MARCH 2021
1 March – the male flies in at 2:20 and sits on the ledge until 4:25 when he goes into the box on the arrival of the female. She sleeps on the ledge whilst he is in the box until 6:15 when he flies out. He is back briefly at 6:55 and she goes into the box at 6:15 to tend the scrape, then returns to the ledge. She flies off at 8:10 and the male returns at 8:25 for ten minutes. He flies in with a full crop and Feral Pigeon prey at 10:35 but leaves quickly with it. [The camera goes down at 14:45.] The male is back at 17:25.
2 March – the pair fly in at 1:45, the male leaves ten minutes later. He is back at 4:25 and sits on the ledge – the female has left at an unknown time. He takes a short flight at 6:35 and again a few minutes later. He is off again at 7:00, returning briefly at 7:20. The female flies in at 7:35 and goes into the box, then moves to the ledge. She flies off at 7:45. The pair return at 10:25 and go into the box. The male leaves after a few minutes bonding whilst the female tends the scrape before moving to the ledge. She leaves at an unknown time. The male flies in briefly at 12:40, an hour later, 15:40 and 15:45.
3 March – the male flies in at 3:35 and falls asleep on the ledge but leaves some time before 6:00. The female flies in at 6:30 and sits on the ledge until 7:00. The pair is back at 7:20 but he does not stay long, and she sits on the ledge until flying off at 7:50. He flies into the box at 9:20, then moves to the ledge flying off at 10:45 after calling at something flying overhead. He is back a few moments later but leaves soon after. He returns briefly at 13:50 and again at 14:10. He is back at 14:35 and takes a number of short flights until 16:45 when he flies off.
4 March – the male flies into the box at 6:45, then moves to the ledge. After a short flight, he is back in the box at 7:15 and then on the ledge. Another quick flight at 7:25 then he is off five minutes later. He is back with the female at 7:40 but they do not stay long but the male is back after a few moments, then sits on the platform looking over the city. He flies off after ten minutes, is back at 11:15, but leaves five minutes later. He returns at 12:40 with the UN-RINGED female in tow. He goes into the box, but she soon flies off and he follows. He is back briefly at 13:45, 14:20 and leaves at 14:30, returning briefly at 17:10.
5 March – the male makes a short stop on the ledge at 1:30. He is back at 7:45 with Feral Pigeon prey and starts to pluck it but is disturbed by the arrival of the female. Initially, he goes into the box but soon flies out with his meal; she follows soon after. He is back at 8:10 with his half-plucked prey but the female swoops in and grabs it from him in one movement and flies off with it; he watches her go, then follows. He is back briefly at 8:25, 8:55 and 10:05. He settles on the ledge at 11:20 for 20 minutes and at 12:15 for ten minutes. He is back again at 13:25 and goes into the box as the female lands. She joins him and there are a few minutes of bonding before she flies out and he follows. He is in the box at 17:30 calling but leaves ten minutes later. He returns at midnight.
6 March – the male is on the ledge from midnight but leaves just ten minutes later. The pair fly in together at 6:20; the male goes into the box. She joins him and there are a few moments of bonding before he flies out. She tends the scrape, moves to the ledge and flies off at 6:40. The male returns briefly soon after. A Stock Dove lands at 8:25 but makes a sharp exit five minutes later as the male flies in and goes into the box when the female arrives. After a brief period of bonding, he flies out and she moves to the ledge at 8:40, flying off 15 minutes later. The male brings another Feral Pigeon in at 9:25 and the female follows and snatches it from him. He flies off and she takes her meal with her. He is back at 10:35 for five minutes. The Stock Dove returns at 11:50 and spends 15 minutes on and off surveying the box. It is back for a few moments at 12:55. The male returns briefly at 13:55. He sits on the ledge at 15:15 but leaves ten minutes later. He flies into the box at 15:55 and flies out five minutes later. He flies into the box at 17:55 and is immediately followed by the UN-RINGED female! They spend eight minutes calling, posturing and bonding – more time than he has spent with the ORANGE female! Is he hedging his bets? The male flies out at 18:05 and the UN-RINGED female goes to the platform and looks out eventually flying off at 18:35 – the longest time she has spent on the platform, so far. The male is back five minutes later and after looking around the box, settles on the ledge until 22:00 when he flies off.
7 March – the male flies in calling at 2:25, flying off briefly two hours later. He takes another short flight at 5:35 and returns calling. He makes a couple of sorties at 6:45. He goes into the box at 6:55 and is joined by the ORANGE-ringed female. After five minutes bonding, she goes to the ledge and he flies out. She flies off at 7:30. At 8:25, the male flies in with a large item of prey (Woodcock) and is followed quickly by the ORANGE female but she flies off as he stashes his prey by a column, then flies off. He is back at 8:35, leaving 20 minutes later. At 9:15 a Stock Dove lands on the platform briefly and ten minutes later two Feral Pigeon. The male flies in at 9:55, takes hold of the Woodcock and flies off with it at 10:00. He is back with it a few minutes later and re-stashes it and flies off. He is back again at 10:40 and picks up the meal and flies off with it again. He returns without it five minutes later and sits on the ledge until 11:05. He is back at 11:45 and goes into the box, then sits on the ledge for ten minutes. He is back at 12:40 leaving 20 minutes later. He returns at 16:00 for ten minutes and goes into the box to make a scrape at 16:40, then sits on the ledge, flying off at 17:05. He spends another 15 minutes on the ledge at 17:45. He is back briefly at 18:05 and 30 minutes later, lands and settles on the ledge. [unfortunately, the main camera goes off and I try to utilise the PTZ] He remains until midnight at least.
6 March 2021 – Video: the male spends time bonding with the un-ringed female despite also feeding the Orange-ringed female the same day! Is he hedging his bets?
8 March – the male is on the ledge until midnight at least but the camera angle does not show him leaving. He is back at 2:35 and returns to the ledge remaining until 6:05 when he goes into the box briefly. He has flown before the Orange-ringed female arrives at 6:45. The male flies in ten minutes later with Feral Pigeon prey which the female snatches from him and leaves with it. He sits on the ledge but is hidden from sight. He is next seen at 8:05 when he flies off. He is back at 9:45 and calling to something high above the platform. He takes a number of short flights before sitting on the ledge at 10:00. He flies off unseen and returns at 10:40 for ten minutes. He is back five minutes later with what looks to be yesterday’s Woodcock prey. The female investigates but quickly leaves, so the male starts to eat it on the platform. He stashes the remains by the column and flies off at 11:05. He is back briefly at 11:50 and again at 12:45. At 13:15, he removes the stashed prey and flies off with it, is back 30 minutes later but leaves soon after. He returns with the remains at 14:20 but leaves with it after a few minutes. He is back on the ledge at 16:20 for 15 minutes, then at 17:00 with multiple sorties for the next hour. There is no further activity on camera this evening.
