November 2024

NOVEMBER 2024

1 Nov – the male leaves at 4:00. XRF lands at 6:40 and picks at scraps, then sits on the ledge until 6:50. The female arrives at 7:10 and she too picks at scraps but quickly leaves. The pair fly in at 16:30 and go into the box. The male quickly leaves and the female follows soon after.

2 Nov – XRF flies in at 5:30 for 15 minutes. The male lands briefly at 9:30 and again at 11:25. There is no further activity thereafter.

3 Nov – XRF flies in at 5:25 and picks at scraps on the platform, then sits on the ledge until 6:05. There is no further activity noted until the juvenile returns at 21:25 for five minutes.

4 Nov – the male arrives at 7:25, checks the scrape in the box, then leaves. XRF lands at 10:40 and checks the box, sits on the ledge, then flies off.

5 Nov – there was no activity up to when the cameras fail at 7:40. However, on the trip to the Cathedral at about 13:00, the female was seen in the upper window on the east side of the spire and the male was on the Gallowtree Gate side of the Lewis’s/M&S tower railings.

6 Nov – the cameras came back online at 8:25 but there was no activity on camera today.

7 Nov – XRF lands at 6:10 for five minutes. the female arrives at 6:50 and goes into the box to tidy the scrape, then moves to the ledge after ten minutes. She flies off at 7:05. There was no other activity on camera thereafter.

7 November 2024 – Video: the female continues to tend to the scrape.

8 Nov – the male lands briefly at 9:10 and again very briefly at 9:50. He is back 15 minutes later and flies out when the female lands. She watches from the platform, then follows a few minutes later.

9 Nov – XRF flies in at 12:25 but quickly leaves. It is back carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey and goes into the box. The female quickly follows. She tries to snatch the meal from the juvenile and there is a tug-o-war. The female takes control, but XRF muscles in and feeds and keeps one foot on the meal. Eventually, the juvenile forces the female from the meal despite their significant size difference. She allows XRF to pluck and feed and the juvenile mantles the meal when the female gets too close. She female retreats to the box and the juvenile feeds without hinderance. At 14:55, although the juvenile had stopped feeding it would not allow the female to take the meal remains. She drags the meal with XRF standing on it across the platform and into the box. XRF gives up and walks back to the ledge. The female flies out with the meal and the juvenile follows. The male lands at 16:00 and falls asleep until 20:40 when he flies off.

9 November 2024 – Video: the female drags XRF standing on the meal across the platform.
9 November 2024 – Video: the female drags XRF standing on the meal across the platform.

10 Nov – the female lands at 6:45 and picks at scraps on the platform. XRF quickly joins her and they leave together. The juvenile is back at 7:05 and the female soon flies in and picks at scraps in the box. XRF flies off after ten minutes and the female five minutes later. She returns at 8:15 pursued by the juvenile but they leave soon after. The male flies in briefly at 12:10. He is back at 14:20 quickly followed by the female but they quickly leave. He returns at 16:45 and takes a short hunting flight at 17:55. He is off again at 18:10 and returns ten minutes later with very fresh Redwing prey which he stashes by a column. He feeds on it at 18:40, then sits on the ledge with a full crop.

11 Nov – the male remains on the ledge until 00:50 when he flies off. The female arrives at 3:15 with a full crop and carrying the remains of her meal, a Feral Pigeon, which she stashes by a column. She sits on the ledge sleeping until flying off at 5:30. The male returns at 5:45 and finds the stashed meal and feeds on it. He is back at 16:10 and picks at scraps on the platform. The female lands 20 minutes later and goes into the box; the male flies off at 16:35. She moves to the ledge five minutes later then flies out. The male flies onto the ledge at 21:35 and falls asleep. He flies off at 22:25 when the female lands with fresh Woodcock prey which she stashes by a column, then flies off.

12 Nov – XRF flies in at 7:25 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey and takes it into the box. The juvenile plucks its meal then stashes it by a column. It does not seem to notice the Woodcock already stashed in the box and flies off at 7:45. The female lands a few moments later and picks up the pigeon and feeds in the box. She flies out with the remains of her meal at 8:10. The male lands at 9:50 and goes into the box and feeds on scraps, then moves to the ledge before leaving at 10:00. He is back 20 minutes later for ten minutes. The female returns at 16:05 and is quickly followed by XRF. They ignore the stashed Woodcock and look for scraps in the box. The juvenile begs from the female and snaps at it until she flies off; XRF leaves at 16:10.

13 Nov – the male flies in at 3:35, falls asleep on the ledge then flies off at 6:45. He is back at 11:50 for ten minutes. The female lands briefly at 15:25 and the male returns at 16:35. He sits on the ledge until midnight.

