Page:The peregrine falcon at the eyrie (IA cu31924084757206).pdf/49

 Rh getting warm only two of them cared for it, the other two moving off and squatting in the eyrie behind him. At 10 a.m, the Tiercel is still hanging about the eyrie, latterly mostly on C. Now he has flown behind the hut on to the edge of the cliff, and there, after a good deal of gaping and straining, has ejected a large casting, which fell down the cliff-side. He remained there alternately preening his feathers and dozing till 10.30, when he flew off, sounding the food, or is it the alarm cry? This quickly ceased, and I do not know where he is now, but fancy he is on the top of the cliff. I do not know where the Falcon is; I have neither seen nor heard her for three and a-half hours. The young are not brooded now in the heat of the day, and are rather bothered by the flies, and occasionally a young falcon will snap viciously at a tormenting blue-bottle. At 11 a.m. I heard the food cry, which at once roused the youngsters and started them looking anxiously round with their large, dark eyes. A few moments later the Tiercel arrived, making this cry, and alighted on B, but without any food. At 11.10 a.m, the food cry is again sounded, more loudly and longer, by one bird, and shortly after in comes the Tiercel with the dried breast-bone of a bird with a little meat on it, which I recognised as the remains of his supper last night. He has hunted it up, and this is his bit of falconry! However, he gave the chicks all he could get off it, and they took it freely. At 11.20 a.m, there is the food cry again, and this time in earnest. It is the Falcon, and the Tiercel answers, and shortly after appears with a bird quite plucked except for the down; it is headless, and I think it is a puffin, but I cannot see its feet. Five minutes later, while he was feeding the young, and just after I had caught sight of the puffin's legs, the Falcon started, and kept up the alarm cry, by which I guessed that the relief-party was at hand. The Tiercel, however, goes on feeding the young, now with redoubled speed, and he himself swallows one of the quarry's legs, which he had pulled off with great force. The Falcon is calling incessantly from above, while the Tiercel tears desperately at the puffin and feeds the young, who are also more hurriedly taking the proffered bits. This is the only effect the continuous warning notes of the Falcon have on the family party. In another five minutes the Tiercel suddenly flies off from the unfinished meal.