Male on steep learning curve

Xavier has not been bringing much food into the nest-box, but I think he’s passing prey to Diamond and/or caching it nearby.  She came in with some prey yesterday morning that had clearly been caught either the night before or by Xavier in the dark….

So I”m a bit worried about the total extent of food coming in, I’m please with the way she has accepted the new male, and is quite happy to leave him alone with the chicks.   Here is actually approaching (briefly) the young ones.

Getting familiar with his 'step-chicks'
Getting familiar with his ‘step-chicks’

20161009-x-close-to-chicks-2

Hopefully he will realise that he can feed them too.

This has to be brief as my time is extremely limited today and tomorrow.  I’ll catch up eventually!

22 thoughts

  1. GOOD DAY ALL! 😀
    I am so pleased Diamond found a new mate! 🙂
    I left this note on your Oct. 8 post also.

    I read bcaw notes, pics before I came here. PLENTY of food is coming in and Diamond and Xavier have bonded and its a good pseudomarriage or pair or birdage or union or whatever. All 3 kids well fed.

    Diamond goes to ledge and calls Xavier and he comes and she leaves him with chicks.
    peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewforum.php?f=357

    On the RIGHT you see links to other forums.

    bcaw is –
    Bird Cams Around the World – forums

    RRP is – Raptorresource.org
    raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?topic=2288.30

  2. Evenchat – took me by surprise! 😮
    About 7.15 pm I noticed Xavier in the box with Diamond.
    He appeared to be singing her to sleep, he seemed very protective.
    When the cam CLICKT to IR, the LQQK on his face was priceless!
    At 7.32 he is still there! Stareing or glaring at the cam – lol!
    This is the first time I have seen him in the box this long.
    O crap the blinking cam is froze – I dont know when he left!

  3. I apologize for the camera freezes; the unusual activity has led to a surge of interest, somewhat overloading the system. It doesn’t seem to affect the recording software, although I do have some gaps as well.

    I’ll have some time tomorrow to catch up, so will be able to see how long he stays in the box with her. Very rare for male to be in our box overnight, but it has happened.

    Sleeps

  4. I have a theory
    I think Xavier wanted bula’s territory and Diamond. I think Xavier and bula fought and Xavier chased him off.

  5. Xavier has become a regular presence, but I have a question about him taking food OUT of the roost. Is he being a bludger, or is he ‘cleaning up’? I’ve only seen him bring prey IN once, but he seems to take a bit OUT. I had thought perhaps he was watching Diamond closely in order to learn what he should do, but now I’m not so sure – he seems to be waiting for his chance to pinch a morsel! PS he’s very beautiful but always looks slightly deranged, the way he hops and skips about.

  6. If I recall correctly, Scott has SOUND with his video.
    PLEASE GET A VIDEO Oct. 11 morning from light to 8 am

    loza posted Xavier
    “dangerously jumped on the babies and then on the Diamond”
    I’d like this video. loza photo time 6.57 I think?
    i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j416/lkrys/aa%20sokol/aa%20sokol003/bandicam%202016-10-10%2021-59-54-187_zpsjljqdu5l.png

    Arjen will post a video but I’d like SOUND
    Event on page 40
    peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewforum.php?f=357

  7. Here’s Arjen’s video
    youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vW9hCRoGw5k

    Apparantly he ran over them but they dont appear hurt.
    He has done that before.

    SOUND would tell us if Diamond was mad at him or not

  8. Did I just see what I think I saw? Xavier was in the box with the chicks when Diamond returned with prey. At first, Xavier jumped in front of the chicks (ready to defend?) then hopped out of the way so Diamond could feed them.

  9. 1.51pm Diamond comes in quickly followed by Xavier. Diamond checks on the chicks and warms them up a bit. Xavier watches from a distance having a chat with Diamond. 1.53 Diamond takes off again with Xavier left on sentry duty on the ledge. 1.57pm Xavier walks over to chicks but immediately Diamond is back with some snidbit. Perhaps Xavier’s just watching for Diamond to come back and give him a feed!! After watching in the corner for a while Xavier leaves at about 1.59pm (hard to tell because camera lag caught up) but a minute later Diamond takes off again after having fed the chicks. They’ve grown a lot in a week. Is it really only a month til they’ll fledge?

  10. SUE !!! Thank you for the new (to me) word “bludger” – very Oz 😀

    I didn’t have any recording from about 0430hr until 0742hr because of a freeze and Windows Update 🙁

    But at last I’ve got what I wanted, Xavier delivering prey – I see that Sue reported it @ 0835hr. It looks like fresh prey to me, what do you think?

    1m46s VIDEO = youtube.com/watch?v=OfYlHdqXMQg

    ===

    The nestcam has been down for a while “Stream not found”, won’t refresh back up.

  11. The nestcam came back up in good time to see Xavier hanging out on the scrape and then Diamond bring prey @ 1644hr.

    Snap:

    i.imgur.com/6kva6o1.png

  12. A little while ago I refreshed the browser to find Xavier standing over small prey. Diamond had not long finished feeding the chicks with her own prey and she hadn’t stashed it in any of the corners, so maybe this is X’s second (at least) delivery of the day?

    He was aghast as Diamond tipped up the chicks 😉

    i.imgur.com/ZcXWeIx.png

    After standing undecided for 2 minutes he took away the prey and was soon back preyless, just watching and chatting from afar.

    He’s a dapper chappie:

    i.imgur.com/PWGRbx2.png

    Still there as I type.

  13. Shock-horror! Xavier bounded towards Diamond and appeared to kick out at her, quickly turned and flew off 😮

    18s VIDEO = youtube.com/watch?v=Vp1OlU0wvIA

    Since then he’s returned and has been at the far side of the nest for well over an hour, still there now.

    i.imgur.com/1a1rLF4.png

  14. Sleepover?
    October 11, 2016 Shepnotes
    8.15 pm and Xavier is still sitting inside with Diamond.
    8 pm – Its DARK and Xavier is still standing inside, in fact, his eyes are closed! Seems Xavier took a wee doze! Is Diamond having a sleepover? She is on the chicks facing him, preening off n on.

    OK I gotta go

  15. Arjen and scylla thanks for posting!
    I cant get bcaw
    8.30 pm Xavier still there
    9.10 pm Xavier still there

    I wont be home most of today
    ( 6 am USA time)

  16. Re the above video “Xavier bounded towards Diamond and appeared to kick out at her”…

    SHEP has kindly corrected that impression, it was Diamond kicking out at Xavier, in case he intended to mount! Which he probably did! 🙂 Thank you, Shep, I’ve set the video to half-speed now.

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