I hadn't been to the Peregrines since last Friday, it had been incredibly wet and had I allowed myself I could have been worried. It's now 4 days on and as I expected, any fear of them not coping with the wet conditions was totally unfounded. Not only have they survived, they are now 4 days bigger and stronger. Sleep is the order of the day and calm pervades. Adults are noticeable by their absence but from time to time I hear a Peregrine's distant call. I am not skilfully enough to identify either male or female by call when isolated but if they are together the male is more high pitched. This is due, no doubt to the size difference in the birds and specifically the organ that makes the sound. In music and sound production, smaller is always higher. Already I note a change in behaviour. The calls went on and the male flew direct to the nest with prey which was almost certainly a swallow. Instead of staying to feed them, which was happening until last Friday when the chicks were 20 days old, we have moved on now to the chicks learning to feed themselves. It's fascinating to see one of the chicks holding the prey down with its talons as it tries to take meat from the breast. I can clearly see now that it is a swallow. To describe the chicks: they are 24 and 22 days old. They are fluffy white, predominantly covered in down. Wing feathers are emerging and these form a dark band along both wings. There is the start of a tail in all three, at the moment a stubby dark band. As they feed, there is no sibling rivalry whatsoever, one is trying to feed itself as the other two look on, then one joins in. It's all quite a gentle affair with no grabbing and tussling, very good mannered and peaceful. From time to time they flap their emerging wings and preen regularly. To continue to paint the scene, there is again no sign of the adults apart from, as described, the occasional scream call from somewhere in the distance. I have yet to see the female today. This is typical behaviour and follows the pattern that I recall from previous years with glimpses of the adults a rare treat when the chicks are this age.