After seeing one Peregrine Falcon fledgling on the last visit, I was keen to head back and see if other chicks had fledged. On the previous visits, just before we left, we had heard, and then seen a chick on a ledge that is accessible from the bird’s scrape. We wondered if this had been the chick we had seen earlier, but that had flown well and this one seemed very reluctant, and perhaps unable to take-off.
On this trip, I was joined by Sue. We met at Maroubra Beach and walked out to Boora Point. At the Peregrine Falcon nesting area, we met Biggles, who was there for the morning, and we later met Alana.
Early on, we saw the juvenile we had seen flying the previous visit –
Then the adult male appeared with some prey. It had a small white bird which it quickly ate.
There were also a few passing Humpback Whales –
Bit we had come to see Peregrine Falcons, particularly the juveniles.
i had wandered close to Boora Point, and I spotted juvenile on the cliff, and it was calling out for food.
It became very exited when its father arrived with prey.
The father did not stay long. Another Peregrine falcon flew in as the father was leaving.
I had assumed from its size, that the bird’s mother had arrived. But no! It was another juvenile. So there are two chicks. This was very good news. Two chicks can learn together and fly together and I think this i[roves their chance of survival. And it also means a much better chance for good flight photos showing them interacting.
The larger sibling waited patiently for the smaller one to finish eating.
Then the larger one joined in.
Then the larger one took over the food.
it ate fora fair while.
Then it seemed to be satisfied.
The smaller one went back for more.
The larger one climbed up to high point, then took off.
The smaller chick resumed eating.
I had been alone when this took place. I left and called over the others. The second juvenile was still there, but had finished eating.
it then did some nice flying. Not bad for a bird who had made its first flight very recently – perhaps that morning, or a day or two earlier.
Back at the nest area, the adult male flew in –
And the juveniles would occasionally appear.
The father went to lower ledge –
And then took off –
We had not seen the juveniles for a while, so we looked along the cliffs, and located one near Boora Point.
It flew off to another ledge. we looked for it, and myself and Sue thought we had located it, and so did Biggles, but it turned out we had spotted different birds – both siblings were on different ledges, not that far apart.
Both looked like they would soon take to the air.
The larger one soon took off –
And here is the smaller one taking off –
Back at the nest area, an adult had returned.
And it must’ve brought back more food. One of the juveniles was eating –
When it finished it took off –
If you look carefully, in the above photo, you can see some old fishing line snagged on the rocks. Not good for a bird nursery.
The juvenile fee over to the adult, and then called out. Perhaps it wanted more food?
Anyway, the adult took off.
Then we witnessed some nice flying – the adult and the chicks flying together.
Then a different adult, the father I think, flew in with some more prey.
But the other birds seemed preoccupied with their flying.
One juvenile has to duck when its sibling flies in at great speed –
Then a drone appeared!
The juvenile flew at the drone. Luckily no contact was made. I don’t know if the drone would have been destroyed or the juvenile injured or killed by the encounter.
The owner of the drone appeared – and all of us present expressed our outrage to him. He seemed to be breaking many drone rules – flying in a National Park without permission from the park manager, flying close to people and also flying close to wildlife. And also perhaps, flying in controlled airspace (there is a heliport 3.5 km to the south of the park).
I will finished with some nice flying by one of the adults –
