MAY 2025
1 May – the first changeover is at 4:25. The male walks to the ledge at 7:45, has a preen, then returns to the eggs. The female takes over at 8:10. The male arrives with Little Grebe prey at 10:35 and she flies out. He follows with the meal, but she is back five minutes later. The male returns at 13:05 and there is another changeover. He walks to the ledge at 15:25 but quickly returns to the eggs. He looks out again briefly at 16:45 and flies out at 17:00 and is replaced by the female five minutes later. She takes a short flight at 19:40 but is quickly back on the eggs and remains until midnight.
2 May – the male takes over at 4:45. The female returns at 8:25 but the male is reluctant to leave. He does not return until 14:45, over six hours later. He walks to the platform at 19:20 and flies out as the female arrives to replace him. She remains until midnight.
3 May – the male arrives at 4:35 for the first changeover. The female is back at 9:00. She flies out at 15:10 but returns after five minutes. The male flies in at 15:40 and takes over. He leaves at 19:45 and the female remains until midnight.
4 May – the male arrives at 5:05 for the first changeover. He walks to the ledge and looks out briefly at 7:45, then returns to the eggs. The female, sporting a full crop, replaces him five minutes later. The male is back at 12:40 and is replaced by the female at 16:25. He returns at 18:45 carrying the remains of a previous pigeon meal. The female flies out and the male feeds on the pigeon, then follows with the scraps. He is back a few minutes later to resume incubation. He looks out from the platform at 20:45, then returns to the eggs and remains incubating until midnight.
5 May – the male flies out at 1:50 but quickly returns to the eggs. The female arrives at 4:05 and takes over. The male is back with fresh Feral Pigeon prey at 7:25 but the female ignores him, and he flies off. He returns at 11:10 and takes over incubation. He flies out at 13:00 and the female incubates until 15:20 when the male is back. The next changeover is at 18:45. The male flies in with fresh wader prey at 19:15 but the female ignores him again and he flies off. He is back at 20:20 with the same meal and takes it into the box but she ignores him and he leaves.
6 May – the male flies in for the first change at 4:45. He leaves at 6:55 and the female returns five minutes later. The male is back briefly at 9:45. The next changeover is at 11:30. He flies out at 13:10 and the female immediately returns. He is back at 14:05 with Grey Wagtail prey and the female takes the meal whilst he incubates the eggs. When she leaves the eggs, it can clearly be seen that at least one is pipped. She resumes incubation at 14:40 after a brief chase with a Stock Dove. At 18:10, a second egg could clearly be seen as having pipped. At 18:30, the first pipped egg hatches and a small wet chick can just be seen but it is sheltered closely by the female. The male lands at 20:40 but quickly flies off. At 21:30 the second pipped egg was clearly seen but there was no sign of hatching before midnight.
7 May – the female remains tight on the eggs and chick through the night, and the second egg appears to hatch at 4:05. It wasn’t until she leaves the scrape at 4:50, on the arrival of the male, the second chick can be seen. The male eats the shell, an activity that the female normally does, as he incubates. He looks out from the platform at 6:20, then flies out and the female returns to the scrape. He is back at 7:30 with fresh Feral Pigeon prey and she feeds the chicks for the first time, stashes the remains, then incubates. He is back at 11:40 and picks up the stashed pigeon and flies off with it. The female flies out at 11:50 and the male flies in. He leaves when the female returns with the meal a few minutes later and stashes it after feeding. The female leaves with the stashed meal at 13:30 and the male returns for his second incubation stint, but the female is back just 30 minutes later. She flies out at 16:50 and he tries to take over, but she returns immediately with a meal for the chicks; he quickly leaves. After feeding, she stashes the meal in the box and resumes incubation. The male arrives at 18:35 and the female makes another feed from the stashed meal at 18:40 as he watches. She flies out with the remains a few minutes later and the male resumes incubation. She returns with the meal after ten minutes and he leaves. She immediately flies out again and quickly returns. He flies in with food at 19:25 and she takes it from him and flies out but quickly returns. The male lands on the ledge at 19:35 for 15 minutes and the female sits tight in the scrape until midnight.
8 May – the female sits tight until the male lands at 4:45. She flies out and he takes over. She returns with pigeon prey, feeds the chicks then stashes the remains and continues incubation. The male lands at 7:05, snatches the stashed pigeon and flies off. He is back with the remains at 7:25 but the female ignores him and he leaves. He flies into the box at 8:15 but the female will not let him incubate so he returns to the ledge, then flies off. The female rushes to the ledge and flies out at 9:30 as the male arrives with the stashed pigeon meal. The female returns quickly carrying her own meal for the chicks. The male leaves before he has the opportunity to feed the chicks. She takes the remains away a few minutes later but is soon back meaning the stash site cannot be too far away. The male lands on the ledge at 12:00 but leaves after five minutes. She feeds on the pigeon left by the male ten minutes later, then flies out with the remains but is soon back. He returns with a morsel at 13:00, goes into the box but leaves after five minutes. hHe is back at 14:20 and the female flies out. He incubates for a few moments before being disturbed by the female arriving with a meal and he flies off. She stashes the meal in the box then resumes incubation. The male arrives with his offering of a meal at 17:10 and feeds on it. The female snatches it from him and flies out which allows him to feed the chicks on the stashed meal. He flies off with the remains at 17:25 and the female resumes incubation. The male is back with food at 18:30 and she flies out with it. He incubates but is immediately forced out by the female returning with the meal for the chicks. She stashes the meal then sits tight for the rest of the evening.
