I was keen for some more photos of the Northern Beaches Peregrine Falcon family that I had been observing recently. The young birds grow up quickly and their playground gets bigger each day. So each day they can be further long the cliffs and consequently harder to find. They only seem to be in the air for 5 – 10 minutes each hour on the average, so you need to be prepared to wait for some action. This visit, the weather was a bit unsettled as well, and I left when it started raining.
Again, I travelled up to Dee Why in a B-Line bus, then caught a local bus from the shops to the cliffs. Out on the cliffs I met a few other bird photographers including Adam, who I have met many times before.
Not long after I arrived, one of the juveniles flew past.
It flew out of sight.
While I was pointing my camera to some Humpback Whales, Adam told me that a juvenile Peregrine was perched on a branch and visible from the track further back.
I followed Adam back along the track.
We waited for it to take off.
It later returned and landed on a higher ledge.
But no sooner than landing, one of its siblings arrived. It looked like it wanted that ledge.
The first juvenile took off, as the second approached. But the second did not perch on the ledge. It flew past.
After the other left, I spotted one resting on the cliffs. I stayed to watch it for a while.
It looked like it may take off.
But it settled down again. At least I knew my presence was not disturbing the bird.
I left the let the juvenile gets its sleep.
Later I saw this one on the cliffs –
And it’s mother was perched nearby in a higher spot.
The another juvenile appeared and flew past.
But it circled around and then flew down at high speed towards its mother. It was screaming out.
I think the juvenile was probably demanding food. The female took off.
The juvenile was in an angry mood as my next few photos show.
Its sibling, still perched on the cliffs, looked like it was going to take off.
It flew around a bit and then landed out of my sight on the cliffs.
But flew past again not long after.
Then all the juveniles seemed to be resting or waiting for food to be delivered.
After a bit of waiting, one adult flew in. I didn’t get a good look, but I think it had some food for the chicks. Anyway the chicks were still very quiet. I didn’t want to disturb them if they had food. I altered noticed their mother perched nearby.
After a while she took off for a flight.
There was then another quiet period with no action. Far out to sea, a few whales were doing some Tail slapping.
I had to shelter in an overhang, while a rain squall passed over. When it stopped, I spotted the adult female back in almost the same spot I had seen her a little earlier.
One storm was now out to sea, but another was coming, so I started to leave.
And one last photo of the adult female still on her perch.
It had been another nice day, but I did not get any shots of the juveniles interacting in the air. Also – on this visit, I only spotted two juveniles, with no sign of the third, unless one was taking time out on a hidden ledge. I hope none of the other bird photographers from a day or two before did not get too close to any of the juveniles and caused it to panic. But life is prey hazardous for these young birds, particularly at the speed they fly, and how close they fly to the cliffs.