Just been catching up with happenings in the box over the weekend. Xavier has been in and out, occasionally with food, which, on one occasion, he ate himself. I haven’t been able to identify these small lumps, presumably the remnants of food fed to the youngsters.
Diamond has been sleeping in the box, sometimes arriving and leaving in the pitch dark. Xavier has not been permitted to overnight in the box. He occasionally makes short attempts to prepare a scrape in the box, so let’s hope he keeps up that skill next winter when it will come in handy. There has been some interaction and bowing between Xavier and Diamond, although I’ve noticed that she seems to lose interest fairly quickly, often after a few minutes. Maybe this is something that builds over the years as Swift and Beau would court for over half an hour at times….keeping almost motionless, bowed and softly calling.
No sign of the youngsters today, although I haven’t made much of an effort to find them. I’ll go out shortly and have a look around, but they may have gone on a trip as I haven’t seen either parent in the box since 9 am.
Some people from CSU Green (who has helped with funding from time to time) are ‘inspecting’ their (=my) projects, including the propagation area, the biodiversity plantings and the peregrine project, are coming tomorrow, so hopefully we’ll be able to find them without too much trouble. However, looking around in the middle of a hot afternoon is not ideal.
Anyway, I’ll let you know as soon as re-located them.
I saw one parent fly toward that clump of trees across the hiway.
Here’s a bcaw comment you may like …
bev on bcaw wrote –
I have a feeling that Xavier is trying to get kids to chase him with prey.
that is what he is supposed to do.
😀
On my rounds, I only found one juvenile, female, I think, in the dead tree several hundred metres south of the tower. More today, hopefully.
20:19 Diamond & Xavier, youtu.be/BN76dQYu1lg