After our retrieval efforts this morning the day continued on with its familiar pattern of escape attempts. The extreme hot weather made life very difficult for both remaining peregrine chicks and for a while we were anxious about the youngest chick’s health and well-being. We believe now we’ve been able to identify the three offspring as two males and a female; the males mature earlier but are smaller whereas the females are up to one- third larger but take a little longer to mature. This morning the two older males decided to make a break for it but the remaining female chick suffered as the heat was turned up; it could also have been a lack of food supply because in this weather – possibly topping 37-38degC up the tower – very little prey was braving the day.
Luckily about 5pm dad arrived with dinner and fortunes turned around. While she was eating we went for a walk through the trees at the foot of the tower and managed to locate one of the male fledglings and mum, who provided us with a fantastic display of aggravated flying, and indeed showed junior how to pull a mid-air stall turn into the growing dry wind a couple of times above the trees!
There’s another day predicted tomorrow to be in the very high 30’s degC range but the female chick will be due to fly off any time now, as long as she has the strength. We have staff keeping an eye out for the two male fledglings and at last light tonight one was seen high up in a pine tree near home. We are still to confirm a sighting of the second male to fly off again this afternoon.