A few days earlier, I had travelled to the Northern Beaches and spent the morning at the sea cliffs and then the afternoon at Long Reef. I thought after that trip, it would have been better to spend all the day at the sea cliffs. So I remedied that by a second visit just to the sea cliffs.
On the previous visit, I had observed one chick. I don’t know whether it could fly or not.
When I reached the right spot on the cliffs, I saw and adult Peregrine Falcon fly in –
I was bringing in food.
It dumped its prey of a ledge, and then saw me. I let me know that I was too close.
So I moved to different spot. Then I observed a chick nearby. It could only have got to hits ledge by flying.
Again, the adult told me I was too close.
Back to its chick –
The chick then took off and made the short flight back to inaccessible ledges.
The parent seemed happy with this.
After waiting a fair while. I had a look along the cliffs. I spotted one chick –
It did some short flights.
And then I saw a second chick near some food.
The firts chick then went to the food and started eating.
I saw a distant Osprey pass by. It had a fish.
Back the Peregrine Falcon chicks –
And a parent flew by and landed on the cliffs.
A passing Caspian Tern –
One of the clicks and moved to a different ledge –
A parent cruised past.
The adult then did a series of very fast passes. It seemed to be encouraging it’s chicks to do some flying.
One chick did flaps it’s wings a bit.
The second chick joined it.
The chicks didn’t seem very interesting in flying.
Talking to some other bird photographers that had arrived, it seems there are three chicks. The third chick is a bit less developed and is here being guarded by a parent –
For your info: Tawny Frogmouths adults and chicks in the trees at Leslie Muir Reserve (next to the dog offleash area). They are in two trees. Just now.