7 March 2021 – Video: So, just 12 hours after spending time bonding with the un-ringed intruding female, the male spends time in the box with the original orange-ringed female that has been with him since September 2020.
9 March – the male flies in at 3:25 and settles on the ledge. He takes a short flight at 5:50 and runs into the box at 6:10 when the female arrives. He flies out at 6:20 without her visiting the box and she leaves at 6:40. The male is back briefly at 7:05. At 7:35, a Woodpigeon lands on the platform and spends ten minutes inspecting the box. The male is back at 7:55 and collects the stashed prey from the previous day and flies off with it returning at 8:10 and off again a few moments later. He is obviously look for the female to present the meal but failing to find her. He returns without it at 8:20 and leaves at 8:45. The pair fly in at 9:20 and go into the box. He flies out a few minutes later and she moves to the ledge. She flies off at 10:00. A Stock Dove lands at 10:40 but is disturbed by the male; he flies off at 11:15. The Stock Dove is back at 11:30 and settles down on the platform only leaving when the male flies in at 12:05. He is quickly joined by the UN-RINGED female! She goes straight into the box. The Stock Dove attempts to land whilst they are both there. They fly out together at 12:20. The UN-RINGED female is back at 12:35 and sits on the ledge until 12:55, returning at 13:05. She makes a number of short flight and this would appear to be her taking over the site. She flies in with the male at 13:10; he leaves after a few minutes in the box; she follows a few moments later but returns quickly. She makes seven short sorties in 15 minutes and returns with the male at 13:35. He flies out quickly and she soon follows. She visits the box briefly four times between 13:55 and 14:45 when she returns with the male. They fly off a few moments later and a Woodpigeon lands! The two are back briefly at 14:55 and the male returns at 15:05. Over the next three hours the UN-RINGED female pursues the male into the box on 14 occasions. She is back at 18:40 with a small item of prey and flies out with it a few minutes later. She returns with the male at 18:50 but he soon leaves, and she follows. The same thing happens five minutes later. There is no more activity on camera up to midnight at least.
10 March – the UN-RINGED female is still pursuing the male around the nest site at 00:05. The next activity is at 5:05 when the UN-RINGED female flies in calling. She flies off at 5:20 and returns a few minutes later with the male. They go into the box but after a short period of bonding, the male leaves and she moves to the ledge until 5:35. She chases the male into the box 15 times over the next two hours. The female remains on the ledge from 7:40, taking the occasional flight until 10:15 when the male returns and the chasing resumes. She is back a few minutes later with freshly plucked Feral Pigeon prey – most probably prepared by the male. She flies off with it at 10:25 and returns 15 minutes later looking well fed and sits on the ledge until 11:15 when she goes into the box. The male attempts to fly in with more prey but abandons the landing and she returns to the ledge continuing to take regular flights and playing ‘tag’ with the male who takes over the ledge at 14:45. He goes into the box when the female returns at 15:15 but leaves soon after. She is clutching a large piece of half-eaten prey and flies off with it, returning a few minutes later. She is still holding on to it at 16:00 and decides to start eating it. When she has finished, 35 minutes later, she stashes the remains by a column and sits on the ledge. The male flies in briefly at 16:50 and she is bobbing and bowing, then returns to the ledge. At 18:00, she retrieves the stashed meal, eats a bit, then flies off briefly. The male flies into the box and she returns with the prey after five minutes. She eats a bit more on the platform then stashes the remains again. The male walks towards the stash and is greeted by the female but after just a few moments he flies out. The female sits on the ledge until 22:25 when she walks into the box calling as the male lands. He flies off once she emerges from behind a column and returns to the ledge. He is in and out of the box very quickly at 23:15; she returns to the ledge until midnight at least.
Note: from 10th March, the UN-RINGED female is now the partner of the resident male.
11 March – the UN-ringed female is still on the ledge until 1:15 when the male flies into the box. After five minutes bonding, he flies out and she feeds on the stashed remains, moving back on the ledge at 1:40. The male flies in at 5:55 with a small item of prey which he gifts to the female and she accepts. He flies off as she eats her meal then moves to the ledge. She flies out at 6:20 and returns a few moments later with the male but he flies out when she follows him into the box; she moves back to the ledge. The male replaces her at 6:35 but flies off when she returns ten minutes later. The male is back briefly at 7:35 and when she flies off at 7:50, he takes over. He sees the stashed remains and picks it up just as the female lands and offers it to her; she accepts, and he flies out, and she flies off with the meal. They are back briefly at 8:00 but she flies off and he follows; she returns at 8:10. She flies off at 8:45, returning with the male and they go into the box and have a few minutes bonding before the male leaves. She flies off at 9:00 and he flies in. He picks up some scraps left in the box and takes them to the platform; the female flies in and takes the scraps from him and he flies off, she soon follows. He is back at 9:15 and goes into the box with the female when she arrives at 9:30. There are five minutes of bonding before he flies out. She flies out ten minutes later and he replaces her. She is soon with him in the box and a Woodpigeon lands interrupting their bonding. The male flies out after the pigeon and the female sits on the ledge for a few minutes. They are back at 10:00 and as usual, he flies off after a few minutes bonding. The same process occurs at 10:20, 10:35, 11:00, 11:15 and 11:45. She flies off at 11:45 returning a few minutes later. She is off again at 12:20 and returns with the male and the game of ‘tag’ continues with 16 sorties in the next three hours. When she returns at 15:55, she spends time making a scrape on the platform, then moves to the ledge. Twenty minutes later she flies out and returns with the male. There are five minutes of bonding before the male leaves. The chasing continues until the male flies in at 17:20 and sits on the ledge but when the female returns at 17:50 he flies out and she sits on the ledge. At 22:45, the male flies in with Blackbird prey. He leaves it on the platform and the female accepts the offering. She starts to pluck the prey then stashes it by a column at 23:00 and returns to the ledge remaining until midnight at least.
