Classic underwing profile. Picture: Erin Harris
November 6
The brood wakes up with mum’s arrival. The young are much more mobile now and are using the high rise ledge behind the nest.
A scratch …
Was it a bird, a plane, or what?
Mum feeds them and wears a bit of by-product
A nestling backs up to defecate; the waste being squirted out on to the nest edge
Mum gets ready to launch …
… and shoves off on another hunt
November 7
Heavy rain and the nestlings are impatient to be fed
A few stretches …
A wet female arrives with the standard juvenile starling …
… and another …
… and rearranges the food
One of the nestlings gets an offer he can’t refuse … a leg
The brood wonder where the food went
The adult male arrives after handing over his loot
Mum takes over getting untidy with a bit of food stuck to her head …
… then a conspirational feeding
November 10
Pulling hard to dismember a starling …
… and a bit comes off
The female has a snack of scraps, showing off her long big-catching toes …
… and launches off
November 11
Growing fast, showing the wide, solid body and short legs built as shock absorbers
Learning to co-ordinate those oversized feet
A lovely stretch, showing the rapidly-developing flight feathers emerging from their blood-filled sheaths
Most feeding is still civilised
Some quiet time
Learning to co-ordinate those oversized feet
Dad arrives with a whole starling held from behind
Ever watchfull adult female. Picture: Erin Harris
THE PEREGRINE FALCONS ON TASMANIAN TIMES:
• An extraordinary Picture Essay: The nesting Peregrine Falcons …
• My, how you’ve grown … an update on the Peregrines
• My, how you’ve grown (2) … another update on the Peregrines
