Page:The peregrine falcon at the eyrie (IA cu31924084757206).pdf/60

 40 in the shed, and was continually crawling round, using the ventilator-holes and back door to follow the birds when they left the eyrie. He had in this way managed to shift the stones that supported the trestles, so that the shed became unsteady, though safe enough, and so the first time G. A. Booth shifted over to look seawards through the ventilator-holes, he not only saw nothing but sea beneath him, but the shed flopped over with him and gave him a rare start, convincing him that the only safe thing to do was to keep to the landward side of the shed. To make things worse, it blew half a gale during the night, and the rocking of the shed on the unsteady trestles prevented him from getting a wink of sleep. I think he showed great coolness in not getting outside to attend to his safety, although afterwards, when he saw all the arrangements, he laughed heartily at his fears.

F. Heatherley's watch, from 1 p.m. Maynb27th, to 3.30 p.m.. May 28th.—The day being very hot, the youngsters shifted about all the afternoon with the turning sun, to find shade for their heads as they slept. At 4 p.m, the Tiercel pitched on A with a puffin. He screamed the alarm as he flew down, and not a youngster stirred. He stood there silent for five minutes to assure himself that all was well, and then dropped into the eyrie. The young immediately clamoured round him; they seemed very hungry. At 6.10 p.m, the Tiercel pitched silently on B with a gory lump of flesh that might have been half a pound of butcher's meat under his talons, there being nothing else left of the bird. Then he picked it up and, jerking his head forward, peered in all directions with it swinging from his beak, before he dropped into the eyrie. The young are for the first time showing some of the quilled primaries, so they are in the same stage as the young were in 1910, when we first found them. At 8.47 p.m, the Tiercel came silently with what looked like a plucked puffin. The feed lasted twelve minutes; the young were ravenous, and at the finish were quite gory about their beaks. To-day has been very hot, and the heated roof, close to my head, has been very trying. At 9.15 the Tiercel came down on to A and took up his position halfway along it for the night. Twice when I happened to wake in the night and looked out he was standing there in the moonlight.