What a difference a week makes?! Last Tuesday it snowed and hailed. This Tuesday it’s been sun sun sun!

Not only are we not used to the warm weather, but the peregrines have had to get used to it too. From the moment the sun hit the eyrie (nest), the chicks became very restless, trying to find the perfect place to stay cool.

All their movement has highlighted how quickly the chicks have developed. They are much more stable on their feet now, making it less of a worry when they walk along the ledge, unlike the tottering in previous weeks!

A large clump of grass to the left of the eyrie has been their preferred shady spot, with both chicks being able to stay out of the heat. Sometimes they’ve been able to find some shade under the female too, though they are getting a bit too big to be sheltered by her.

Although the female has the option to find a cooler spot, she too has been sat out in the sun on the eyrie. To stay cool she has been holding her feathers very tightly against her body. When birds are cold they fluff up their feathers to trap warm air, so keeping her feathers flat acts as a shield to keep the warm air out.

Maybe the warm weather has meant the adult peregrines have been more up for a siesta than a hunt, but from 10:00 until 20:00 the chicks were only fed twice! Hopefully they were well fed before 10:00 and the parents will also take advantage of the longer evenings to do a bit more hunting. . .

Rhian – Seasonal Ranger