All photographs of Peregrine Falcon on this blog have been taken legally as a holder of a Schedule 1 License.  No disturbance whatsoever has taken place .  For the protection of these birds the location will never be divulged.  Further,   in discussion with an official from the BTO licensing team I was given the all clear and a strong endorsement  to post photographs on the Blog and I quote,  “tell their story”.  Further to this I have been in close contact with environmental academics from Exeter University and asked for advice.  I have been told that there is absolutely no problem with what  has already been posted. 

The chicks are now 17 and 15 days old.  The falcon (and I)  sat waiting for the tercel to return with prey.  She is perched  quietly on her favourite branch beneath where the tercel is inclined to land with his kills.  She will then  excitedly fly up to him and a frenzied exchange will take place.  Exchange is too polite a word in fact because  the falcon will grab it from him before taking it off to the nest ledge and the youngsters.  This has happened already since my early arrival in the morning, it was another swallow, a tiny morsel for three now large chicks. I expect he would l be back with more before long. Interestingly this is the second swallow that I have seen as a kill. Quite remarkable when you consider the acrobatic flight of the species.  I can’t be certain, but this one looked as though it was a newly fledged juvenile so I assume at wasn’t a fast flyer. In the end she gave up wating and flew off strongly.  Sometime later she came back with much excitement as usual. She had made a kill and it was  a Jackdaw.   She flew in to the oak and then preceded to pluck and eat some of it.  All the while the tercel was on a nearby perch and nonchalantly preening and seemingly took no interest whatsover apart from keeping out of her way. After the Jackdaw had been well and truly plucked, it was delivered to the chicks and fed to them. 

Ascertaining the species of kills can be difficult, especially smaller prey items. However so far, I have seen a reasonable list of prey which has included Swallow* Great-spotted Woodpecker* Collared Dove, Bullfinch, Blackbird* Jackdaw, Magpie, Pigeon and unidentified*. Species marked* indicate more than one of each.

I returned later in the evening to see if I could discover anything new. I was surprised to see that the female was on the nest, obviously ready to stay with them for the night hours. The tercel was on the nearby tree obviously keeping watch. Suddenly a Buzzard came a bit too close and he called his alarm, launched himself from his perch and flew at the Buzzard (Buteo buteo), it seemed as though contact was made, the Buzzard taking as much evasive action as it could. They both disappeared from sight and I don’t think the Buzzard fell. I was half (well less than half expecting the tercel to return with the buzzard as prey….. sure that would never happen! Meanwhile the falcon remained on the nest with her chicks.