returning at 5:45 he goes and covers the eggs for a few minutes, then flies out. This is usually a precursor to a mating attempt but none was evident. The female leaves at 6:10 and the male returns with a large Feral Pigeon as prey which he starts to pluck. Just as he had finished plucking, 15 minutes later, the female arrives and takes the meal from him and he flies off. She tucks in to her meal. At 6:50 she is well fed and stashes the remains by the column and sits on the ledge. At 6:00, the male arrives and snatches the stashed remains and flies off. Two hours later he returns and goes and covers the eggs. A few minutes later he flies out and there is a mating attempt. The female remains on the ledge until 9:00 when she goes and incubates the eggs for 25 minutes, before returning to the ledge. She is back on the eggs at 9:45. At 10:00 she is back on the ledge looking over the city and the male soon arrives. He picks at a few scraps left on the platform before flying off for a mating attempt. He flies in at 10:30 and covers the eggs for 10 minutes before flying out again. The female prepares herself for another mating attempt but it does not happen so she goes and incubates the eggs. She is back on the ledge calling at 10:50 then does 5 minutes more incubation at 11:40. The male is back at 11:50 with an item of prey – a Woodcock. I assume this is from a stash as Woodcock are very rarely seen flying during the day. He plucks a few feathers then tries to stash it by the column before flying out. Despite the female being well fed already, she could not resist having a few pieces out of the prey at 12:05. She puts it back by the column a few minutes later. At 12:45, she is covering the eggs again. The male is back at 12:55 and drags the Woodcock from the column only to return it a few minutes later and moving to the ledge. But just a few minutes later he drags it out again and this time the female goes to the ledge. He starts to pluck it but a few moments later the female starts ‘chipping’ and he flies off. She prepares for a mating attempt but again it did not materialise. He is back on the Woodcock at 14:10 and again the female is ‘chipping’. He ignores her and continues plucking and eating the Woodcock. He is full at 14:25 and flies off leaving a substantial portion of the meal on the platform. The female goes and covers the eggs at 14:45. An hour later, the male is back and replaces her on the eggs. She starts eating the prey on the platform but only for 5 minutes when she returns to the ledge. The male flies out and she is back on the eggs at 16:15. She moves to the ledge at 18:35 on the arrival of the male. He flies out 10 minutes later and she takes over the incubation remaining until midnight at least.
23 March – the female continues to cover the egg through the night. The male arrives and sits on the ledge at 2:15 until 5:40 when he flies off. The female moves to the ledge and looks out over the city. She finds some prey left on the platform and stashes it by the column. She flies off at 6:00 and the male returns 20 minutes later. He takes a short flight at 6:30 and on his return notices the stashed prey and fly off with it. He returns with it at 67:45 with the female in attendance. He lets her have the meal but she decides she wants to go back onto the egg. She becomes fidgity at 7:35 and a fresh egg can just be seen before she covers it. A Woodpigeon lands on the ledge at 8:15 but soon realises its mistake and flies off! The first full sighting of both eggs is at 9:05 when she walks to the ledge and the male takes over incubation, flying off an hour later. He is back at 10:30 and proceeds to cover the eggs. The female arrives at 10:50 and forces the male out and takes over incubation. The male is back at 12:45 with a prey item – Redwing. The female walks to the ledge and takes it from him and flies off. He goes and covers the eggs. He flies out as she arrives at 14:05 and there is a mating attempt. She the goes into the box and incubates the eggs. The male takes over on his arrival at 16:20. The female is ‘chipping’ on the ledge and a few minutes later he flies out and there is a mating attempt. He returns suddenly at 17:20 and there is another mating attempt. The female flies off 20 minutes later. The male is back for incubation duties at 17:45 but the female arrives soon after and forces him out. She falls asleep on the eggs at 18:45 and continues to do so until midnight at least.
22 March – the male flies in at 00:45 and the female goes to the ledge. She does a bit of preening before flying off 5 minutes later. She is back at 1:00 and goes to cover the egg at 1:10. The male remains on the ledge soon falling asleep, and the female settles on the egg. She moves to the ledge at 3:40 and the male flies off soon after. He is back briefly at 5:20. The female picks at some scraps on the platform at 6:30. She goes into the box and covers the egg at 6:55 but is back on the ledge at 7:10. The male flies into the box with a full crop at 7:45 and briefly covers the egg. However, the female is chipping and he soon leaves and there is a mating attempt. She flies off 10 minutes later and he arrives with prey (another Fieldfare) and is soon followed by the female. He tries to stash it by the column but flies off with it after a few minutes. She is back on the egg at 8:05, occasionally moving a few stones around. She moves to the platform at 8:50 flying out 5 minutes later to be replaced by the male who immediately covers the egg. The female is back at 9:15 and the male flies out and there is a mating attempt. She goes to cover the egg at 9:45. She is back on the platform at 10:10 flying off at 10:25 to be replaced by the male. She returns at 10:55, he flies out and there is a mating attempt. She sits on the ledge with a full crop until covering the egg at 11:10. The male is back with more Fieldfare prey at 12:15 which he tries again to stash by the column but soon flies out with it. The female is on the ledge watching him go. She flies off at 12:35 but is back 5 minutes later. The male flies into the box and onto the egg at 13:05 but flies out after a few minutes and there is a mating attempt. She remains on the ledge at 15:00 there is a mating attempt after which the male goes into the box and covers the egg briefly. Both birds fly off at 15:05, the female returning to sit on the ledge after 5 minutes. She flies off at 15:55 and is replaced by the male who goes into the box and covers the egg. The female is back at 15:45 and forces the male from the box. He flies off and she returns to the ledge. He is back at 16:15 with another Fieldfare prey but the female flies off. He starts to pluck it and 10 minutes later the female returns but he does not allow her to have it, instead flies off with it. She sits on the ledge preening and at 16:45 there is another mating attempt, at least the sixth of the day. At 17:25 she goes into the box and incubates the egg. The male lands at 18:05 and the female walks to the ledge and he goes into the box. After a few minutes, the female is ‘chipping’ and he flies out and there is a mating attempt. The female remains on the ledge until 19:00 when she goes to incubate the egg but is disturbed a few minutes later when the male arrives calling and she returns to the ledge opposite the male who soon falls asleep. He wakens at 22:30 and flies off. The female remains on the ledge until 22:50 when she covers the egg. She is not in full incubation mode just yet and will not be until the last egg is laid.
