vrijdag 25 november 2016

Orange NSW All three together finally

All three together finally

Published 25 November, 2016 | By Cilla Kinross

Diamond and Xavier on the tower have an amazing view of the landscape. After a fruitless search of the park below the water tower, I wondered if they had decamped to the group of trees the trio last year used, and I was right! So quite a few hundred metres away, but still under paternal gaze.


Three blobs in a tree. Vim higher up as usual


And a bit closer


Mell and Rubi, close sisters


Vim in his superior position

And I thought you might want to see what THEY see. You can just see the top of the tower over the trees.


View back to the trees and the tower

This is actually a better spot for the youngsters to learn to fly and hunt as there is less chance of accidents due to the open nature of the paddock. There are a few other trees around (live), but it’s grazing country mainly….and this is where their main prey lives.

Have a great weekend.

playlist Falcon Peregrines Orange NSW 2016

Orange NSW Family hunting picnic?

Published 25 November, 2016 | By Cilla Kinross

The box has been partially empty this morning, although Xavier has been dashing in and out, at one time bringing food. He sat and waited for nearly half an hour before giving up and leaving with the grisly lump.

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time searching for the youngsters, my every move watched carefully Diamond


Diamond keeping a wary eye on me

I found both our young females cruising through the woods, seeming quite at home with short, but competent flights. At one time a couple of red wattle birds (large honeyeaters) landed nearby, but she obviously doesn’t recognise them as food as yet. We also noticed a galah wing under the youngster’s roost area, but couldn’t find much else in the very long grass.


Young female, catching the wind


Other female, Rubi ?? whining

No sign of Vim yesterday, but Tiffany saw a youngster trying to land on the concrete slope just below the top of the tower this morning, so that could well have been him.

We went out and had a look just now (3 pm local time), but there was no sign of anyone, so we wondered if they had gone on a family outing, Hunting 101, perhaps. First lesson: your food is alive, bird-shaped and on the wing, not provided by Mum for much longer.

I might see them on my way home this evening.

playlist Falcon Peregrines Orange NSW 2016

Orange NSW 18:19 Xavier & Diamond

18:17 Xavier on the ledge.
18:19 Diamond arrives.
18:25 Xavier leaves.



playlist Falcon Peregrines Orange NSW 2016

Orange NSW 7:13 Xavier with prey

7:13 Xavier arrives with prey, waiting for Diamond.
7:41 Xavier leaves with prey.



playlist Falcon Peregrines Orange NSW 2016