Orange 2015/2016

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Update By Cilla Kinross
Scott finally managed to get the upgraded software to link to the ledge cam by starting from scratch and reloading everything. So now I have access to the recording software of both cameras as from noon today. So a big sigh of relief and thanks to Scott for his persistence and to all you out there for your amazing help also.

I’ve noticed that Bula is not bringing in enough food for Diamond. I thought at first she was simply hunting her own food, but sometimes she comes back to the box after an absence of just 10 minutes or so, with tell-tale blood on her cere or claws. Of course she could have just got lucky and made a kill in that time, but I suspect a cache and I’ll go out and have scout around when I get a minute.

I’ve also noticed that Diamond is much more restless, often standing over the eggs for 5-7 minutes at a time, instead of her usual 1-2 minutes. (NB No such change from Bula, however). Perhaps she senses that the time is near. I expect hatchings from this weekend, so watch this space.

Cilla

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Update By Cilla Kinross Published 30 September, 2016

Yesterday, our pair behaved quite bizarrrely for several hours.  Diamond would not settle on the eggs and often left the nest box completely and every time Bula tried to incubate, she would arrive back and chase him out, sometimes quite vigorously.  I noticed that she was often looking up as if there might have been another bird of prey in the sky, but of course I can’t be sure, and by the time I observed this, all had returned to normal, so there was no point in going outside to check.   This went on for several hours until she finally let Bula settle for a while and eventually resumed her own incubation later in the afternoon.  I was a bit worried as it is very unseasonably cold here today, and wet and I didn’t like to see the eggs left that long.

Update By Cilla Kinross Published 2 October, 2016

I may be wrong, but I don’t think I’ve recorded a sighting of Bula since 1300 on 30th September ie Friday.   This is not at all a good sign.  As far as I can tell Diamond has not had a feed since then (over two days) and, coupled with the frenzied activity on the Thursday, when I suspected an intruder, and the eggs were only irregularly incubated, I fear the worst.

And I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the box was visited by a strange female today, a very large bird that was instantly chased away (definitely not Bula).    I’d show you some stills, but the software is once again playing up.  I’ll send them to Scott and see if he can upload the stills or a videos.   I went around afterwards to see if I could see this bird again (or Bula) but all was quiet.   It could be an offspring from previous year.

Bad weather (and we’ve had plenty of that) does often lead to reproductive failure and so these problems may stem from difficulty in procuring food (they can’t complain of their nest getting wet!).   Or it may be that something has happened to Bula and he’s no longer able to hunt.

Anyway, let’s hope that I am wrong and that Bula (or another ‘suitable’ male) turns up again.  It’s a pity she isn’t inclined to accept another female, but I don’t think peregrines are that progressive:).  It’s also not unheard of for peregrines to raise a brood on their own, but very unusual and the poor weather (more expected tonight) is definitely not helping.

Fingers crossed.

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