21 March – the female remains on the ledge through the night. The male flies into the box at 5:55 and covers the egg. The female looks at him and there is quiet calling between the pair. He flies out after a few minutes and she settles back on the ledge and looks out over the city. The male arrives at 7:05 with a small item of prey – a Brambling! She has finished eating 10 minutes later and is back on the ledge. At 7:35, she goes into the box and covers the egg. She moves back to the platform at 8:25 and looks out over the city. The male arrives 10 minutes later and goes into the box and covers the egg whilst the female sits on the ledge. He flies out a few minutes later and there is a mating attempt. The male is back at 9:45, goes in to cover the egg but leaves a few minutes later and there is another mating attempt. At 9:55 she goes and incubates the egg. She moves a few stones around and walks to the ledge at 10:25. The male arrives with prey at 10:55 which the female accepts and starts eating having been previously been plucked by the male. She has finished and moves on the ledge 20 minutes later but flies off after a moments. The male arrives at 11:45 and picks at scraps left on the platform. He walks into the box at 12:40 and covers the egg but the female flies in almost immediately and he flies out and there is another mating attempt after which she incubates the egg. The male is back at 14:30 with a large pigeon. She tries to stash it by the column but it is too big to fit and so flies off with it. The male checks in at 14:45 but does not stay. He is back again 5 minutes later and remains on the ledge until entering the box at 15:00 and covering the egg. The female arrives with a full crop half an hour later and he flies out and there is another mating attempt. She then goes to incubate the egg until 17:25 when she moves to the ledge. Completely out of the blue, there is another mating attempt at 18:10. The female flies off at 18:20 and is replaced by the male for 10 minutes. The female goes into the box and incubates the egg. The male arrives on the ledge at 19:10 and replaces the female incubating the egg. He flies out 10 minutes later and there appear to be an unsuccessful mating attempt at 19:35 – it is very dark. The female returns to cover the egg at 20:25 and remains there until midnight at least.
20 March – the male arrives at 00:30 and picks up some scraps left on the ledge. He tries to snack on them but the female walks over and grabs them from him and he flies off. She finishes the scraps off and returns to the ledge at 00:45. The male flies into the box half an hour later and falls asleep. He flies off at 3:15 returning at 5:15 and sits in the scrape but flies out after 20 minutes and there is a mating attempt in the dark! The female flies off at 5:50 but is back 5 minutes later. She is off again at 6:05 and is replaced by the male. She returns and the pair go into the box where there is calling and posturing. He flies out after 5 minutes and she sits in the scrape until 6:20 when she moves to the ledge. He is back a few minutes later with a small item of prey – another Goldfinch. He flies off when she takes it from him and starts eating it. She goes back to the scrape at 7:10 and there is some excavation and stone moving. The male joins her in the box at 7:25 but moves to the ledge soon after, then flies off. She does even more excavation work and stone moving. She moves to the platform at 8:00 and looks out over the city. The male arrives 20 minutes later who goes into the box. She joins him a few minutes later and he flies off. She remains in the scrape moving a few stones, doing a little excavation and preening. She hunkers down into the scrape at 8:45. Her posture and demeanour changes at 8:55 and just before 9:00 the first egg was laid. after a few moments she settles down on the egg. The male arrives on the ledge at 9:15, flying off at 9:40. The female remains hunkered on the egg until 10:20 when she moves to the ledge. The male arrives at 10:55 and after a quick chatter with the female goes and inspects the egg under the watchful eye of the female before returning to the ledge soon after and flying off. The female flies out at 11:35 apparently leaving the egg unattended but both are seen on the Cathedral spire enjoying the sunshine. The pair fly in together at 12:10 and the male presents a small item of prey which the female accepts and eats quickly. He flies off a few minutes later and there is a mating attempt. Soon after she returns to the egg and hunkers down until 12:50 when she moves to the ledge. She flies off at 13:10 and is replaced by the male who immediately goes into the box and incubates the egg. He is back on the ledge 10 minutes later remaining until 14:30 when he flies off. The female flies into the box at 15:05 and starts incubating. The male stops off on the ledge for a few minutes at 15:45 and the female moves to the ledge 10 minutes later. The male is back with a small item of prey at 16:05 which the male snatches from him and eats and returns to the ledge. The male leaves flies out at 16:25 and there is a mating attempt. The male arrives with another prey item at 19:00 and the female approaches him in the dark but he flies off with it. She then goes into the box and settles down on the egg. She falls asleep at 20:15. The male arrives 3 hours later with an item of prey which the female readily accepts. He leaves and she plucks and feeds on it but flies off with it at 23:25. The male has obviously been keeping an eye as he immediately enters the box but before he is able to settle down on the egg, the female returns and he moves to the ledge, then flies off. She settles on the ledge and falls asleep.