12 March – the male flies in at 00:30 with Fieldfare prey, despite the fact that there is an item stashed by a column. The female plucks the meal and stashes it next to the previous gift and returns to the ledge. She flies off at 1:20 and returns with the male. He goes into the box whilst she starts to eat the stashed Blackbird. He flies out at 1:35; she is still eating until 1:55. At some point the female flies out and returns at 5:45 with the male but he quickly leaves. He is back at 6:05 with a small item of prey, the female arrives and relieves him of it. She stashes it by a column and returns to the ledge. She flies out five minutes later and returns with the male; but neither stay long. He is back at 6:30 and picks up the stashed Fieldfare and walks to the platform. She immediately flies in, takes the prey and they both fly off. The male is soon back and picks the small, stashed item and eats it on the platform, only to be disturbed by the female – he flies off with it. She chases him back into the box where he drops the meal, and she flies off with it. A Woodpigeon lands at 7:10 but leaves urgently as the pair arrive. The chase between the pair continues in earnest with 35 sorties to/from the box in the next five hours. At 12:05, the male goes into the box and the female brings in Fieldfare prey. She plucks and eats it on the platform and stashes the remains by a column and flies off at 12:45. After a number of sorties with the male, she settles on the ledge at 13:30 until 14:20 when the chasing starts again. The male lands at 14:55, retrieves the small, stashed item and presents it to the female. She accepts and re-stashes it by a column with the Fieldfare, then flies off. There are a further ten sorties up to 15:40 when the female sits on the platform. At 16:00, she picks up the small, stashed item and eats it. At 16:25, the male flies in and picks up some remains and eats them on the platform, then sits on the ledge. He goes into the box at 17:05 when the female flies in. He leaves after a few brief moments bonding. She sits on the ledge until 18:30 when the male arrives, and they go into the box. He quickly leaves and she returns to the ledge remaining until midnight at least.
13 March – the female is asleep on the ledge until 1:35 when she flies out. On her returns, she checks out all the stash points on the platform looking for a meal. Finding nothing, she settles back on the ledge. At 1:55, she flies out and returns with the male; he flies out immediately and she re-checks her stash points, then returns to the ledge. She falls asleep until 5:55 when she takes a short flight returning with the male. They go into the box but again, he does not stay long. Between 6:00 and 7:20, there are seven sorties. She returns with a small item of prey which she eats on the platform and leaves soon after. The male is back at 7:50 with a fresh Blackbird. He flies off with it as the female arrives and she gives chase. The pair return at 8:25 and spend a few minutes in the box together; they both fly off. They are back briefly ten minutes later. A Stock Dove lands at 8:50 and walks the platform pecking at the stones for ten minutes. The female is back at 9:05 but as soon as she leaves, the Stock Dove returns. The pair are back at 9:25, the female carrying fresh Fieldfare and stashes it by a column and leaves. The pair fly in together at 10:25 and the male flies out with the stashed meal and is chased by the female who returns with it a few minutes later! She wastes no time in plucking and eating most of it, stashing the remains. She flies off at 11:15 and returns with very fresh Feral Pigeon which she plucks and stashes. She leaves at 12:20 returning 20 minutes later. At 13:05 she flies out and quickly returns with the male. He spies the stashed pigeon and attempts to fly off with it. The female grabs it from him; he leaves whilst she feeds on the pigeon. The male is back at 13:25 and the female semi-mantles her meal when he goes into the box. After a few moments he sneaks up behind her and grabs the Fieldfare that was also stashed by the column and flies off with it. The female finishes with her meal at 14:00 and stashes the remains and sits on the ledge with a full crop. She flies out at 15:50 and returns with the well-fed male but he is soon off. He is back at 17:10 and grabs the pigeon remains and goes into the box. The female grabs it from him, and he flies off. This is a ruse by the male to get the female to eat as much as possible to get her into prime breeding condition. She eats the pigeon and settles on the ledge. The male flies in at 23:55 and there are a few moments of bonding before he leaves.
14 March – the female takes a short flight at 4:50. She chases after the male at 5:45, then returns to the ledge. The male flies into the box at 6:00 and she joins him, but he leaves after a few minutes and she follows. He is back briefly at 6:15 and at 6:40 sits on the ledge until he flies out and returns with the female at 6:55. They go into the box briefly; he flies out, she moves to the ledge. There are 15 sorties in the next four hours until the male settles on the ledge at 11:05 for 30 minutes and three more sorties up to noon. The female returns to the platform at 12:10 for ten minutes. At 14:25, the male flies in with Feral Pigeon prey and the female snatches it from him. He flies off and she takes it into the box to pluck and eat. The male flies in at 15:15 whilst the female is still feeding, and she walks to the platform and he flies off. She stashes what little is left of the meal by a column and settles on the ledge. The male returns at 15:25 and they go into the box but he soon leaves and she follows. A few minutes later, he is back and picks the stashed remains and stands on the platform. He does not eat the meal but waits for the female to fly in and take the item from him; she flies off with it. There are another five sorties until the female settles at 16:40 and remains on the ledge until 18:15 when the male makes a brief visit. She remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
15 March – the female remains on the ledge until 5:15 when the male flies into the box and she joins him. There are a few moments of bonding before he leaves, and she returns to the ledge, flying off at 5:45. She returns at 6:25, looks around the box then leaves. The male flies in for ten minutes. He is soon back with a small prey item and the female very close-by. She snatches the meal from him, and he leaves. He returns briefly at 7:00 and 7:25 and the female at 8:00 and 9:00. There are then five sorties by the pair up until 12:00. After a couple of short flights, the female sits on the ledge between 12:15 and 13:00 when she goes into the box, then flies off returning with the male; neither stay long. The female returns at 15:05 carrying Redwing prey which she plucks and eats on the platform. She stashes the remains at 16:30 and flies off. The male arrives a few moments later and retrieves the stash and takes it to the platform. He does not eat it but stands there for 15 minutes before flying off with it. He is back with the prey and the female at 17:20 and she takes the prey from him. He flies out and she re-stashes the prey. She flies off and he returns at 17:45 and picks up the prey again and takes it to the platform where the female flies in and takes it from him. She feeds on it and stashes what remains by a column and sits on the ledge until 19:05 when the male flies in. There are a few brief bonding moments in the box, he then flies out. She remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
16 March – the female is on the ledge until the male flies in. He goes into the box and she snacks on the remains of the stashed Redwing. When she has finished, she searches for more stash and returns to the ledge. the male flies out at 4:25; the female remains on the ledge. at 6:10, she flies out and returns with the male and the pair go into the box. He flies out after a few moments of bonding and she follows. The male flies in with a small black blob (a pellet) and the female follows. He leaves it for her, but she ignores it and follows him. They are back briefly at 8:15. She is back at 8:20 with Feral Pigeon prey but flies out quickly. She is back a few minutes later with the male and her meal. She plucks and eats her meal on the platform stashing the remains at 9:40 and sits on the ledge. She flies out at 10:05 and is replaced by the male. At 10:40, he spots the stash and drags it to the platform. He does not eat it but sits there waiting for the female. She flies in at 11:50 and grabs the prey from him and he flies out; she re-stashes it and goes back to the ledge. The male flies into the box at 12:50 and the female joins him. He flies out five minutes later but not before snatching the stashed prey; the female returns to the ledge. At 13:05, she flies off and returns with the male who presents her with the prey which she accepts and eats on the platform. She flies off with the remains ten minutes later and the male flies in to sit on the ledge until 13:55 when the female returns. He goes into the box and she joins him; he leaves after a few minutes bonding and she moves to the ledge. She flies off at 15:10 and the male replaces her on the ledge until 17:40 when he flies out and returns with the female. They go into the box for a few minutes then he leaves, and she follows. He returns at 18:40 with Redwing prey but the female is not there so he flies off with it. She returns at 19:00 and sits on the ledge. he is back at 21:00 with Starling prey. That’s the third meal that she has had today – he really is trying to feed her well. She plucks her meal but stashes it by a column without eating it and returns to the ledge remaining until midnight at least.
