The weather was still un-springlike today, cold, misty and overcast. But if the peregrines are to lay around the spring solstice – in 7 days – then surely there will be some interesting behaviour at the nest territory this week. I arrived at the hide at around midday. There were no peregrines on the ledge, nor anywhere else nearby as far as I knew but after 30 minutes or so, I heard my first bird of the day. I was very pleased to see fresh guano on the ledge, a sure indication that the birds had spent time there recently and I was confident that I could see fresh earth where the nest scrape had been worked. It seems that the birds are spending their resting time well away from the ledge and in the woodland opposite. I hear them calling from there frequently. I am now quite confident that they will nest on the ledge that they have used in the previous 4 years, but it would be nice to see them on the nest more often.

 After an hour in to my session, both birds suddenly arrived on the ledge but their behaviour was interesting. The falcon immediately flew off, leaving the tercel on his own who went into the hollowed scrape but didn't stay long either.  There is the constant  croaking of Ravens nearby and I suspect they are building a nest  in the trees opposite. It's interesting to note that the peregrines are oblivious to the activities of the Ravens, displaying a total indifference to their presence.  Buzzards are also very evident and their calls are regular and close by.