19 March – the female flies off at 00:10 and is immediately replaced by the male. He must be close by watching over the female to react so quickly. He returns at 00:30 and he goes into the box and falls asleep. She follows suit a few minutes later. The male flies out at 2:25 and returns at 3:50. He settles in his safe place behind the central column. He preens for a little time then falls asleep. He is off again at 5:25 with the female leaving half an hour later. She is back at 6:25 but is off again at 6:40. The male arrives at 7:10 and has a quick look around the box before flying out again. He is back 10 minutes later with a small prey item, a Goldfinch. The female flies in and takes the prey from him and he flies off. It takes her less than 5 minutes to finch off the snack! He redeems himself when he arrives with a large item of prey at 7:35 – what appears to be a Rook. However, the female seems to be a little confused when he flies off with it a few minutes later. He returns with the prey all plucked and ready to eat at 7:55 and the female grabs it from him. She sets about eating it and settles back on the ledge at 8:15 with a full crop. The male tries a mating attempt an hour later but abandons it mid-flight and flies into the box a few moments later. The female joins him and there is calling and posturing until the male goes to the ledge. He finds a few scraps of the female’s meal from earlier. He sits on the ledge whilst the female is in the scrape. He flies off at 9:45 and she moves back to the ledge and flies off a few minutes later. He flies into the box at 10:25, then goes to the ledge leaving five minutes later. He is back at 11:05 flying off 30 minutes later. The male is back at 13:20 and goes into the box at 14:00 on the arrival of the female. She joins him in the box and there is calling and posturing before he flies out a few minutes later. She settles on the ledge preening at 14:10. The male returns at 14:55 and goes into the box. He flies out a few minutes later and there is a mating attempt. The male comes crashing in with a very large Feral Pigeon as prey at 15:30 which he starts to pluck with the female watching on from the ledge. After 5 minutes the female snatches it from him but not without him grabbing a piece for himself. He then watches her from the ledge but she obviously doesn’t like being watched and walks over and forces him off the ledge – not the first time she has done this. She continues plucking and eating but then stashes a substantial portion by the column at 16:15. The male flies into the box at 16:55 and notices the stashed prey. He cheekily snatches the meal and flies off before the female can react. He returns with the remnants of the pigeon at 17:35 and gives it to the female before flying off. He looks well fed. She tucks into the pigeon again. There is still a bit left when she finishes at 17:50 and stashes it by the column. She starts snoozing soon after and falls asleep at 18:50. The male flies in at 20:15, picks up the stashed prey and flies out. The female remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
18 March – the male flies in with prey at 00:40 and the female grabs it from him. He flies off leaving the female plucking her meal. She finishes eating 10 minutes after and returns to the ledge and sleep. The male is back at 1:35 and goes into the box. There is chipping and calling as he sits in the scrape and falls asleep. They awaken at 5:35 and there is calling between the pair. The male flies out and after a few minutes there is the ‘winnowing’ call pre-mating but he misses the mark in the dark and flies off. He flies into the box at 6:10 and the female starts ‘chipping’ after a few minutes he flies out and there is a mating attempt – this time he is successful. The female leaves at 6:40 and is replaced by the male. He leaves 10 minutes later and returns to the box at 7:10 but flies out almost immediately. The female returns at 7:25 and settles on the ledge until 7:45 when she is replaced by the male. He flies off at 8:30 and returns briefly at 8:45. He is back again at 9:05 and picks up the Fieldfare stashed by the column. He stands on it waiting for the female to arrive but after a few minutes flies off with it, returning with the female in tow. He stashes the prey back by the column and the female goes into the scrape and he flies off. She moves to the ledge at 9:20 and remains until the male arrives at 10:40 when she joins him in the box. He flies out after 5 minutes and she returns to the ledge 10 minutes later. She remains on the ledge and at 13:45, the male sneaks in and takes the stashed prey. She flies off 5 minutes later returning at 14:30. At 15:00, the female is on the ledge looking over the city. She flies off at 16:10 and is replaced by the male 10 minutes later carrying what appears to be a Redwing prey item. The female joins him a few minutes later, takes the prey from him and he flies out. She partially plucks her meal, stashes it by the column and flies off at 16:45. The male arrives a few moments later, goes into the box at 17:00 and is joined by the female. He flies out and she spends 45 minutes in the scrape excavating and moving stones. She flies from the ledge at 18:05 and the pair return a few minutes later. She retrieves the Redwing from the stash and he flies off. She resumes plucking the prey on the platform. She settles back on the ledge with a full crop at 18:25 and falls asleep at 19:00 remaining until midnight at least.
17 March – the male flies out of the box at 00:45, leaving the female on the ledge. He returns at 1:30 with a large item of prey which the female takes from him. She stashes it next to the column where she is sitting. The male flies into the box at 5:30. At 5:45 he flies out and there is a mating attempt. The female goes into the briefly at 6:50 before returning to the ledge. She flies off 2 hours later and is replaced by the male who visits the scrape then moves to the ledge. He is back in the box at 9:10 anticipating the arrival of the female but moves to the platform and then the ledge when she does not land. He flies off at 9:50 and returns with the female a few minutes later but they only stay for a brief moment. He returns at 10:20 and goes into the box half an hour later before moving to the ledge at 11:00. He moves into the box on the arrival of the female at 12:00. She joins him and a few minutes later he flies out. She is still in the scrape when the male returns at 13:00. They swap places at 13:20. he moves to the ledge at 13:25, flies off a few minutes later and there is a mating attempt. She leaves at 13:30 and is replaced by the male who goes to the ledge 10 minutes later. He is back in the box at 14:05 when the female arrives. He flies out 5 minutes later and there is a mating attempt. She flies off at 14:25 but he arrives with a prey item (a Fieldfare). She returns immediately and he goes into the box where she follows him and there is calling and posturing. He flies out at 14:30, she ignores the prey left on the platform and stays in the scrape until 15:15 when she moves to the ledge. At 16:10 she moves to the platform and grabs the prey and stashes it by the column. Without making an appearance into the box, the male arrives at 16:35 and there is a mating attempt. He sits on the ledge after performing, the n picks up the stashed prey and starts to pick at it but replaces it and flies off. The female remains on the ledge and falls asleep, waking occasionally to preen. At 17:35, the male arrives for another mating attempt. She falls asleep 10 minutes later. She wakens at 20:45 and moves into the box, falling asleep. She is back on the ledge at 21:30 remaining until midnight at least.
16 March – the male flies out at 4:10 leaving the female on the ledge. He is back in the box calling quietly at 5:45. The female is making ‘chipping’ calls on the ledge and eventually he flies off at 6:05 and there is a mating attempt. She flies off at 6:15 and the male returns briefly at 6:40. She is back at 7:00 and starts calling as the male arrives with prey 20 minutes later. She grabs it from him and he flies off. She plucks and eats the item on the platform, stashing the remains by the column at 7:50 before settling on the ledge with a rather full crop. The male flies into the box at 8:00 and a few minutes later the female starts ‘chipping’ quietly. The male recognises the signal and flies out and there is a mating attempt. On his dismount he falls the wrong way, into the box, and has to run around the column before flying off. The female settles back on the ledge until 9:30 when she goes into the box on the arrival of the male. However, all he wants is the stashed prey by the column which he snatches and then flies off. The female remains in the scrape for 10 minutes and does a bit of excavation and stone moving. The male is back at 10:15 sporting a full crop and goes into the box. The female joins him at 11:10 and there is calling and posturing. After a few minutes, he moves to the ledge whilst she remains in the scrape. They swap places at 11:40 and the male flies out at 12:10 and there is a mating attempt. The male returns to the ledge but flies off after a few minutes. The female goes into the box at 13:25 on the return of the male. He picks at some scraps left on the platform before moving to the ledge. They swap places at 14:10 and 15 minutes later he flies out and there is a mating attempt. He returns immediately and goes into the box. At 15:35, the female walks along the platform picking at scraps, despite being well fed. Five minutes later she forces the male from the scrape and he flies off. She moves back to the ledge and the male returns at 16:00. There is a brief meeting in the box 15 minutes later but she returns to the ledge before flying off. The male walks to the platform and looks out to where she flew and follows. They both return a few minutes later, the male going into the box. The female sits on the ledge but flies off again at 16:35 but is back a few moments later. The male flies out of the box at 17:30 and there is a mating attempt. She settles back on the ledge and falls asleep at 19:15. The male arrives at 23:00 with an item of prey which the female readily takes from him. He flies off and she starts to pluck and eat it but flies off with it a few minutes later. She is back at 23:10 and is soon joined by the male who goes into the box. They both fall asleep.
