It was a remarkable day at the FalconCam nest in Orange, New South Wales, on August 26, with Gimbir delivering five food gifts to Diamond as the pair moved deeper into preparations for the 2026 nesting season.
The first delivery was hard to miss: a whole Eastern Rosella. From there, Gimbir simply kept going. By the end of the day he had brought several meals to the nest, including a crested pigeon, while Diamond was also seen working the gravel scrape where her first egg could soon be laid. With late August upon us, that is exactly the sort of behaviour we are watching closely.
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Gimbir starts the day with an Eastern Rosella
Gimbir’s first arrival came with one of the most colourful prey items we see around this part of New South Wales. He flew into the nest box carrying a whole Eastern Rosella, and Diamond was quick to make her presence known.
The pair became highly vocal, exchanging their familiar calls before Diamond accepted the rosella and flew away with it. For those of us who enjoy seeing rosellas around Orange, moments like this can be difficult to watch. They are beautiful native birds.
But this is also part of the natural world here. Peregrine falcons are powerful aerial hunters, and other birds make up much of their diet. Gimbir was only getting started. He returned with a second food gift, which Diamond also accepted before carrying it away.
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A crested pigeon becomes Gimbir’s biggest delivery
Later, Gimbir returned to the nest with another substantial catch: a whole crested pigeon. He spent quite some time plucking and preparing the pigeon inside the box. When Diamond arrived, it looked for a moment as though another food handover might be coming. Not this time.
Gimbir had already put in plenty of work for the day and appeared ready for a meal himself. He eventually took the pigeon and flew from the nest with it. Fair enough, really. While Gimbir was away, Diamond turned her attention to something that could become much more important over the coming days. The scrape.
Diamond works the scrape as egg #1 draws closer
Diamond stepped into the gravel and began kicking stones around the shallow depression in the nest box. This is the nest scrape, and it is where she will lay her eggs. It is always one of the behaviours that catches our attention at this time of year in Orange.
Courtship, food deliveries, mating and scrape work all become increasingly important as Diamond moves toward laying. Earlier this month, Gimbir had already been bringing her substantial prey gifts, sometimes several in a day, while the pair continued bonding and working around the scrape.
Now, with August nearly over, those preparations are becoming much harder to ignore. Gimbir was delivering food again and again while Diamond was actively preparing the very spot where egg #1 could soon appear.
Gimbir brings food gift number four
The food deliveries were not finished. Gimbir later returned with more of the pigeon, and this time Diamond accepted the leftovers and flew away with them. By now, both falcons were eating very well. And then Gimbir came back again.
Food gift number five gets stashed in the corner
For his fifth delivery of the day, Gimbir left food tucked away in the right-hand corner of the nest box. Diamond wasn’t there to collect it immediately, so the meal remained hidden away as a small peregrine pantry.
She eventually returned, found the stash and ate it. The amusing part came later when Gimbir returned and checked the same corner. The food was gone. Diamond had beaten him to it. By this stage, the crops on both falcons were noticeably full. After so many meals passing through the nest, there was little doubt that both had enjoyed a very good day.
Gimbir and Diamond finish the day together
There was still one more moment to come. Later in the day, Gimbir flew back into the nest and Diamond followed. The pair bonded together inside the box after a day filled with hunting, food transfers, calling and nest preparation.
For anyone who followed Diamond and Gimbir last season, it was a lovely reminder that we are right back at that time of year again.
Gimbir’s hunting skills have continued to develop, and five food gifts in one day gave us quite a demonstration of what he is capable of providing.
That becomes especially important once Diamond is incubating eggs and, later, if the pair has hungry chicks to feed.
When will Diamond lay her first egg?
That is now the big question here in Orange. Diamond usually lays in late August or early September, and she typically produces a clutch of three eggs. There is no way to predict the exact moment the first egg will arrive. But the signs are certainly building.
Gimbir is bringing food. The pair is bonding. Diamond is working the scrape. And we are now right inside her normal egg-laying window. The next time Diamond settles deeply into that gravel, there could be much more than stones beneath her.
The video was recorded and shared by Lady Hawk on YouTube. The live camera experience is provided by Charles Sturt University.
Frequently Asked Questions
When could Diamond lay her first egg in 2026?
Diamond normally begins laying in late August or early September here in Orange. With August drawing to a close, her first egg could arrive at any time.
How many eggs does Diamond usually lay?
Diamond typically lays a clutch of three eggs, with roughly two days between each egg.
Why is Gimbir bringing Diamond so much food?
Food gifts are an important part of peregrine courtship. They also help show that the male is capable of providing food while the female is incubating and, later, while the pair is raising chicks.
What is Diamond doing when she kicks the gravel?
Diamond is working the nest scrape, a shallow depression in the gravel where peregrine falcons lay their eggs. Scrape preparation usually becomes more noticeable as egg laying approaches.