MAY 2024
1 May – the female sits tight incubating until 4:15 when she flies out as the male lands. He takes over until she returns 20 minutes later. At 5:45, she flies out then returns to the chicks after a few minutes. She flies out at 6:40 but is back quickly, no doubt looking for the first meal of the day. She checks from the platform at 6:55, 7:10 and 7:35. The city is covered in a mist – not ideal hunting conditions. She flies out at 7:55, returning quickly again. She checks at 8:15 and flies off at 8:35 and 8:45 but returns empty handed. Finally, at 8:55, the male brings in fresh Feral Pigeon prey and they get their meal. She flies out to stash the remains. She looks for the male at 10:15, then returns to the chicks but he arrives quickly with the pigeon, and she feeds the chicks. She stashes the remains by a column. She flies out at 11:40 and returns at 12:00 with another Feral Pigeon and tries to feed the chicks but they are well fed, so she leaves with the meal. At 13:55, she takes the stashed pigeon from the box and feeds the chicks, flying out with the remains at 14:10 but is soon back in the scrape. The male brings the remains back at 14:50 and there is another feed. The female flies off with the leftovers and returns to the chicks. She flies out briefly at 17:10 and at 17:30 returns with Feral Pigeon prey for the chicks. The male lands at 17:40 for five minutes. She flies out to stash the remains at 17:50. The male lands at 18:40 and the female looks to fly out. He goes into the box, but the female does not leave and the male retreats to the ledge before flying out. She looks out from the platform at 20:00 and flies off five minutes later. She returns with remnants from a previous meal, feeds the chicks then covers them for the rest of the evening.
2 May – the female keeps the chicks well covered until 5:25 when the male flies in and takes over. She is back 15 minutes later. She looks out at 6:30 and three times around 7:30, takes a short flight at 7:45 and flies out at 8:20. She returns with fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She leaves to stash the remains15 minutes later. The male flies in with the remains ten minutes later but quickly leaves with it. He is back a few minutes later and the female takes it from him. She flies out at 9:25 and returns five minutes later and feeds the chicks with the remains of the pigeon. The male lands with more Feral Pigeon prey at 10:30 but she ignores him, so he leaves. He returns at 12:40 but quickly leaves. The female flies out at 12:50 returning 15 minutes later and again briefly at 13:35 and 14:25. She checks the platform four more times before 15:00 when she flies out and returns with a Starling meal for the chicks. She flies out again at 15:45 and is replaced by the male. He leaves at 16:15 when the female returns with fresh Feral Pigeon prey which she stashes by a column. She feeds the chicks on the pigeon at 17:15. Two of the chicks managed to get out the scrape they have grown so much in seven days. Thirty minutes later the male arrives with a meal. She re-stashes one of the pigeons at 18:20 and there is another feed at 19:25. She flies out with the remains 15 minutes later and the male flies in with a new meal which is stashed. He sits on the ledge for five minutes when the female returns before flying off. The male is on the ledge at 20:50 then collects one of the stashed pigeon, plucks it and returns it to the column, flying off at 21:05.
3 May – the female flies out briefly at 5:10 and again at 5:35 – it should be noted that there is plenty of food stashed in the box. A few minutes later, she notices a pigeon and feeds it to the chicks. She flies out with the remains at 5:55. She takes another flight at 7:35 and returns quickly with a small meal. The male lands with more food at 8:00 and just misses hitting the female on landing who had ventured onto the platform to eagerly. She checks the platform again at 9:50. The male brings in fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 10:00 and the chicks feed for 15 minutes before the female flies out with the remains. The male takes over incubation two hours later but the female is soon back and forces him out. He is back for another attempt at 14:40 when she leaves but is soon back with a part-eaten pigeon for the chicks to feed on. The male sits on the ledge until 16:25 when he checks the box for stashed food and then flies out as there is none. The female leaves at 17:25 and quickly returns with food. The male brings in another meal an hour later. He tries to feed the chicks when she leaves to stash the remains, but she is back too quickly for him.
4 May – the female checks the platform at 0:55. The male arrives at 4:45 and takes over as the female flies out. She is back at 5:25 to resume. She looks out from the platform at 6:25 and 6:30. At 6:45, she flies out and returns ten minutes later. She checks from the platform at 7:25 and flies out ten minutes later but quickly returns. She leaves again at 8:05 and returns after ten minutes with plucked pigeon prey. She flies out to stash the remains and is back at 8:30. She looks out from the platform again at 9:30 and 10:15. The male flies in a few minutes later with Robin prey. He sits on the ledge for ten minutes, then flies off. It was obviously not enough of a meal for the three growing chicks as the female is still looking for the male from the platform. She looks for anything stashed in the box then walks to the platform again at 10:55. She flies out at 11:25 for 15 minutes. She flies out at 12:00 and is back after 15 minutes but without food. She is off again at 12:45 returning 30 minutes later with a meal. She flies off at 13:25 and returns with a part-eaten Feral Pigeon – no doubt caught by the male and eaten before offering it to the female. she flies out at 14:40 and 15:50 but is back quickly on both occasions, then walks around the platform at 16:10. There was another quick flight at 17:05 and ten minutes later leaves but is back without any food. She flies out at 17:30 and the male flies in with fresh plucked Feral Pigeon prey. She lands and takes it feeds the chicks. She takes the remains and stashes them after 15 minutes. At 18:30, she takes another short flight and again at 19:40, returning with a part-eaten pigeon for the chicks.
