Yes, it’s week 3 for our Peregrine chicks, rapidly becoming juveniles, growing well thanks to good parental hunting, with Mum making sure all get their fair share of pigeon etc.
Female peregrine feeding 3 young chicks
They have started to move around the nest box, if rather ungainly, flex their young wings, spend a lot of time unattended and at least some time not all huddled together. Also preening and projectile excretion have been observed.
The adults have started using the top of the spire as a lookout and are patrolling their airspace, so buzzards and other aerial passers-by watch out.
This Saturday, as licensed ringers, Jason and Nick plan to measure, weigh and leg-ring our 3 young, 3 week old eyases. This should also confirm the expectation of 2 female and 1 male again this year. (The 4th, unhatched egg is still there, but now ignored by the adults.)
Accessing the Nest Box at St Michael’s
Advanced notice of Nick Dixon’s talk here in St Michael’s Mount Dinham on Sunday 8th June at 7.30pm, illustrated by recorded (and live) footage from 6 weeks in the nest box. That is unless any juveniles have just decided to fledge the nest, in which case we may all adjourn outside for a view of their first tentative flights.
Enjoy the next 3 weeks of growth and development at close quarters on the Devon Birds’ sponsored live stream available on St Michael’s website.