9 May – the male lands at 4:25 and the female feeds the chicks with scraps in the box. She flies out ten minutes later and the male takes the opportunity to incubate. However, the female is soon back, and he is quickly displaced. He brings in more scraps at 5:15 and the female feeds the chicks. The male returns briefly at 6:45 and again at 8:50 but the female does not give up incubation. The reason becomes clear when at 9:05 a third chick emerges from an egg, more than two days after the second. The male arrives an hour later and the female leaves to allow him to incubate until she returns at 10:40. She flies out at 11:55. The male lands with fresh Feral Pigeon prey which the female quickly arrives to snatch from him. He flies off and she feeds the chicks. She stashes the meal then resumes incubation. The next feed is at 15:50. The male flies in at 17:40 and grabs the stashed pigeon. The female flies out and allows him to feed the chicks. The female is back ten minutes later and takes over the feeding. The next feed is at 19:30 and all three chicks are well fed, then again at 20:15 when the male brings a meal in. She sits tight on the chicks for the rest of the evening.
10 May – the female sits tight until 4:30 when the male takes over incubation. She flies out but is quickly back and forces the male from the scrape. She fetches some stashed scraps and feeds the chicks at 5:20. The male returns to incubate at 7:40 and the female flies out. He walks to the ledge at 10:00, then returns to the scrape. The female flies in five minutes later and feeds the chicks on more scraps, and the male leaves. She takes a short flight at 12:40 looking for the male and a meal, and quickly returns to the chicks. She flies out again at 13:20 and returns five minutes later with the first proper meal of the day. She then stashes it and resumes incubation. The male flies in at 17:00 and tries to steal the stashed meal, but the female snatches it from him and feeds the chicks. The next feed is at 19:00 and the male lands briefly ten minutes later. The male then flies in with prey at 20:50 and the female takes it from him. She flies out with the remains five minutes later, then returns to the chicks and sits tight for the rest of the evening.
11 May – the male flies in at 4:15 and takes over from the female. She is back 15 minutes later carrying scraps from a previous meal and feeds the chicks; the male leaves. She retrieves the meal at 5:10 and feeds the chicks, then flies out with the remains but quickly returns. The male lands with the scraps at 5:20 and again at 5:40 but quickly leaves. He is back at 6:55 but the female refuses to move, so he sits on the ledge and flies off ten minutes later. He returns with the remains of a meal at 8:30 and she grabs it from him and feeds the chicks; he flies off. She leaves with the leftovers at 11:00 then returns to the chicks. She checks from the ledge 40 minutes later, then returns to the scrape. She flies out at 13:20 and the male arrives to look after the chicks. The female is back with scraps at 14:15 and feeds the chicks. The male brings in an escaped yellow budgerigar at 14:40. There is not much meat on it but she feeds the chicks. The male brings in a Greenfinch meal at 16:35 and the female feeds the chicks. He is back again at 18:05 with Blackcap prey. She flies off with the meal and he follows. She returns with the meal five minutes later and feeds the chicks. She takes a short flight at 19:05. The male brings a fresh Feral Pigeon meal in 30 minutes later and the female feeds herself then flies out with the remains. She is back with the chicks at 19:50 and sits tight for the rest of the evening.
12 May – the female sits tight on the chicks from the previous evening until she flies out briefly at 4:45. She finds some scraps at 5:25 and feeds the chicks. The male arrives at 6:15 with fresh Feral Pigeon prey and she feeds the chicks. She flies out with the remains but is quickly back. The male arrives at 9:45 and the female walks to the ledge. She returns to the scrape and calls to the male, with the chicks begging for food. He finds some scraps in the box which the female snatches from him and feeds the chicks. He finds more scraps the sits on the ledge before leaving a few minutes later. He is back at 9:55 with freshly-plucked Feral Pigeon which he takes into the box. The female ignores him and carries on feeding, so he flies out. She leaves at 12:50 and returns a few minutes later with freshly-plucked Feral Pigeon for the chicks. She flies out briefly at 15:05. When she returns, she stands over the chicks rather than incubate as the temperature is quite high. She leaves again at 15:35 and the male returns with scraps and feeds the chicks. The female is back five minutes later, snatches the meal and he leaves. She stashes the meal and shelters the chicks. At 17:55, she finds some stashed food and feeds the chicks. She leaves with the remains at 18:10 but quickly returns to protect the chicks. The male arrives with scraps from a previous meal at 18:55 and she feeds the chicks. He snatches other stashed scraps and flies out with them. She leaves with the remains ten minutes later but quickly returns. He lands with more scraps at 19:25 but quickly leaves. She remains tight on the chicks for the rest of the evening.