17 March 2021 – the male flies in at 00:40 with a prey item which he drops off for the female. She accepts the meal, plucks it and stashes it, then returns to the ledge. At 5:50, she picks up her meal and feasts on it, then flies out with the remains ten minutes later. The male lands in the box at 5:45 and is joined by the female at 6:00 but he then leaves. He returns a few moments later with another Starling which he gives to the female, then flies off. She leaves with her meal. The male flies in at 6:10 and sits on the ledge until 6:40 when he is displaced by the female. She flies after him and he returns to the box where he recovers the stashed Starling from much earlier in the morning. He stands on the platform waiting for the female to arrive but at 7:10 he starts to pluck the prey. At 7:25, when he has finished plucking, he sits on the platform waiting for the female. She has still not returned by 7:45 so he starts calling loudly. She soon arrives, takes the meal from him and he flies off. She quickly eats her pre-prepared meal, then flies off. She returns briefly at 8:55 and the male is on the ledge ten minutes later. The female returns at 9:50 and the pair go into the box and have a few moments of bonding before he flies out. She moves to the ledge, flying off at 10:15 to be replaced by the male. The female is back at 11:00 and the pair are, once again, in the box. The male leaves and the female moves to the ledge, flying off at 11:10. The male flies in carrying a fresh Starling and is pursued by the female. She snatches the gift from him and flies off with it. The male is well fed and sits on the ledge until 13:20 when he goes into the box on the arrival of the female. He soon flies out and she quickly follows. He is back briefly at 13:45 and 14:05. The pair fly in at 14:55 and go into the box. He leaves after a few moments bonding and she follows. He is back at 15:30 and sits on the ledge until 16:40 when he goes into the box with the female. He leaves a few moments later and she follows. The male is back at 16:50 and remains until 18:10 when he flies out but quickly returns with another Starling prey. The female flies in and relieves him of the meal and eats it on the platform. She flies off with the remains at 18:40. The male returns at 18:45 and is joined by the female in the box at 19:00. The male soon leaves but the female sits on a scrape for an hour and 40 minutes – the longest she has spent in the box; hopefully getting accustomed to the box for laying and incubation! She remains on the ledge for the rest of the evening.
18 March – the female is on the ledge and the male flies into the box at 2:35. There is calling between the pair until the male leaves at 2:50. He is back five minutes later dropping an item of prey for the female and leaves. She feeds on the meal before returning to the ledge 20 minutes later. She flies off at 5:40 and the male returns with a large item of prey (Moorhen) which he leaves for the female. She takes it from him eats for ten minutes, then stashes the remains and flies off. The male flies in, sees the stashed meal and feeds on it. He settles on the ledge with a full crop until 7:35 when he goes into the box with the arriving female. He flies out after a few minutes and she moves to the ledge until 7:50 when she flies off. He returns at 8:00 and leaves 30 minutes later. The pair return 15 minutes later but the male soon leaves. The female looks for the stashed meal (eaten by the male!), then flies out. He is back on the ledge at 9:10 until 9:25. He is back with the scraps of a previous meal at 9:45 and leaves them in the on the platform. The female flies in to retrieve them at 9:50 and they both fly out. He is back on the ledge from 9:55 until 12:10 when the female returns, and they go into the box. They leave soon after. He is back ten minutes later and remains until 14:50 when the female lands; they immediately fly off together. They return at 15:15 and fly off ten minutes later. He is back at 16:20 and goes into the box at 17:40 when the female arrives. He flies off and she sits on the ledge for a few minutes; he then replaces her. He flies off at 18:00. He is back briefly at 18:15 and he returns with large prey and the female 30 minutes later. He flies off and she stashes her meal, then sits on the ledge. He flies into the box at 10:45 and the female immediately picks her stashed meal and protects it. He doesn’t leave so she eats it on the platform, re-stashing the remnants at 21:00 and stands by them. He flies out at 21:25 and she checks the stash before returning to the ledge. The wind is strong and at 22:25, she gets blown off the ledge onto the platform where she remains until midnight at least.
