The young tercel resting on the tree.

I had a very good 7 hour session yesterday at the Peregrine territory. When I arrived it was pandemonium with a cacophony of screams and calls from the youngsters who were spread out all around me. They go mad and scream like this whenever the catch sight of an adult because they know that this will usually finish up with one or more of them being fed. As it happened the young tercel was the lucky recipient and he brought his prey to the tree and proceeded to eat it from a spot that was totally obscured by oak leaves. I could only just see what was happening through glimpses between the leaves. Then when he had finished, a Jay came in to the tree and proceeded to scream at the young peregrine. A brave bird but it was enough to disturb the peregrine who flew up to the branch right in front of me and from that moment onwards there was either, 1 then 2 and at times all 3 young peregrines right there for me to choose which one to film and photograph. When you consider that I am only 20 feet from them, then its a magnificent spectacle to say the least. I think I have mentioned that my 300 lens is out of action which is somewhat limiting because the 500 is too large and this means that I can't always get all of the birds in the frame particularly when there are two together, and then three….. well forget it. I watched the young tercel, obviously hungry again, actually eating dead decaying wood and afterwards you could see where he had been breaking it off. Then later he decided to try and see if oak leaves were edible. I suspect that this is all about investigating his environment as much as anything.

A very alert young female screaming for food but also keeping a close watch on the hide, suspecting that there is something not quite right.  She has inherited the necessary cautious and alert instinct that makes them so, so hard to get close to.

The young Tercel who I have fallen in love with…..considering that I have been watching him from the moment he hatched, even seeing him as a wet nestling minutes after he emerged from the egg,  I also witnessed his first flight, it's very satisfying for me to see him doing well.