14 Nov – the male remains on the ledge from the previous evening and at 3:05 checks the stashed Woodcock then returns to the ledge and flies off a few minutes later. XRF lands for five minutes at 9:45. The male returns briefly at 13:00. He is back again for five minutes at 14:05 and 14:20. He lands at 16:05 and goes into the box on the arrival of the female. After a few minutes, he starts to feed on the stashed Woodcock which is now almost three days old. The female remains in the box tending the scrape, then moves to the ledge as the male mantles his meal. He flies off with it at 16:30 and she immediately follows.

15 Nov – XRF lands briefly at 7:10 and the male does likewise at 8:25. XRF flies into the box at 9:30, followed by the male who looks out from the ledge then flies off. The juvenile walks around the box and platform feeding on scraps and leaves at 9:40. The male and female arrive together at 10:50 but he does not stay. She remains for a few minutes, then follows. She is back at 16:25 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey which she stashes in the box then flies out ten minutes later.

16 Nov – the male lands at 7:00 quickly followed by the female. He flies off and she goes into the box to feed on yesterday’s stashed pigeon. XRF lands at 7:15 and steals the meal from the female, so she flies out. The juvenile plucks the pigeon and feeds on the platform. The female is back at 8:05 but XRF mantles its meal and takes it into the box. The female moves back to the ledge then flies off. The juvenile resumes feeding and moves to the ledge at 8:50 with a full crop, flying off 30 minutes later. The female lands soon after and feeds on the stashed pigeon in the box, leaving with the remains at 9:40. The juvenile flies in at 16:00 and feeds on scraps in the box and flies out 15 minutes later. The pair fly in at 15:55 but, as usual, the male leaves quickly. However, he is back a few minutes later and then leaves with the female. Their activity seems to indicate an intruder in the area.

17 Nov – the male flies in at 6:45 and is followed a few minutes later by the female. He quickly leaves and is replaced by XRF. The juvenile forces the female out of the box, searches for scraps in the box, then flies off at 7:05. XRF is back at 8:55 searching for scraps, then leaves. The male and female arrive together at 10:25. The male quickly leaves as the female looks around the box, then follows. The juvenile flies in at 14:30 carrying fresh Feral Pigeon prey which it plucks and eats in the box. The female is soon back but stays briefly and again 15 minutes later but the juvenile mantles its meal so the female picks at scraps before flying out. The female returns to try again at 15:05 but XRF will not give up its meal. She flies out at 15:40 and the juvenile resumes feeding until 16:25 when there is little left and it moves to the ledge with a full crop, flying off at 16:55.

17 November 2024 – Video: XRF mantles its meal to protect it from the female.

18 Nov – the male lands at 6:55 and picks at scraps for five minutes, then leaves. XRF flies in at 7:25 with fresh Feral Pigeon prey and takes it into the box. The female lands briefly at 7:55 and picks at scraps. She is back again at 8:35 but the juvenile has not finished feeding and protects its meal, the female leaves. XRF finishes feeding at 9:20 and stashes the remains, then flies out ten minutes later. The male lands briefly at 9:45 and 10:15. He returns at 11:20 and grabs the stashed pigeon. The juvenile lands and watches him from the ledge with a full crop. He feeds in the box until 11:50 when XRF snatches the meal from him, and he flies out. The juvenile stashes the meal at 12:00 and sits on the ledge. It is joined by the male at 14:45 but he leaves after 15 minutes. XRF then resumes feeding despite being well fed, and finishes off its meal. It flies out at 15:45 and the male flies in to pick up some scraps, then leaves. He is back a few minutes later looking for more scraps, then leaves. The male and female go into the box at 15:50 for bonding. The male quickly leaves and is replaced by XRF who forces the female out. The juvenile watches them in the sky from the ledge then leaves at 16:05.

19 Nov – the snow from mid-morning partially covers the platform and shows the shelter that the box offers. XRF flies in at 15:10 quickly followed by the female. The juvenile goes into the box and the female leaves. XRF picks at scraps then moves to the ledge and flies out at 15:20.

20 Nov – the male flies in at 7:10 but quickly leaves as XRF lands but also flies out after a few minutes. It is back at 10:30 carrying fresh Blackbird prey which it eats in the box, then moves to the ledge 15 minutes later. It flies off at 11:30 and is replaced by the female. She checks the box then leaves after 10 minutes. The adult pair fly in together at 15:55. The male grabs the Blackbird remains and flies out and the female does likewise with some scraps a few moments later. The male lands briefly at 16:45.

