18 August 2021
Just a glimpse . . .
Since we got back and I realised that the female was brooding a chick (or chicks), I’ve been regularly popping up the ladder to try and get to photograph the new arrival(s). The female has been sitting very tight and so far I’ve only caught a very brief glimpse of a fluffy white shape burrowing back under the female’s breast feathers – no photos though. The chick seemed to be about 3 days old, meaning that it probably hatched from the third egg, and it is not clear if it is the only chick to have hatched at this stage. We will have to wait and see.
Yesterday evening I tried again at 18:15, and found the male on the roof of the nest. He again gave a rather half-hearted ‘spread wing’ display – as if warning me to keep my distance, before settling down. He kept watching me intently though, emphasizing just how far he has come.
By Geoff Lockwood