Oberhausen: meet the parents

A remarkable shot: the Oberhausen couple together at the entrance of the eyrie. Note the size difference between the male and the female. Only recent biologists suggested that this sizedifference is an evolutionary asset. The smaller male is much more agile when hunting, and can because of his smaller size react much quicker on the agility of prey then the larger female.
The parts they both play in the nesting season is obvious therefor: she takes care of the hatchlings, while he hunts. In order to keep the eager customers satisfied in the scrape the male peregrine has to kill several times a day. And not every stoop is succesful, only in 30% of every stoop the male succeeds in a kill.

While the courtship is still going on the female makes a cache to store food in. The male hunts, brings home prey. He waits on the ledge till she get's it and takes it away. For offering prey is a major part of courtship. When the female is finished eating she caches it, in a place no other animal can get it. And not to far from the eyrie. When the eyases are born, the male takes the prey to the female, she feeds the hatchlings with it and brings the leftovers to the cache. That way she has always food in storage for the babies.