15 March – the female is still on the ledge from the previous evening and is joined by the male at 1:15 who goes straight into the box and they both fall asleep. They waken at 5:55 and the male flies off. The female leaves at 6:45, returning at 7:05. She take a couple of short hunting flight until 7:20 when the male arrives with an item of prey, a Feral Pigeon, which she grabs from him. She plucks and eats the pigeon on the platform. She flies off with the remnants at 8:10. The male is back at 8:15 and after a quick look in the box sits on the ledge but takes a short flight a few minutes later. He is back in the box at 8:25 anticipating the arrival of the female who obliges a few minutes later. She sits on the ledge with a full crop then moves into the box. There is calling and posturing, and the male soon leaves. The female does some excavation and stone moving then sits in the scrape until 8:55 when she moves to the ledge before flying off at 10:15. The male makes a quick stop off a few minutes later then sits on the ledge at 11:00. He goes into the box at 11:45 and is joined by the female at 11:55. He leaves soon after her arrival and she goes 15 minutes later. The male returns to the box at 12:25, sitting in the scrape until 13:45 when he walks to the platform before settling on the ledge. He flies off at 14:05 returning a few minutes later with the female and they both go into the box. He leaves after a few minutes calling and posturing whilst she remains in the scrape. She is spending a lot more time in the box and scrape and is still there when the male returns at 15:30 and when he leaves at 16:35. She eventually leaves the scrape at 17:10 and moves to the ledge preening before flying off at 17:40. They return together at 18:00 and whilst he goes into the box, she picks at some scraps on the platform. He flies out whilst she is eating. She then settles on the ledge eventually falling asleep at 18:50. The male flies in at 23:25 and promptly falls asleep.
14 March – the male wakens the female as he flies in at 1:45. He looks wantingly at the prey stashed by the female but she rushes over and grabs the prey from him. He goes into the box whilst she starts to pluck and eat. She flies off with the remains at 2:25, obviously stashing it somewhere as she back on the ledge 5 minutes later. They both fall asleep. They waken at 5:55 and the male flies out 10 after minutes and there is a mating attempt. Not sure if it poor light or the strong winds but the attempt was not particularly successful. She takes a short flight at 7:15 and again at 7:20. This time she returns with the male. He goes into the box but after a few minutes they both fly off. She is back soon after and makes a quick visit to the box at 8:30 and takes a short flight 5 minutes later and again at 8:45, again returning with the male but they both fly out almost immediately. She returns quickly but is off again at 8:55. They could be hunting as a pair as the male is back at 9:05 but flies out again at 9:10 only to return briefly at 9:30. He is back at 10:05 and goes into the box, then flies out 5 minutes later, returning at 11:50 quickly followed by the female. They both go into the box, the male flying off after 5 minutes whilst the female does some excavations and stone moving before sitting on the ledge. She is back in the box withe the male when he flies in at 13:25. There is posturing and calling and he leaves at 13:30 whilst she sits in the scrape moving back to the ledge 20 minutes later and flying off at 14:15. The male is back at 16:10 and goes into the box, the female is a few minutes behind him. After 5 minutes the male moves to the ledge but the female remains in the scrape excavating and moving stones until 17:20 when the male flies off. She falls asleep at 18:30 and the male arrives at 18:50 and goes into the scrape preening whilst the female is back sleeping. He falls asleep at 19:15. The male wakens at 22:10 and moves to the ledge before flying out. The female remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
13 March – the female remained sleeping on the ledge from the previous evening until the male arrives at 5:50. There was calling and posturing as he entered the box. They swapped places at 6:15 and he flew off a few minutes later. She remained in the box for 10 minutes doing some excavation and stone moving then sat on the ledge. From her feathers are blowing, it is extremely windy (weather says 40 mph winds!). The male arrives at 7:30 with an offering of prey for the female (Feral Pigeon) and she grabs it from him. He is well fed and this is probably the remains of his meal! She starts feeding on it and he flies off. There is very little left when she finishes eating at 8:00. The male joins her at 8:30 and they go into the box for a few minutes but he leaves soon after and she goes back to the ledge, flying off at 8:45. The male returns a few minutes later and finishes off the scraps leaving at 9:10. The male is back at 10:15 with an item of prey (a Redwing) and calls looking for the female. He goes into the box with it at 10:35 and starts feeding on it but stashes the majority by the column before flying off after a few minutes. He is back at 10:45 and goes into the box and is quickly followed by the female. After 5 minutes posturing and calling, the male flies out. The female sits in the scrape for a few minutes and the also leaves. The pair are back at 12:00, the female looking particularly well fed. They are in the box for minutes when first he flies out and is followed by the female soon after. The male is back at 13:25 and feeds on a few scraps on the platform. He then goes into the box and then onto the ledge. He flies off at 14:25 but is back 5 minutes later and is quickly followed by the female and the pair go into the box. He leaves after 10 minutes and she moves to the ledge, flying off after a further 5 minutes. The male returns at 15:20 and goes into the box and remains at the back until flying off at 16:10. He is back again at 16:40 and goes into the box, remaining at the back until 17:45 when he moves to the ledge. He flies off at 18:20 and is replaced by the female. He returns at 19:00 and goes to the back of the box whilst she falls asleep. He flies out at 22:15 and she continues with her sleep. He is back with an item of prey (unidentified) at 23:30 and the female grabs it from him and he leaves. She starts to pluck it but after 5 minutes flies off with it only to return quickly and stash it by the column. She then checks the box before settling back on the ledge and is there until midnight at least.
This was a Peregrine Watch Day with LROS and there was not much activity in the morning. When they flew off, it was always in a northerly direction and the birds were later found sheltering on St Margaret’s church – thanks Dave. The wind was so strong that the female was seen having to abandon a landing attempt on two occasions when she got blown off course and realised she would not reach the platform.