21 Nov – the male makes a brief visit at 11:40. There is no further activity today.

22 Nov – the female flies in at 00:05 with a full crop and carrying a small item of prey. She stashes it by a column then sits on the ledge, flying off ten minutes later. XRF flies in at 7:15 carrying very fresh Feral Pigeon prey. It plucks and feeds on the platform until 7:40 when it continues feeding in the box. The male flies in at 7:45 and snatches the small prey item and flies off with it. The juvenile has finished feeding at 7:55 stashes the remains and flies off at 8:05. The male lands at 12:20 and sees the stashed pigeon in the box and feeds on it. He leaves it by a column at 13:05, then flies out. He is back at 13:50 and sits on the ledge. XRF lands at 14:05 and feeds on the stashed pigeon; the male leaves. The juvenile leaves with the remains 15 minutes later. The male is back at 15:05 and feeds on scraps in the box before returning to the ledge and flying off at 15:30. The female flies in at 21:20 carrying fresh Woodcock prey but leaves almost immediately after stashing the meal.

23 Nov – the male lands on the ledge at 1:25. He flies off at 6:50. He returns briefly with the female at 9:55; she leaves with the stashed meal. XRF flies in at 10:00 carrying fresh Woodcock prey which it eats in the box. It moves to the ledge at 10:25 with a full crop and leaves ten minutes later. The male arrives at 12:40 and feeds on the stashed meal and moves to the ledge at 12:55 then flies off. He lands briefly again a few minutes later. The adult pair in together at 13:35 and are quickly joined by XRF who interrupts their bonding. Both adults leave quickly and are soon followed by the juvenile. The male is back at 15:35. XRF lands a few minutes later and the male flies out. The juvenile feeds on some scraps then moves to the ledge and leaves at 16:50. The female is back at 22:45 remaining until midnight.

23 November 2024 – Video: the juvenile XRF interrupts the adults bonding session and forces the female out of the box.

24 Nov – the female remains on the ledge until 7:10 when XRF arrives and forces her off. The female returns at 7:40. The juvenile takes a short flight and returns calling at the female. She flies off ten minutes later and XRF leaves at 8:00. XRF returns at 9:15 soaking wet from the torrential rainstorm. It flies off at 9:50 and returns briefly 15 minutes later and is then back at 10:10 until 10:30. The juvenile flies in again at 11:20 remaining until 13:40 and again at 16:50 until 17:25. The male lands at 18:55 until midnight taking a short hunting flight at 23:10.  

25 Nov – the male takes a short flight at 00:05, no doubt hunting at night. He watches the sky for the next 30 minutes, then falls asleep. He leaves at 5:55 and is replaced by XRF. The juvenile flies off at 6:05 returning 15 minutes later and takes four unsuccessful hunting flights in the next 30 minutes. The male lands at 6:50 carrying Redwing prey but he quickly leaves. XRF is back briefly at 12:35 and at 13:00 sits on the ledge with a full crop for 30 minutes. The male lands briefly five minutes later. The juvenile returns at 17:25 carrying fresh Woodcock prey. It feeds for 20 minutes then stashes the remains and flies out. The female lands briefly at 18:05. The male lands at 19:20 with a full crop and remains on the ledge until midnight.

26 Nov – the male remains sleeping on the ledge until 6:45. XRF arrives at 7:55 and feeds on the Woodcock remains for 30 minutes, then re-stashes the meal. It flies off at 8:20. The male is back 30 minutes later. He takes a short flight at 9:15, then checks the box before returning to the ledge. He leaves as the juvenile returns at 9:25 to resume feeding on the Woodcock for ten minutes, then flies off. XRF is back at 11:00 to feed again for 30 minutes, then sits on the ledge until leaving at 11:45. The male lands briefly at 12:00. He is back at 13:55 and picks at scraps on the platform and flies off at 14:10. The female flies in at 15:50 and feeds on the remaining scraps, then flies out after five minutes. She is back at 18:35 with fresh Woodcock prey which she leaves on the platform then flies off.

27 Nov – there was no activity on camera today.

28 Nov – XRF arrives at 16:10 carrying partially eaten Woodcock prey. Feeds for a few minutes then moves to the ledge and flies off after ten minutes. This is the only activity on camera today.

29 Nov – the female arrives at 2:20 carrying another Woodcock meal which she stashes then flies off. XRF flies in at 13:45 and feeds on the stashed meal. It moves to the ledge then flies off at 14:10. The male lands briefly five minutes later. He returns at 18:50 with fresh Dunlin prey which he stashes by a column until 20:30 when he feeds on his meal. He then moves back to the ledge remaining until midnight.

30 Nov – the male remains on the ledge until 7:25 when both the XRF and the female land; he flies off. The female leaves after ten minutes and the juvenile starts to feed on one of the stashed Woodcock until 7:45, then flies off five minutes later. The pair return together at 15:40. Despite there being at least five Woodcock carcasses, the male grabs a small scrap item and flies off, and the female follows. The male is back at 16:40 and sits on the ledge with a full crop remaining until midnight.