01 June 2022
Doing things differently
So far, the start to this breeding season has been very different to during the two previous years. Then, the female would leave her roost in the Evergreen Oak very early and spend the late afternoon/early evening dozing – sometimes for more than an hour, on the lower roof. The male would then join her on the roof and, after some soft hooting back and forth, would mate with her.
This year the female has been leaving the Oak much later, typically initially perching on the parapet close to the tree. The male has joined her soon after and they mated on the parapet of the function room roof two nights ago, and on the parapet next to the Oak earlier this evening. I was out on the roof with them and managed to capture this image of the act. If you look closely you can see one of the claws of the male’s left foot sticking out through his belly feathers – suggesting that he is balancing on one leg! Show off!!!!
By Geoff Lockwood