12 March – the female is on the ledge and the male in the box until 1:55 when he moves to the ledge. He is back in the box at 3:30 and flies off at 5:55. The female goes into the box when he returns at 6:20 but within a few minutes he is off again and the female moves back to the ledge. He is back 5 minutes later but is away soon after. The female flies off at 6:50 and the pair return together at 7:05. When the male goes in the box, she flies off but returns a few minutes later. The male flies out and there is a mating attempt. She flies off at 7:20 and returns with the male 10 minutes later but he leaves almost immediately. He is back after half an hour and goes into the box but does not stay long. She flies off at 8:25 and comes in with the male a few minutes later. He goes into the box calling whilst she is on the ledge chipping. He then flies out and there is a mating attempt. She remains on the ledge until 9:20 when she flies off and returns with the male a few minutes later. He goes into the box briefly, then flies out and is followed by the female who seemed to be preparing herself for a mating attempt. She is back 5 minutes later but away again at 10:05. They return together at 14:25 and both look well fed. The male goes into the box whilst the female is on the ledge. He flies off after a few minutes. He returns at 16:00 and sits on the ledge opposite the female until 17:00 when he flies off. The female prepares herself for a mating attempt but there is none. She falls asleep at 17:25. She wakens when the male returns at 18:05. He flies out 10 minutes later and the female prepares for a mating attempt but yet again the male does not oblige. She falls asleep at 18:30 and remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
11 March – the male flies in without prey at 1:05. He falls asleep on the ledge until 2:30 when he goes into the box when the female arrives. She falls asleep on the ledge and the male likewise in the box. They remain there until 6:10 when they fly out together. The male is back a few minutes later. He goes into the box briefly at 6:40 then looks out over the city from the platform and flying off at 6:50. He is back 15 minutes later and goes straight into the box and spends 5 minutes excavating and moving stones before sitting on the ledge. He takes a short flight at 7:20 and on his return is in the box once more but flies out 5 minutes later. He is back in the box again at 8:05 remaining until 8:40 when he moves to the ledge and flies off at 8:45. The pair fly in together at 9:05 and go into the box calling loudly and posturing. After a few minutes, the female moves to the ledge. The male flies out at 9:15 and there is a breeding attempt. She remains until 10:20 and the male returns at 10:50 with an item of prey. He waits for the female to arrive, then presents her with his gift (last night’s Mistle Thrush). They both fly off at 11:00. The male is back half an hour later and sits on the ledge leaving after 25 minutes. He flies in at 12:45 and goes into the box sits in the scrape for a few minutes then flies out. He is back again briefly at 13:00. The pair arrive together at 13:40 and he goes into the box. She joins him at 13:50 and there is calling and posturing. He then moves to the ledge flying off at 14:00. She moves to the ledge and is back in the box an hour later when he returns. He goes into the box for a few moments then flies out, then moves to the ledge before flying off at 15:20. The female flies into the box calling loudly at 15:30, before moving to the ledge. The male arrives at 15:50 and sits on the platform then moving to the scrape before flying out for a mating attempt at 17:10. He is back in the box 10 minutes later and is quickly joined by the female.He flies off a few minutes later and the female returns to the ledge. He is back again at 18:00 and goes into the box calling. A few minutes later he leaves and there is a mating attempt. He returns briefly at 18:05. The female falls asleep at 18:35 and the male goes into the box at 19:25 and promptly falls asleep. He moves top the ledge at 22:40 where they both stay until midnight at least.
10 March – the male is sleeping in the box and the female remains on the ledge until 3:00 when she flies off and the male moves to the ledge. He leaves at 4:30. It starts to snow at 6:40! The female returns at 9:35, goes into the box and is soon followed by the male. There is calling and posturing. She moves to the platform after a few minutes and picks at some scraps whilst he moves to the ledge before flying off. She leaves 10 minutes later. He is back at 10:35 and also feeds on a few scraps on the ledge before going into the box. He spends 10 minutes excavating the scrape and then flies out. He returns briefly at 11:20 and again 5 minutes later but is quickly replaced by the female who flies off after 10 minutes. She returns at 12:40 and appears to be looking for the male and flies off. He arrives 10 minutes later, goes into the box but flies off immediately – possibly looking for the female! The pair eventually arrive together at 13:25 and they go into the box calling loudly. After a few minutes, she moves to the ledge, then flies off. The male runs out of the box and looks to where she flew and follows. They are both back at 15:05 and the male is in the box whilst the female sits on the ledge. She goes in a few minutes later and there is calling and posturing. He moves to the platform at 15:15 and she stays in the box. They swap places after 10 minutes but are back together at 15:30 but he flies out 5 minutes later and she follows soon after. He is back at 16:10 and goes into the box for 10 minutes before moving to the ledge. He takes a brief flight at 17:00 and again at 17:25. On his return he goes into the box and she arrives 5 minutes later. After a few minutes he flies out and she moves to the ledge but flies off at 17:40. The male is soon back and goes into the box for a few moments when the female flies in at 17:55. After a brief visit to the box she sits on the ledge and falls asleep. The male comes in at 18:40 and he too falls asleep. She wakens at 22:30 and flies off and he moves to the ledge but also flies off at 22:55 returning a few minutes later with an item of prey – most likely a Mistle Thrush. He leaves with it after a few minutes.
9 March – the female remains sleeping on the ledge from the previous evening and is joined by the male at 5:35 – much later than the last two days. He calls for a few minutes then settles in the scrape. The female flies off at 5:55 and the male moves to the ledge and follows her. He is back 10 minutes later and sits on the ledge preening. He makes a short flight at 6:25 and leaves at 6:30. Returning at 6:45, he notices the remains of the Plover and starts picking at it but then moves into the box calling, usually a sign of the imminent arrival of the female. She does not land so he goes back to the ledge and looks out over the city. He takes a brief flight at 6:55 and flies off at 7:00 being replaced by the female 5 minutes later. The male flies into the box at 7:15 whilst the female picks at the Plover remains. After 10 minutes he sits on the ledge watching her feed then flies off. He returns at 9:20 and goes into the box and the female joins him. There is calling and posturing for a few moments, then he flies out. She moves to the ledge a few minutes later, flying off at 9:45. The male flies in with a large prey item (Feral Pigeon) at 10:05 and is immediately followed by the female. She grabs the prey from him and he flies off. She plucks and eats the offering stashing the remains by the column 20 minutes later. However, when the male arrives at 10:40 she flies off with it. From the full crop he is sporting, he has just eaten. He leaves after a few minutes, returning briefly 10 minutes later. He is back again at 12:05 and is followed by the female. After a few minutes in the box they move to the ledge then fly off together at 12:25. He is back with another Pigeon at 13:35 and the female arrives soon after. Once again, she grabs it from him and stashes it by the column. The male goes into the box at 13:40 before flying out a few minutes later ending with a mating attempt. She flies off at 14:25 and is replaced by the male. An hour later, he sees the prey left by the female and starts to eat it. He has finished it by 16:00 and sits on the ledge. He goes into the box on the arrival of the female 40 minutes later. She follows him in and he flies out after a few minutes. She sits on the ledge at 16:50 and the male flies in to the box at 18:40. They both soon fall asleep. The male wakens and flies off at 22:15, returning at 23:50 and going into the box.
