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The good news keeps coming from Orange, New South Wales. Diamond has laid her second egg of the 2026 peregrine falcon breeding season, just two days after producing her first at the Charles Sturt University FalconCam nest.
Diamond laid egg #1 at 7:25 a.m. on September 5. Egg #2 followed on September 7, growing the clutch to two and keeping her remarkably close to the roughly 60-hour interval that is typical at this nest.
The second egg adds another happy turn to a weekend that had already delivered plenty of action. After Diamond laid her first egg, Gimbir arrived, inspected the newest addition and then took off after one of the sulphur-crested cockatoos that had followed him toward the nest.
Gimbir Meets His First Egg
Gimbir arrived at the nest about an hour after Diamond laid the egg, apparently with sulphur-crested cockatoos helping hurry him along. Once inside, he had his first opportunity to see what had changed.
There it was in the gravel: the pair’s first egg of 2026.
For Gimbir, this breeding season has already involved courtship, food deliveries and plenty of time around the nest with Diamond. Now all that preparation had produced something very real. Diamond’s first egg had arrived. The quiet introduction didn’t last long. Those cockatoos were still around.
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Cockatoos Turn the Celebration Into a Chase
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are a familiar part of the skies around Orange, and they certainly weren’t giving the new father much peace that morning.
After his visit with Diamond and the egg, Gimbir left the nest and went after one of the cockatoos.
Suddenly, the morning had everything. Diamond had laid the first egg. Gimbir had come in to inspect the newest addition to the nest. And moments later, the peregrine tiercel was back in the air on the tail of a cockatoo. It was a wonderfully fitting start to the next stage of the Orange falcons’ season.
A Long Wait Ends for Diamond and Gimbir
The first egg had been building toward this moment for some time. Gimbir has been bringing Diamond food and spending increasing amounts of time around the nest. Diamond, meanwhile, has repeatedly worked the gravel scrape where the pair’s eggs are laid.
Those little signs have now become an egg. For Diamond, laying it was no small task. Egg laying requires considerable physical effort from a female peregrine, and the close confines of the nest make that effort easy to see. Once it was over, Diamond finally had the first member of her 2026 clutch resting in the scrape. And she was not be finished.
Diamond Lays Her Second Egg
Diamond didn’t keep Orange waiting for long. Her second egg arrived on September 7, two days after the first. Eggs at the Orange nest average about 60 hours apart, with recorded intervals ranging from roughly 46 to 75 hours.
With two eggs now resting in the scrape, attention turns to whether Diamond will produce a third. The FalconCam Project had expected another egg or two after her first, so the 2026 clutch may still grow. If Diamond follows the same general rhythm, another egg could arrive within the next few days. For now, though, Diamond and Gimbir have two.
Two Eggs Change the Picture in Orange
Only a few days ago, the signs were subtle: Gimbir bringing food, Diamond spending time in the scrape and the pair strengthening their bond. Now there are two eggs in the gravel.
Diamond’s first egg officially began the next stage of the season. Her second has made the possibility of another Orange peregrine family feel much more tangible. There may still be another egg to come. After Diamond completes the clutch, the long incubation watch begins, followed by the hope of hatching later in the season.
And Gimbir? The new father has already brought food, checked on the first egg and chased a cockatoo away from the neighbourhood. His 2026 parenting résumé is getting colourful very quickly.
This live camera experience has been provided by the Charles Sturt FalconCam Project.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Diamond lay her first egg in 2026?
Diamond laid her first egg at 7:25 a.m. on September 5, 2026, at the Charles Sturt University FalconCam nest in Orange, New South Wales.
How is Diamond doing after laying the egg?
Diamond and the first egg were reported to be doing well following the laying.
When did Diamond lay her second egg?
Diamond laid her second egg on September 7, bringing her 2026 clutch to two eggs.
How far apart were Diamond’s first two eggs?
Diamond’s first and second eggs arrived about two and a half days apart, close to the roughly 60-hour average at the Orange nest. If you give me the exact time egg #2 was laid, I can calculate the interval down to the minute.
Could Diamond lay a third egg?
Yes. The FalconCam Project expected Diamond to lay another egg or two after her first, so a third egg remains possible.
What did Gimbir do after the first egg arrived?
Gimbir visited about an hour after Diamond laid the first egg. After checking the nest, he left and pursued one of the sulphur-crested cockatoos nearby.
