On our last visit nesting was clearly asynchronised as some birds were carrying in nest material to the nest chamber some 2-3 feet inside the cliff, whereas others were only starting to excavate the burrow. Today all the eggs had hatched but the asynchronisation was still evident as some of the chicks were being fed in the nest chamber, but others were being fed at the nest entrance as they gazed out at their new world.
There were a few quieter moments when the adults would have a brief rest at the nest hole before flying out again to get more food......................
.......................but because of the demands of the chicks to be fed a constant stream of flies, there was a lot of activity around the nest holes for most of the time.
But the biggest challenge of all was to get some flight shots. Unfortunately, they don't just shuffle to the entrance of the nest burrow and just fall out, but come out jet-propelled. Therefore you need incredible reflexes and a huge amount of luck to get some sharp photos.
Even more difficult is getting some free-flight photos, but with some patience and a lot of shots (I took 1200), it is possible to get some of those shots that capture the moment.
Well, what an absolutely fantastic day if a little exhausting, but no doubt I will be back next year to enjoy another day with these amazing birds.
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