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Recent Events

August 1

Friday 1st found BA home alone again, doing a bit of nest tidying then preening and looking around. Later H/D arrived to help eat the fish EP brought. We didn't see BB until midday. BA did plenty of wing flapping after lunch, but still no first flight. Instead 08 returned for some lunch, so we have seen all the birds today.
Saturday started dry, if dull, and the two older chicks and the adults were off the nest, leaving BA alone - again. However it has standing up strongly and wing flapping vigourously. Early afternoon EP brought in a fish, which BB went to grab, but made a mis-judgement and caught EP's leg instead, allowing 08 to pinch the fish. A steady supply of  fish through the afternoon ensured that everyone had a good feed.

Sunday 3rd, and those that can fly were flying, leaving BA alone for much of the time. At the end of the afternoon, EP, H/D and BB joined BA on the nest to feed. Even when the chicks can fly, they like to come back to the nest to feed: it's easier to feed on a nice flat nest that perching on a branch.

Monday was a beautiful day, and BA was still home-alone, not flying. Will today be the day BA flies? By mid-morning all three chicks were on the nest feeding. BA got us really excited midday, flapping furiously and rising off the nest for quite a while, but no, not this time. Maybe it realises that being the only one on the nest, it gets first go at the food - it certainly fed well through the afternoon.

Tuesday 5th, and BA is 56 days old now - when will it fly? It looks so well grown, fit and well now, compared to the puny chick of 7 weeks ago. But despite lots of food and flapping, no flight today.

Weds 6th found BA doing lots of wing excercises first thing - will today be the day for flying? It's so big now, and has been doing so much preening and flight preparation, surely it can't be long. 
And it wasn't! At 10.25, BA took off for its first flight. And then vanished. We saw both the other chicks on the nest, and watched 08 feeding itself, still no BA. By 2.30, four hours after lift-off, we were beginning to worry. EP returned with a flounder and started to feed one of the chicks. By 3.15 we were really concerned - where was BA?? Then, at 3 28,BA flew back and landed safely back on the nest again. Phew! EP came in with another flounder, which H/D fed to BB and a rather tired BA. The day finished very wet, with chicks and H/D huddled on the nest.
First thing Thursday BA was alone on the nest. A little later we spied all three 'chicks' sitting rather precariously on a branch above the nest, preening and calling. They stayed up here for much of the morning,before returning to the nest at lunchtime.When EP arrived with a fish, 08 tookit first, but BB then took it away. EPis still bringing in a good supply for them all.