8 March – the female is still on the ledge from the previous evening and is joined by the male at 00:35. He goes into the box and falls asleep. They waken at 6:00 and the female flies off a few minutes later, the male following soon after but returns almost immediately. He is off again at 6:10 returning at 6:25. He spies the remains of the Plover on the platform but rather than eat it, stashes it by the column and flies off again. When he returns at 7:15 he takes the Plover and starts eating. The arrival of the female 10 minutes later interrupts him. There is a lot of vocalisation and she goes into the box. He leaves his meal and joins her for a few moments before moving to the ledge and flying off. She does some excavation in the scrape then moves to the platform and takes over eating the prey then sits on the ledge after a few minutes. She takes to the air at 8:00 and a few minutes later follows the male onto the platform with a large prey item – Feral Pigeon. This was most likely a food pass from the male to the female as part of their courtship/bonding behaviour. When she begins to pluck it, the male leaves. She stashes the remains by the column 40 minutes later but then leaves with it a few minutes later. The male stops off briefly at 8:50 and 8:55. He is back at 9:05 and takes a short flight 30 minutes later and again at 10:20 and 10:25. At 10:30 he picks at the pigeon wing left behind by the female earlier in the morning. He moves to the ledge at 10:45 but is replaced by the female at 11:05 and he goes into the box. There is calling between the pair and she soon enters the box and there is posturing. A few minutes later, he flies out. She remains in the scrape for a while then moves to the ledge flying off at 11:25. The male flies in at 11:55 with another Golden Plover and is soon joined by the female. He starts eating and she flies off. At 12:05 he flies off too with his meal. The female is back at 12:55 and preens on the ledge. She moves to the box when the male arrives an hour later. She sits in the scrape calling quietly and doing some excavation whilst he sits on the ledge. They swap places 5 minutes later. At 14:15, she starts making quiet chipping calls and the male flies out and a mating attempt follows. He returns to the ledge soon after. She then walks to the ledge where he is sitting and forces him off and takes his place. He is back on the opposite ledge at 14:40. The male makes his was into the box an hour later and is soon joined by the female. He then goes to the ledge whilst she sits in the scrape excavating and moving stones. He flies off at 15:55 with the female initially preening in the box then on the ledge after 5 minutes. The male returns at 16:10 and goes into the box and remains there until 17:00 when the female flies off. He follows her but is back a few minutes later but quickly off again. He is back on the ledge at 17:15 looking out over the city. He starts picking at the remains of the Plover 20 minutes later and finishes eating after 10 minutes. The female returns at 18:00 and he goes into the box remaining there until 20:10 when he flies out, the female being asleep for most of this period. She resume her sleep until 22:45 when she moves to the opposite ledge but is soon sleeping again.
7 March – the female remains on the ledge from the previous evening and is joined by the male at 00:25. He goes into the box calling and settles in the scrape and falls asleep. The male wakens at 5:20 and flies off. He returns at 6:05 and goes into the box and the female flies off quickly followed by the male. He is back 15 minutes later, leaving after half an hour, then returning briefly at 6:55. He is back at 7:05 and after a few minutes on the ledge, goes into the box calling. He does a bit of excavation, returns to the ledge, has a brief flight, returns to the box and then the ledge all within 10 minutes. The female arrives at 7:30 and the pair go into the box calling loudly and posturing. When the female sits in the scrape, the male moves to the ledge. She then walks to the ledge and he flies off – she quickly follows him. He is back at 7:45, takes a short flight at 8:05 and again at 8:20, 8:35, and 8:55. The female arrives at 9:00 and goes into the box and does a bit of excavation and stone moving. She moves to the ledge when the male flies off at 9:10. He is back at 9:30 with an item of prey – what appears to be another Golden Plover – be leaves with it soon after. He is back at 10:20 (without prey) and the female goes into the box. She returns to the ledge and there is calling and quiet chipping and a few moments later the male leaves and there is a mating attempt. The male is back at 11:10 and the female flies off. Whilst she is away, he spies the stashed prey item and takes hold of it. Before he has a chance to start eating, the female is back and watching him. He turns his back on her and starts to pluck it and eat it. After 10 minutes he flies off and is followed by the female. He return 5 minutes later, not surprisingly, with a full crop. He goes into the box at 11:50 anticipating the arrival of the female who does not land. He is back in the box calling at 12:00. This time the female arrives and has a look at the remains of the Plover left by the male but does not attempt to eat it. She is chipping quietly and when the male calls loudly, she goes into the box. After a little posturing he moves to the ledge. At 12:10 she moves to the ledge and he flies off. She positions herself ready for mating but he does not land so she leaves at 12:30. She is back 20 minutes later and goes into the box at 14:00 when the male returns. She remains in the scrape for 40 minutes, probably the longest single episode so far this season. The male replaces her. At 14:45, he flies out and there is a mating attempt and he is back on the ledge soon after. At 15:05, the male goes into the box and moves some stones around. He flies off 10 minutes later with the female leaving at 15:35. The both fly in at 15:50 and the male goes into the box but flies out a few minutes later with the female still on the ledge. She moves into the box when the male returns at 18:10 but he leaves after a few minutes. She remains on the ledge and falls asleep at 18:20 and is still there at midnight.