17 March 2021 – Video: the male and un-ringed female are spending more and more time bonding in the box.
19 March – the female is on the platform sheltering from the breeze when the male flies in at 3:00; he goes into the box, leaving ten minutes later. The female moves to the ledge until 5:40 when she flies off. The pair is back at 5:50, the male leaving soon after and the female returning to the ledge. She flies off at 6:05 and returns a few minutes later with the male who is carrying a Blackbird. She takes the meal from him and they both fly off. The male is briefly back at 6:40 and 7:45. He returns at 9:10 and cleans up some scraps on the platform, then flies out. The female makes a brief visit at 12:25 and the male does likewise five minutes later. He is back at 13:15 for 15 minutes and returns to the ledge at 14:15 until 14:50. The pair return at 15:45 with the male carrying the remnants of a Feral Pigeon. He flies off when the female snatches it from him and feeds on the platform. She flies off at 16:30 and the male returns to the ledge. He goes into the box on the arrival of the female an hour later. after a few brief moments bonding, he flies out and she follows. She is back at 18:50 and sits on the ledge until midnight at least.
20 March – the male flies in at 5:00 and disturbs the female. He goes into the box and she watches him from the platform until 5:25 when he flies out; she returns to the ledge. At 5:45, she flies off, returning briefly at 6:20. The male is back at 7:25 and 7:50 but does not stay long. The pair flies in at 9:55, the male with Feral Pigeon prey that the female snatches from him; they both fly off. She returns a few minutes later with her meal and proceeds to eat it on the platform. She stashes the remains at 10:20 and flies off to be replaced by the male who feeds on the scraps. The female is back on the ledge with a full crop at 10:50. The male arrives ten minutes later, and the pair go into the box. He moves to the ledge at 11:05 and the female tends a scrape. He then comes back into the box and there are more bonding moments before they both fly out. The female is back on the ledge at 11:20 until 12:00 when she is replaced by the male who feeds on scraps, then settles on the ledge until 13:40 when he goes into the box for five minutes. He is in the box with the female at 15:10. He leaves, and she moves to the platform, flying off at 15:35. The male replaces her until 18:10 when the female returns. She settles on the ledge until 18:55 when the male drops off Blackbird prey. The male is back at 19:50 and immediately the female goes and protects the stashed meal. He goes into the box and the female joins him. After a few moments he moves to the platform and she stays in the box. He sees the stashed prey and sneaks in and steals it before the female can react! She returns to the ledge. At 23:40, he flies in with Starling prey which the female accepts and stashes, then returns to the ledge.
21 March – the female remains on the ledge until 2:50 when the male flies in. He goes into the box until 3:05 when he moves to the ledge, then flies off. The female checks her stashed Starling then returns to the ledge. The male is back briefly at 5:30. The female immediately checks the stash, then leaves at 5:40. The male flies in five minutes later and picks up the stash and takes it to the ledge. He does not feed on it but calls to the female. She eventually arrives at 6:15 carrying her own meal, the remnants of the previous Blackbird. She flies off and is followed by the male carrying the Starling. He is back at 6:30 and picks up the second stashed meal and flies out with it. The pair returns briefly at 6:50 and the male is on the ledge for a few minutes at 7:35. He is back an hour later, leaves at 8:50 and returns 25 minutes later carrying the previous Starling. He sits on the ledge with it until 9:50 when the female flies in, snatches it from him and goes into the box – all in one swoop. She leaves with her meal a few minutes later and he flies off. The pair is back 10:10 and go into the box, both leaving ten minutes later. The male returns briefly at 10:45 and the female at 11:50. He sits on the ledge from 12:30 until 12:55. At 13:10 he is back with a fresh plucked Starling and the female arrives to take it from him and flies off. He leaves ten minutes later and is back for a few minutes at 13:45. The pair flies in at 14:30 but the male flies out a few minutes later as the female moves to the ledge; she then flies off. The male returns to the ledge at 15:20 remaining until 16:55 when he goes into the box on the arrival of the female. There are a few minutes bonding, then the female tends to a scrape. The male flies out and she follows. He is back in the box at 17:05 and also works the scrape briefly before flying out. He returns briefly at 18:15 and 19:00, and the female lands at 19:05 remaining on the ledge until midnight at least.
22 March – the male flies in with a meal at 3:00 and the female feeds on the platform. She stashes the remains at 3:20 and returns to the ledge. The male flies into the box briefly at 5:25 and the female flies out. He walks to the platform and then picks up the stashed meal and plucks it. The female returns at 5:40 and takes the prey from him and flies off with it. The male takes a couple of short flight before settling on the ledge. He flies out at 6:35 and returns 15 minutes later with fresh Blackbird prey. He looks for the female, but she is not around, so he flies off. He is back briefly with the meal at 7:25. He is back without the prey 30 minutes later and sits on the ledge. He collects the female at 9:35 and the pair go into the box for a few minutes before they both fly out. The male is back at 11:05 with pre-prepared Blackbird. He sits on the ledge holding on to it until the female flies in at 13:40. She ignores it and flies out a few minutes later. He flies off at 13:50 returning at 14:05 and initially stashes the meal but then leaves. he is back with the female soon after and she leaves with his gift as he sits on the ledge. He is in the box with the female at 14:45 but both leave five minutes later. He is back at 15:00 and sits on the ledge for 30 minutes before flying off, returning at 16:00. He is off again at 16:10 and returns with a small item of prey and the female. She does not accept it, so he flies off and she follows. He returns at 16:35 without the meal and goes into the box, then moves to the ledge where he remains until 18:20 when he goes into the box with the female. He leaves soon after and she moves to the ledge. He is back in the box at 19:10 for 30 minutes and returns at midnight.
23 March 2021 – Video (c) Stephen Holloway: the two females fighting in a courtyard next to the Cathedral at 9:45.
23 March – the female is present when the male arrives at midnight; he leaves 15 minutes later. He returns with a prey item at 00:35 and flies off as the female feeds. She is on the ledge at 00:50 and the male returns at 3:45. She joins him in the box at 4:00 and he moves to the ledge after five minutes bonding. She remains in the box for 35 minutes, then moves back to the ledge and the male goes into the box and falls asleep. She joins him again at 5:25 and he flies out; she returns to the ledge and flies off ten minutes later. The male is back at 5:45, leaves at 5:55 and returns at 6:20. He is off again at 6:35 and is back with the female at 6:55. They are in the box for a few minutes before he flies out and she moves to the ledge, then follows. The pair are acting very agitated – there are 15 short stops on the platform between 7:00 and 9:00 and lots of calling and running into and out of the box. There are a number of low flights passing the box that look to be from an intruding bird. At 9:40, the intruding bird flies towards the female on the platform. They engage talons and fall to the ground. This coincides with the video taken by Stephen Holloway who lives close to the Cathedral of the two females fighting in his courtyard around 9:45 today [reminiscent of the battle in April 2020]. When the female returns to the box at 11:20, it is noticeable that there is blood on her neck. The rest of the day the pair was trying to fend off the intruding female. I happened to be in Leicester briefly in the afternoon and saw the male buzzing the intruding female (looked to have a slight damage to one leg) and then the pair continually forcing the intruder out of the area, only for it to return five or ten minutes later. The intruder was even sitting on the spire. At 13:45, the two females had their talons engaged and were falling to the ground over St. Martins House; they were both back in the air not too long after. The comings and goings at the box are too numerous to count during the afternoon but things seemed to have calmed down a little by 17:45 when the female returns with some stashed prey. She doesn’t look comfortable so flies off with it and the male replaces her on the ledge. He flies off at 18:00 and brings in a fresh Blackbird prey at 18:35 which the female takes from him. He flies off and she remains on the platform with her meal but does not start to eat it until 21:00. She stashes the remains and sits on the ledge at 21:50 and falls asleep until midnight at least.