5 May – the female flies out at 1:10 but quickly returns. She does the same again at 2:25 – a bit of night-time hunting? She covers the chicks until leaving at 5:00, returning 20 minutes later. She is off at 5:45 returning at 6:05 without food and looks out from the platform at 6:15 then flies off at 6:30. The male arrives at 7:05 and is quickly followed by the female. He goes into the box, she sits on the ledge calling to him. He leaves after a few minutes and the female goes to the chicks. She looks out over the city a few minutes later and then flies out at 7:25. She is back at 7:40 with Feral Pigeon prey. The chicks feed until 8:05 when the female stashes the remains in the box. The male lands on the ledge at 9:00 for 15 minutes. She feeds the chicks the scraps from 11:20 until 11:45. The male lands at 12:55, checks for stashed food, then flies out. The female flies off 15 minutes later but returns quickly and again at 13:25, and 13:30 when she returns with pre-plucked prey. The male lands with fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 14:10. The chicks are already well fed, so she flies out to stash the meal. He sits on the ledge, then follows. She returns with the meal at 14:35 and initially stashes it in the box but then leaves with it again. She is back with the chicks five minutes later. She flies out at 14:35 and does not return until 16:30 – the male lands briefly at 15:55. She leaves again at 16:40 and returns with the stashed pigeon from earlier, feeds the chicks and leaves with the remains at 17:10. She does not return to the chicks until 17:45. At 18:50, she flies out and is soon back with the pigeon remains. After feeding, she stashes the remnants in the box and settles down for the night. The male lands on the ledge at 19:40 and remains on the ledge until midnight at least. The female flies out at 23:10.
6 May – the male remains on the ledge and the female flies in to the chicks at 1:00. They are too large to fully incubate now, so she shelters them from the wind. The male leaves at 4:55. At 5:15 the female feeds the chicks on a small meal stashed by a column. At 5:50 she looks for the male from the platform for five minutes. At 6:15, she flies out. The male lands at 6:30 with fresh Feral Pigeon prey which he stashes by a column, then leaves. The female is back ten minutes later and feeds the stashed pigeon to the chicks. It is a quick feed as she flies out with it after just five minutes, then returns at 7:00. The male flies into the box at 8:50 checks the female then flies out. She watches him from the platform and returns to the chicks. At 9:45 she looks out from the platform for 15 minutes, then flies out at 10:15. She is back at 10:30 but without food. She is off again at 10:40 and returns at 11:15 carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey. She leaves with the remains 15 minutes later, then returns to the chicks. At 13:25, she flies out for 20 minutes later. She looks out from the platform at 14:00 and flies out ten minutes later. She bounces off the platform at 14:20 chasing a pigeon and lands briefly a few minutes later but without her quarry. She is back at 15:30 but leaves quickly returning at 17:20 with fresh Feral Pigeon prey and feeds the chicks for 25 minutes. She flies out at 17:35 and returns 20 minutes later. She is off again at 18:15 returning at 19:05 with yet another Feral Pigeon meal. They feed for 30 minutes, and she flies out with what little is left. She returns to shelter the chicks for the rest of the evening.
7 May – the female shelters the chicks until 4:10 when she sits on the ledge for a few minutes. The male lands on the ledge at 4:30 and takes over from the female 15 minutes later. She sits on the ledge calling at him and he flies out at 4:50 as she returns to the chicks. She flies out at 5:20 and the male flies in a few minutes later with Great Tit prey and feeds the chicks. The female returns soon after and displaces the male and he flies off. It obviously was not a good enough meal as she keeps walks to the platform looking for him. She flies out at 5:55 and is back preyless at 6:10. She moves to the ledge a few minutes later, looking out. After checking on the chicks, she returns to the ledge, flying off at 6:45. The male returns carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 7:15. He plucks the meal but then, rather than feed the chicks, flies out with it. The female returns with it at 7:50 and feeds the chicks. They have finished eating at 8:15 and she stashes it off site and is soon back. She flies out at 11:30 returning at 11:55. She flies out at 12:25 and the male lands 15 minutes later. He goes into the box and shelters the chicks. The female flies in with another pigeon meal at 12:50 and he leaves. They finish feeding at 13:10 and she leaves to stash the remains, returning quickly. She flies out at 15:55 and returns at 17:05 with a small parcel of food. She is off again at 17:20 and is back with more pigeon prey 20 minutes later. She leaves with the remnants at 18:05 and is back at 18:30. She is off again ten minutes later and is back with the male at 20:00. He sits on the ledge, then joins the female in the box with the chicks. He flies out at 20:10. She leaves briefly at 21:25 then settles down for the evening.