6 March – the female remains on the ledge in the storm and is joined by the male at 4:30. He goes and picks the Plover from the stash but the female is not happy and calls loudly at the male who stops eating. She walks over and forces him off the prey and he sits on the ledge. The female returns to the ledge calling quietly, then falls asleep, the male also snoozes. She wakens at 5:35 and flies off. At 5:55, with the female away, the male starts plucking the Plover but not appear to be eating any. He stashes it back by the column and flies out at 6:25. Despite there being a large item of prey on the platform, the female returns at 8:05 with a heavy crop and is obviously well fed. The male joins her at 8:30 and goes into the box. She makes quiet, chipping calls and after 5 minutes he flies out of the box. She primes herself for a mating attempt but the male does not land. She looks above to see where he has gone – it is extremely windy. He arrives back on the ledge with another large item of prey – a pigeon. He has eaten a large portion of it and although she has a full crop, the female grabs the remains from him, holds it in her talons but does not eat it. At 11:45, he goes into the box and there is calling between the pair. A few minutes later she flies off with the prey and he runs to the edge of the platform to see where she has gone. He calls at her and she returns with the prey and there is calling and posturing on the platform. She flies at him holding the prey and he has to leave the platform. At 11:55, she stashes the pigeon remains beside the plover. The male is back at 12:45 and she goes into the box where she calls quietly. After a few minutes they swap places and the female sits on the ledge making those quiet chipping calls. He spends a little time in the scrape and moving a few stones, he then flies out and there is a mating attempt. He returns at 13:05. He attempts to take the stashed pigeon but the female walks over and forces him to leave it and makes him go into the box. After a few minutes she joins him and he eventually goes back to the ledge with her in the scrape, where she does a bit of excavation. When he flies off at 13:15, she moves back to the ledge. He is back 5 minutes later, still eyeing up the pigeon! She starts to doze at 13:40. She is awake again at 14:30 and bows to the male who flies off. A few minutes later, there is the ‘winnowing’ of the male as he flies in for a mating attempt. He is back on the ledge a few moments later. The pair fly off together at 14:35 but return after a couple of minutes, the male going into the box calling and the female on the ledge. Just 10 minutes later he flies out and there is another mating attempt. He returns to the ledge and this time the female allows him to eat the pigeon. He flies off with the remnants at 15:00 returning briefly with it at 15:05. He is back on the ledge at 16:30 and the female goes into the box excavating the scrape. They swap places after 5 minutes and at 16:45 he flies out and there is another mating attempt after which he returns to the ledge. He flies out at 17:15 and the female positions herself for mating but the male returns to the ledge. He is in the box at 17:40 and at 17:45 he flies out. She was preening and looks surprised to see him go but a few moments later there is a mating attempt. The female remains on the ledge until midnight at least after falling asleep at 18:40.
5 March – the female is still sleeping on the ledge when she is joined by the male at 1:55. He is chipping quietly from the box for a short while and they are both asleep at 2:05. They are awake at 6:10 when the female removes the remains of yesterday’s Blackbird from behind the column. However, before she has time to eat it, she flies off and is soon followed by the male. He is back after 5 minutes and watches over the city but is off again at 6:20 returning at 6:45 then leaving 20 minutes later. He is back at 7:20 and starts eating the Blackbird left by the female. He settles back on the ledge when he has finished. He starts calling at 7:55 and then flies out and is back 5 minutes later. He goes into the box when the female arrives at 8:15 and forces him to the ledge when she takes over the box 10 minutes later. She does a bit of excavation and stone moving before sitting on the ledge chipping quietly. The male flies off and there is soon a mating attempt. The male is back at 9:15 and after being greeted by the female initially goes into the box then moves to the ledge. A few minutes later they both fly off. The male returns at 9:30 and goes into the box when the female arrives after 15 minutes. The male flies out at 9:50 and the female at 10:05. He is back at 10:10 and sits on the ledge preening until the female returns at 10:25 when he goes into the box. She follows him in and there is calling and posturing. After a few minutes he goes to the ledge. She walks to the ledge at 10:45 and he flies off, returning at 11:30 with a prey item, a Golden Plover which he leaves for the female and she ignores. She flies off at 12:50 and is replaced by the male. He goes to the Plover prey, stashes it by the column and flies out. The pair return together at 13:00 and the male goes into the box calling whilst the female sits on the ledge chipping quietly. After a few minutes she goes into the box and forces the male to fly out. She does a bit of excavation then returns to the ledge. The male is back in the box at 14:10 and is soon joined by the female. He moves to the ledge after 5 minutes whilst the female excavates the scrape again. She returns to the ledge forcing him to move to the other side before flying off returning for a mating attempt. He is back at 15:10 and proceeds to pluck the Plover that he stashed – the female looking on calling. After 5 minutes, she steals it from him and he flies off. She still does not seem too hungry and after a few minutes stashes the prey by the column again. She falls asleep at 16:00 and dozes thereafter until flying off at 17:45. The male replaces her a few minutes later but leaves at 18:00. She is back at 18:15 and falls asleep soon after. She remains on the ledge until midnight at least despite the torrential rain.
4 March – the female remains sleeping on the ledge and is joined by the male at 3:00. He settles in his ‘safe position’ behind the central columns and falls asleep. They waken at 5:10 and the female flies out and the male looks over the city from the box before moving to the ledge at 5:50. He takes a short flight at 6:15 and flies off at 6:35 – probably hunting. He returns for a few minutes at 6:50 and is in the box calling at 7:05, then moving to the ledge before flying off at 7:20. He is back briefly at 7:45 and is on the ledge at 8:35. At 9:10 he takes a short flight then goes into the box calling and the female arrives soon after. They fly off together after a few minutes. The female is back at 9:45 but leaves soon after. The male flies in at 10:05, leaving half an hour later. The female returns at 11:15 and is joined by the male at 11:40 when both birds go into the box. There is calling and posturing. Initially, the female is in the scrape but she moves to the ledge and the male replaces her. After 10 minutes, the female flies off and he follows. He is back at 12:40 and takes a short flight at 13:15. He sits on the ledge after a brief visit to the box. There are a couple of short flights at 13:35 and he is then replaced by the female. He returns at 14:40 and goes into the box. As yesterday, she is making quiet, chipping calls whilst he is in the box. She joins him there after 10 minutes and he then goes to the ledge, she does some excavation in the scrape and continues calling. At 14:55, she moves out of the scrape to the ledge and he flies off. A few moments later there is a mating attempt.
The female remains on the ledge and the male arrive back at 16:20 when he goes into the box. After a few minutes the female replaces him in the scrape and he moves to the ledge. She does a bit of excavation and stone moving before returning to the ledge at 16:45 and forcing the male back into the box. He also does some excavation and stone moving for about 10 minutes, before flying out and having another mating attempt. The female flies off at 17:30, the male arriving 5 minutes later but leaves after 10 minutes. The female returns at 18:15 and starts to preen. Five minutes later, the male arrives with a prey item, a Blackbird, which he presents to the female then leaves. She initially flies off with the prey but returns a few moments later and proceeds to pluck and eat it. She has had her fill at 18:45 and stashes the remains by the right-hand column. She settles down on the ledge with a full crop and falls asleep until midnight at least.