24 March – the female is sitting on the ledge looking well fed. The male brings in another meal at 2:15 and despite having a full crop, the female feeds on it, returning to the ledge at 3:10. The male flies in at 5:10 and goes into the box and falls asleep. The female walks into the box to join him at 5:30; he leaves after five minutes bonding and she returns to the ledge. The male replaces the female at 5:45 and leaves ten minutes later. At 6:10, the female returns briefly, calling loudly; seems that there still may be an intruder in the area. There are a number of sorties until 6:35 when the male retrieves the Blackbird stash and plucks and prepares it on the platform. He sits on the ledge with it until 7:05 when the female arrives and relieves him of it. He leaves and she feeds for a few minutes before stashing the balance and flying out. The male returns and finishes it off and sits on the ledge until 7:45, when he flies out, and returns with the female. They go into the box for a few minutes before they both fly out. He is back on the ledge at 8:20 until 8:55. There are six sorties between 9:10 and 10:00. The female then looks for the stashed meal but there is none so sits on the ledge for 20 minutes. The male is back at 10:30. He flies out at 11:10 and returns with the female. They fly out after 15 minutes. He is back at 12:05 for ten minutes, then no visits until 13:25. The female joins him 20 minutes later. He then leaves and she moves to the ledge until 14:15. The male is back at 14:50 for 15 minutes and the pair are back ten minutes later, the male carrying a small item of prey that he gives to the female. She leaves with her meal and the male settles on the ledge. The pair seem to be less agitated given the time they are now spending on the platform and feeling safe enough to feed. She returns at 15:55 and they go into the box and spend a little time bonding. The male flies out and she moves to the ledge, flying off at 16:30 to be replaced by the male. He leaves an hour later, returning at 17:50. The female replaces him on the ledge at 18:40. At 19:05, he brings in another Blackbird which she stashes and then falls asleep. At 22:15, she decides that she is getting bored and so plucks the prey, then re-stashes it. She sleeps until midnight at least.
25 March – the male arrives with a large meal of Moorhen at 5:15. The female stashes it and flies off and he takes over on the ledge. At 5:35, he picks up the stashed Blackbird but the female flies in and snatches it from him – he goes back to the ledge, then into the box, sneaks around the back and pick up the Moorhen. The female calls to him loudly, so he drags the meal towards her, then starts to pluck it beside her, before flying off with it! She stashes the Blackbird. He flies in at 5:40, no doubt having stashed the Moorhen. They fly off together. He returns a few minutes later, picks up the Blackbird and flies out. He is back at 5:50 with the meal and the female. She snatches it from him and eats it as he flies off. She leaves at 6:00 and he flies in briefly. He is back at 6:15 and remains on the ledge for the next two hours and is then joined by the female – this would suggest that the intruder has departed for the time being. They go into the box briefly, then fly out. He is back at 8:45 with the previously stashed Moorhen. He plucks it and has a small bite but is waiting for the female to return. She arrives at 9:35 but ignores her meal. The male ‘plays’ with it, then flies off and she follows. They are back a few moments later and she snatches the meal from him. He flies off but she does not feed, just stashes the prey by a column at 10:00 and flies out. The male is back at 10:15, picks up the stash and flies out. He returns without it a few minutes later and settles on the ledge. The female returns at 11:35 and the pair go into the box for a brief bonding session, then fly off together. The male is back briefly 15 minutes later, then returns at 12:10 and sits on the ledge for 40 minutes before flying off to retrieve the Moorhen meal. The female swoops in to snatch it from him and they both fly off. He is back in the box at 13:10 making a scrape before moving to the ledge. He takes a couple of short flights between then and 15:15 when he returns with the female. They fly off after a few moments bonding. The male is back ten minutes later remaining on the ledge, with the occasional short flight and visit to the box, until 18:15 when the female takes over. He returns at 19:15 and the pair go into the box. He flies off after a few minutes bonding and she returns to the ledge, remaining until midnight at least.
26 March – the female remains on the ledge until 3:40 when the male flies in. She sits on the platform and he sleeps in the box until 4:40 when he flies out. The female flies out at 5:20 and is replaced by the male until 5:40. She returns at 7:15 for ten minutes and he is back at 8:05 for five minutes. They fly in together at 8:35 and spend a little time in the box until first the male, then the female leaves. The male is on the platform at 8:50 looking out until he flies off at 9:35. He returns five minutes later carrying a large Feral Pigeon and is followed by the female; she relieves him of her meal, and he flies off. She starts plucks it on the platform. The male flies in at 10:05 and the female allows him to take the head of the pigeon which is very nutritious; he eats in the opposite corner of the platform. When he has finished, he sits on the ledge watching the female. At 10:40, the female is well fed and takes her meal to the platform as the male moves into the box. She flies off with the remains of her meal at 11:25 and the male remains in situ. She returns with the remains five minutes later but then immediately leaves. she returns at 11:40 and stashes the remains by a column giving the male the opportunity he has been waiting for; to snatch it and fly off. The female sits on the ledge with a full crop. The male returns with some of the remains at 12:30. The female takes it from him and flies out and he sits on the ledge, preening and dozing until 14:25. The female arrives, and the pair go into the box. The male soon leaves but the female tends the scrape/s for ten minutes before moving to the ledge. She is off at 14:45 and is replaced by the male. He leaves at 15:10, returning briefly 15 minutes later. He is back at 16:00 and is joined ten minutes later by the female who brings in and stashes her Feral Pigeon meal. She joins the male in the box but after a few moments he sneaks around the central column and steals the stash and flies off; the female runs to the platform and watches him go, then follows. The male returns well fed at 16:40 and dozes on the ledge until 18:45 when the female flies in and takes over. He returns at 19:20 and she goes into the box and scrapes in the stones whilst he dozes on the ledge. Five minutes later, she walks up to the male and slowly forces him from the ledge, and she takes his place and falls asleep. She is awakened by the return of the male at 23:35. He goes into the box and they both fall asleep until 23:55 when they start calling very loudly to each other.