3 March – the female flies off at 00:40. Both birds fly in at 1:45 and there is a brief period of calling and posturing before the male flies out. The female picks at some scraps on the platform including the second leg from yesterday’s prey. She settles on the ledge at 1:55 and promptly falls asleep until the male returns at 3:00. He falls asleep on the platform and she on the ledge. He flies out briefly at 5:15 then returns to the ledge. He moves into the box at 6:15 and the female flies off a few minutes later. He sits on the ledge looking out over the city flying off at 6:40, returning after 10 minutes. He is off again at 7:00 and back briefly at 7:20. He is on the platform at 8:00, spending a few moments in the scrape at 8:20 and is back on the ledge before flying off at 8:35. He flies in at 8:50 and goes into the box on the arrival of the female at 9:05, flying out 5 minutes later. He is back with a small item of prey (Blue Tit) at 9:25 which he offers to the female – courtship feeding perhaps? She accepts it and he flies off. The meal doesn’t last long and she returns to the ledge. He is back at 10:35 and he picks at scraps on the platform then moves to the ledge. The female has a snooze. He flies off at 11:15 and is immediately followed by the female. She returns calling 5 minutes later and looks out over the city and is off again at 11:35. They return together half an hour later, they have both eaten well. The male goes into the scrape calling but soon flies out and there is a mating attempt.
The male joins the female on the ledge at 13:35 and there is calling and posturing before they settle down. At 14:35, the female takes a brief flight and on her return the male goes into the scrape. She is making a quiet chipping call. He flies out and returns making a ‘winnowing’ call and there is another mating attempt – his best landing so far! It seems she instigated the mating through her calling and posture.
She has a snooze on the ledge and is awakened by the male when he flies in at 15:50. She goes into the scrape and does some excavation and stone moving whilst he sits on the ledge. She joins him 10 minutes later. At 16:15 she walks along the platform giving that quiet ‘chipping’ call and he flies off. She sits on the ledge and he flies in making a ‘winnowing’ call and there is yet another mating attempt – the third so far today.
He is back on the ledge an hour later. She is chipping and posturing again at 17:35 and he flies off and she watches and prepares herself there is no attempt. She sits back on the ledge and starts preening. She remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
2 March – the female is still on the ledge from the previous evening and the male goes into the box and promptly falls asleep at 00:05. The female wakens at 4:30 and the male 5 minutes later. She picks at some scraps on the platform. He watches and flies out at 4:45 but returns to the ledge immediately. They sit on the ledge until 6:25 when the female flies off. The male takes a short flight but is soon back, picking at stones on the platform, then flying off at 6:00. He is back briefly at 7:15 and 7:20. There is another short stop at 7:40 with a ten minute visit at 7:50. He is obviously in hunting mode back again at 8:00. He picks at a few remnants on the platform and is off again at 8:20. He is back at 8:55 and goes into the box calling. The female does not land and after a few minutes he goes onto the ledge before flying off, returning a few moments later still calling but is off again at 9:05. An hour later he is back in the box calling but still no response from the female and so he moves to the ledge. At 11:10 he runs into the box calling and the female lands on the ledge. She feeds on a webbed foot left over from yesterday’s meal and the male flies out after a few minutes. She remains there until the male arrives at 12:00 when she starts to go into the box but returns to the ledge as the male flies off. She is busy looking around and after 5 minutes flies off, returning at 12:50. She takes a short flight at 13:25 and goes into the box when joined by the male at 13:45. There is calling and posturing and she moves to the ledge after a few minutes. The male replaces her in the box but is soon forced out. They fly off together at 13:55. He is back at 14:05 and takes a short flight 15 minutes later and again at 14:35. He visits the box again at 14:50 calling but soon returns to the ledge preening until the female arrives at 15:30. Both birds go into the box and there is posturing and calling for a few moments. The male then flies out leaving the female excavating in the scrape and moving stones around. After 10 minutes she moves to the ledge and starts preening and snoozing. The male returns at 16:25 and they both settle on the ledge. At 16:40, the female moves into the scrape and looks out at the male who looks out over the city! She a bit of excavation and stone moving then moves onto the platform and postures and calls to the male, then returns to the ledge. The male moves into the box briefly at 17:25 before flying out. He is back in the box 10 minutes later. The female falls asleep at 18:25 and the male flies out. Despite the wind and rain she remains on the ledge and wakens at 22:15, preens then falls asleep again. She is still there at midnight.
1 March – The female flies off at 00:00 with the male initially in the box, moving to the ledge and he tries falling asleep. He starts preening in the wind and rain and he leaves after 15 minutes and doesn’t return until 5:55. He flies out at 6:30, returning half an hour later. He walks around the platform and box scraping and swallowing small stones before leaving after 10 minutes. He is back at 7:45, flying off 10 minutes later. The pair arrive together at 9:30 and the male goes into the box sitting in the scrape whilst the female picks at some scraps on the platform. He flies out 5 minutes later with the female leaving after a further 5 minutes. He is back at 10:40 and calls from the ledge. He returns to the ledge after spending a few minutes in the box. He flies off at 11:15 but returns within 90 seconds with an item of prey, what appears to be a female Smew. He stands on the ledge with it looking out over the city, calling before dragging the prey into the box. Almost immediately the female joins him and takes the prey from him. He then flies out and she pluck and eats his gift. She flies off with the remains at 11:55 as he flies in. All that is left is a wing which he picks at. He takes a short flight at 12:00, no doubt looking for a meal for himself this time. At 12:20 he walks into the box calling signalling the arrival of the female. She lands with her prey still in her talons. As she feeds on it, the male makes a quick exit at 12:30. She stashes what she can’t eat behind a column at 12:40 and settles on the ledge with a full crop. The male returns at 13:10 picks at a scrap on the platform and goes into the box. Five minutes later he flies out with the female calling. He can be seen to make an attempt to mate with the female but it is unsuccessful as he falls off her back! He is in the box again at 14:05 but leaves after a few minutes. The female flies off at 15:20 and the male replaces her. He finds the stash beside the column and eats it before flying off at 15:30. The male is back at 16:25 and the female 5 minutes later. They both go into the box and there is calling and posturing. The female settles in the scrape and the male moves to the platform then ledge. The female does some excavating and ‘housekeeping’ until they swap places at 16:50. A few minutes later, the male flies out and there is another mating attempt, this time more successful. The male is back in the box at 17:55 with the female still on the ledge. He flies out 10 minutes later. After a bit of preening, the female falls asleep at 18:35. The male wakes her as he flies in at 11:55.