27 March – there is some seriously loud calling between the pair and at 00:05 and the female joins the male in the box. After some bonding and stone moving/scraping, she returns to the ledge 15 minutes later. He flies out at 00:45 but does not return until 3:30 when he flies into the box and there is much calling between the pair, before they fall asleep. He flies out at 4:15 returning at 5:10 to be greeted by the calls of the female; he leaves a few minutes later. The female leaves at 5:30 just as the male returns with Feral Pigeon prey and she flies in to take it from him. She feeds on it then stashes the remains by a column and flies off. The male returns, picks up the stash and flies off. He is back at 5:50 until 6:10 and the female is back briefly at 6:35 to be followed by a Woodpigeon that flies out when the male arrives a few minutes later. There are a number of sorties and the fly past of what looks to be the intruding female that is still in the area at 7:20. The sorties continue throughout the morning. At 9:35, despite all the issues dealing with the intruder, the male brings in Starling prey. The female returns at 9:40 and they fly out together. There are four sorties in the next 30 minutes until the male returns with the Starling. The female flies in, takes it from him and stashes it. He is not happy about that, picks it up, takes it to the platform and gives it to the female again. She feeds on it whilst he sits on the ledge. When he flies out a few minutes later, she stashes it and flies off! The male returns at 11:00 and spies the stashed prey. He picks it up and is soon joined by the female; he flies off with the meal and she follows. They are back ten minutes later; the male still carrying the prey. The female takes it from him and starts to eat as he watches. When he moves to the ledge, she stashes the meal so he retrieves it and tries to give it to her again, but she flies off so he finishes off the meal. He is well fed and sits on the ledge until 11:35 when the female flies into the box. After a few moments of ‘chat’, they fly out. He is back a few minutes later and dozes on the ledge until 12:55 when he flies off calling. He returns with the female a few minutes later and the pair go into the box. There is calling and posturing until the male runs to the platform. The female is calling loudly, and the male looks into the box. He slowly joins the female but then moves back to the platform out of sight of the female. She continues calling and he flies off. She searches for any stashed food then flies off when there is none. He is back at 13:05 and sits preening and dozing on the ledge until the female returns at 14:30 and they both go into the box. She is calling loudly; he flies out and she follows. He is back at 14:40 for ten minutes. He flies into the box at 15:05 and makes scrapes in the stones before moving to the ledge. He goes into the box when the female lands on the ledge at 15:25 calling loudly and with her wings slightly open. He flies out and a few moments later and there is the first copulation between this pair seen on camera. So, despite all the shenanigans with the intruding bird and the short period this pair have been bonding, there is still the possibility that it could be a successful breeding season after all. She flies off and he returns at 15:35 remaining on the ledge until 16:30 when he goes into the box and looks for stashed prey, then returns to the ledge. The pair are in the box at 16:55 but he soon leaves; she follows ten minutes later. They are back at 17:35 but he does not remain long. She gets spooked by the male flying in at 19:05 and chases him off. She returns and sits on the ledge hidden by the central column until midnight at least.
28 March – the female comes back into view at 1:00 and goes back to sleep. The male flies into the box at 3:45 and there is loud calling between the pair. He leaves at 5:20 and she goes at 5:35. The pair are back a few minutes later but neither stay long. After a few short stops, the female lands on the platform at 6:05 and watches the skies for the next 30 minutes. The male flies in with Feral Pigeon prey at 6:35 which she snatches from him. He flies off and she plucks and then stashes in the corner of the box, then sits on the ledge. The male arrives at 7:15, picks up the stashed prey and flies off with it; the female pursuing him. They are soon back, the female with her meal. He sits on the ledge watching her, then goes into the box; the female stands over her meal. She starts to eat at 8:00, stashing the remains at 8:35. The male, who was watching from the box, picks up the stash and flies off with it, but the female remains on the ledge. The male is back with the meal at 9:05 and the female takes it from him – he is still trying to feed her and get her into best breeding condition. At 9:25, she feeds on it for a few minutes, but as soon as the male leaves, she stashes it and then flies out. Both are back a few minutes later and go into the box. After a brief period of bonding, the male grabs the stash and flies off with it; the female remains on the platform. She flies off at 10:15 and returns a few moments later with the male and they go into the box. After five minutes, the male goes to the platform and picks at some scraps. The female joins him and takes the scraps from him – he flies out. She remains on the ledge until 11:20 when the male arrives, and they go into the box. He flies out ten minutes later and returns with the stashed meal that he gives to the female. When he leaves, she stashes it by a column. She flies off at 11:55 and returns with the male and they go into the box. After a few minutes, he walks to the platform and picks up the stash, but the female grabs it from him; they both fly out, she with the prey. They are back at 12:05, the male in the box, the female on the platform with her meal. [At 12:35, I change the camera clock time to BST.] She stashes the prey at 13:45, the male grabs it and flies off with it; the female follows. They are back a few minutes later and the female grabs her meal and feeds on it until 14:15 when she stashes it again and flies off. The male now feeds on the remains until 14:45. At 14:50, I could hear Raven calling (it must have been close or very loud to be picked up by the microphone) the male is sitting on ledge unperturbed. He stands on what little is left of the meal until 15:20 when he stashes it and sits on the ledge with a full crop. The female is back at 15:40 and goes into the box. He picks up the scraps and presents them to her and she feeds on them. She has finished at 15:55 and moves to the ledge. There are multiple flights in and out of the box until she settles down again at 16:15 and remains there until 17:45 when the male returns. He soon flies off and she walks to the ledge and a few moments later there is successful copulation. He leaves and she remains on the ledge until moving to the box when the male returns at 18:40. He gets her to finish eating the few scraps that are left; nothing is wasted. He flies out at 18:50 and she returns to the ledge. He back in the box at 19:40 and there is calling between the pair; he leaves 15 minutes later. She remains on the ledge until midnight at least.
29 March – the female sits on the ledge until 4:30 when she takes a quick flight. The male arrives at 5:05 and goes into the box. There is calling between the pair. He flies out at 5:45 and returns at 6:25 but leaves five minutes later followed by the female; she returns quickly but is off again at 6:40. She is back at 7:10 and her posture and reaction would indicate that the intruding female is still in the area. In the next three hours there are at least 18 sorties to and from the box by the pair – mainly the female; the male occasionally watching from the ledge. [At 9:55, I receive a message from the Cathedral Verger that there are three birds in the air, two of which had locked talons and fell to the ground.] The pair are back on the platform at 10:20 and go into the box for a brief bout of bonding. The female flies out and the male watches from the ledge. She is back briefly at 10:40, flying out calling; the male is still on the ledge. She is back at 10:50 and he flies out; she soon follows. There are 14 sorties in the next three hours. At 15:05, the male is on the ledge and the female flies in at pace; in the background the intruding female can be seen clearly as she flies past; the male chases and the female follows. He returns at 15:20 and during the next two hours there are 14 sorties. He is back briefly at 17:10 with fresh Feral Pigeon prey and the female swoops in to relieve him of it. She drags it into the box and feeds. He returns for a few minutes at 17:40. When he leaves, she stashes the remains and sits on the ledge with a full crop. The male returns at 18:40 and the female goes into the box. He fetches the stashed prey and gives it to the female before moving to the ledge. She eventually finishes the meal at 19:15 and dozes in the box. They swap positions at 19:20 and the male flies out 15 minutes later. He returns at 22:05 with a small item of prey but the female running at him spooks him and he flies off with it. He is back at 22:20 and this time drops off the prey, a Wren, and stashes it. He is back again at 22:50 with more food but does not drop of the meal; he flies off and the female returns to the ledge. He drops it off at 23:20 and the female stashes it, then falls asleep.
30 March – the female is on the ledge until 1:55 when the male brings in yet another item of prey. This time she plucks and eats it on the platform returning to the ledge 15 minutes later. The male flies into the box at 4:20 and falls asleep. At 6:00, he walks onto the platform and picks up the scraps of the last meal left by the female. She takes it from him, and he flies off; she stashes it with the other two items. She flies out at 6:10 and the male flies in and picks up one of the stashed items. He doesn’t eat it but is looking around for the female. She flies in at 6:25 and snatches it from him; he flies off and she follows. He is back at 7:00 and picks up another of the stashed items which can now be identified as a Nuthatch. She flies in at 7:05 and snatches it from him; he flies off and she follows. He is back at 7:30 and picks up the third stashed item, another Nuthatch, and flies off with it. He is back ten minutes later feeding on the scraps of one of the prey items, then flies off. He was back at 8:25 and sits on the ledge until 9:05. He is back briefly at 9:25 and returns with the female at 10:30; they go into the box. They both leave five minutes later and fly in together at 11:40 but do not stay long. The male is back at 12:30 and sits on the ledge until 13:15 when something overhead causes him to fly off. He is back with the female a few minutes later and they briefly go into the box, then fly out. The male flies in with a very large Feral Pigeon at 13:45 and is relieved of it by the female; she flies off with it but returns a few minutes later. She plucks and feeds on it on the platform, stashing the balance by a column at 14:25. She flies off five minutes later and the male returns, picks up the stash and leaves – probably looking for the female. At 15:20, he is back with the prey and the female flies in and takes it from him. They both fly off then return together at 15:55. He leaves after a few minutes bonding and she sits on the ledge with a full crop until leaving at 16:30. The male returns at 16:55 and watches over the city from the platform until 17:45 when he moves to the ledge, taking a short flight at 18:15, then dozes on the ledge. at 19:00, he flies off and returns with the stashed pigeon, followed by the female. She snatches it from him, and he flies off. She re-stashes the pigeon and sits on the ledge with a full crop. He flies into a very noisy welcome at 20:15 and goes into the box. They eventually fall asleep and remain there until 22:10 when the male flies out; the female remains on the ledge. There does not appear to have been the same amount of intruder activity today; have things settled down?
31 March – the male drops off an item of prey at 1:55 and the female plucks and eats it on the platform, despite there still being a large piece in stash. She has had her fill at 2:35, stashes the remains and returns to the ledge to fall asleep. The male flies into the box at 4:10 and they both fall asleep. At 4:35 walks to the ledge and spies some scraps left on the platform. He goes to eat these but is forced to fly off by the female. The male returns at 6:00 and picks up the last stashed item and takes it to the platform to give to the female. She takes it, he flies out and she re-stashes it and flies off! The male returns, picks up the stash and follows her. He is back at 6:30 and collects the stashed pigeon and flies off. He returns briefly to the box at 6:55 and the female pays a short visit at 7:10. She flies in at speed at 7:25 (being pursued?) and flies out immediately. The male is back at 7:55, followed by the female pursued by a second female; it seems that the dispute has not been resolved. The male flies in at 8:25 with a large chunk of plucked food [the pigeon]. He is looking for the female but cannot see her so sits on the platform. She flies in 20 minutes later and grabs her meal and he flies off. She feeds on the platform and leaves a small remnant by a column and flies out. The male is back at 9:05 picks up the scraps and flies off. He is in the box at 10:15 searching for food, then settles on the ledge. he is back briefly at 11:05 with more prey [unidentifiable] and in the box again at 11:30 before dozing on the ledge. He flies off at 12:20, is replaced briefly by the female and is back five minutes later and off again at 12:45. He returns at 13:35, checks the box then leaves but is back on the ledge at 14:25 for ten minutes. The pair fly into the box at 15:20 but the male soon leaves, and the female scrapes the stones then moves to the ledge before flying off. He is back briefly at 16:10, 16:20, 16:35 and 17:05. Forty minutes later, he is back on the ledge until 18:00. He is back briefly at 18:10 and brings in Greenfinch prey ten minutes later. He plucks and eats it on the platform then settles on the ledge until 19:40 when he takes a short flight and returns with the female. They go into the box, but he soon leaves, and she moves to the ledge. She remains there until 23:40 when the male drops off a small item of prey which she eats then returns to the ledge.