Monday 8 December 2008

Season's Greetings from the project


Season's Greetings
to all our wonderful supporters and peregrine watchers around the world - we've had a very successful year once again - in no small part due to the excellent number of people who have dedicated themselves to the web cams and blog.
You have demonstrated your enthusiasm for our site and the birds themselves, donated to the project and bought the DVD too!
In particular, thanks to everyone who has left feedback to help others appreciate what the birds have been doing, almost hour by hour. (See bottom of page for visitor survey and a chance to win £100 or equivalent in your local currency)
As you may recall, four young peregrines fledged successfully last summer, though we think the only female youngster may not have survived....it's a very steep learning curve for these novice fliers. Let's hope for another brilliant season in 2009!

The photo on the right shows the tower bathed in early morning sunshine with decorations that cross Irongate (the street than runs down into the city centre from the cathedral) silhouetted against the blue sky. The sandstone stonework of the tower has a pinky colour but the effect is much enhanced by the low morning light. The night shot was taken recently and one of the peregrines was roosting on the ledge that links the gargoyles (or 'grotesques' as they should more properly be called!) trying to hide from the glare of the floodlights.
The Cathedral now has a brand new website (http://www.derbycathedral.org/index.html) . They hope to see many of our local peregrine watchers at this year’s Christmas services detailed on the website.

Finally a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped to run the Watch Point which ran for 56 days last summer, with only two days rained off!
If you want to help next year please email enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk If someone is willing to organise the volunteer rota that would be a big help to us - again please email us. It's a demanding job in some ways but it doesn't require going to the cathedral - so it could be undertaken by someone from their home computer......think about it and get in touch after the holiday period for more information.
Again, thanks for supporting and encouraging us throughout the past year.
Best wishes from the team:
Nick Moyes (Derby Museum)
Tony Grantham (Derby Cathedral)
Nick Brown (DWT)
Hoping you all have a nice Christmas and New Year.

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38 comments:

Karen Anne said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! to all the folks in Derby and the wonderful peregrines.

(Is the cathedral floodlit all year, or just at Christmas time?)

I looked at the Cathedral web site, and wandering along some links I found these photos of the area that I think peregrines fans will like:

Aerial view
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=derby+cathedral&ie=UTF8&t=h&cid=52924313,-1478235,5432789786597725948&ll=52.92805,-1.476116&spn=0.01027,0.027165&z=15&iwloc=A&source=embed

First page of photos
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=derby+cathedral&ie=UTF8&t=h&s=AARTsJp30u4QI5Zyy0qUmPhqYomQ18rsIA&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=6.881357,14.941406&latlng=52924675,-1477991,5432789786597725948&ei=QyVKSfiNBYiENtaIxdUM&cd=1&dtab=7&oi=md_placemarks&sa=X

I was surprised to see how light the inside walls of the Cathedral are. My previous mental image was of stone. When I was doing some family history stuff, I found photos on the web of the inside of St. Morten's church in Randers, and that was the first older church I've seen with light walls inside, both very nice indeed.

Anonymous said...

Though the tower is much older, the main church was rebuilt in the 1720s as it had become decrepit, so it has an elegant Baroque interior.

Kate (Derby)

Anonymous said...

The tower is floodlit all year and this is how the peregrines manage to catch nocturnal flying birds such as such as woodcock, water rails, little grebes, quail and some waders.....a full prey list will be put up on the blog sometime after Christmas.
Nick B (DWT)

Anonymous said...

The male Peregrine has scraped the nest and has been sitting on the ledge all day.(18.12.2008)

Anonymous said...

Peragrine on Tower Top Camera:- 7.50 AM

Anonymous said...

Peragrine now on Nest Scrape Camera:- 8.04am

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada 12.07am
falcon on the nest ledge

To the Nicks that make all this possible, have a wonderful Christmas, cheers, pax

Anonymous said...

Breakfast time on the pud cam and it is only just getting light! Close up views for sure....
Nick M and I cleaned the nave roof on Thursday afternoon, bagging up all the prey remains we could find for later identification. On the ground below the tower were the heads of a female and a male teal and a common snipe plus several woodcock feathers.....typical winter prey.
Thanks Pax Canada for your good wishes which we reciprocate of course.
Cheers
Nick B (DWT)

Anonymous said...

pax Canada 12.07am
falcon on the pudding cam

Anonymous said...

Falcon seen on pudding cam most mornings (as daylight was breaking) this past week.

Anonymous said...

Peregrine on Pudding Cam @ 2.26 AM!!! (21.12.08)

Anonymous said...

It's nice to see a birdie on the Pudding Cam in the early morning, 0440. Jennie, HK.

Anonymous said...

pax Canada 12.21am
falcon on the nest ledge

Anonymous said...

Male Peregrine on Nest Platform:- 12.54pm

Anonymous said...

1.55 pm and both birds are present, the male extremely close up and personal to the pud cam!
Ed Drewitt reports finding the feathers of water rail and knot as well as the species I mentioned earlier (woodcock, teal and snipe) among feathers I sent him to ID last week.
Nick B (DWT)

Anonymous said...

You burning both ends of the candle again Nick? :-)

Ashley

Anonymous said...

Addiction is a sad thing Ashley...though actually it is mid-afternoon and despite being the shortest day of the year (merry solstice to any pagans out there!) quite light enough not to need a candle!

NB

Karen Anne said...

I think a peregrine is in the pudding cam area, although not up close and personal :-) like earlier today.

Anonymous said...

Peregrine Visible on pudding Cam:- 22.45pm

Karen Anne said...

I filled in the survey, and when I clicked done, I just got a blank page. Is that what it's supposed to do?

Anonymous said...

Peregrine hugging the Pudding Cam...(lol) Excellent close up of feathers! 4.31 am

Karen Anne said...

Peregrine up close and personal at the pudding cam. Did we ever figure out if the cam generates any heat? Maybe that is why they're cuddling up, if it's as cold in Derby as it is in New England (brrrr) at the moment.

There have been doves cuddling up to my heated birdbath the last few days.

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen..(8.02am)

I wondered that (If the Web Cam generated any heat) Early hours of this morning Peregrine was snuggled right up to Pud Cam...Perhaps the Lovely Nick can enlighten us???

Peregrine has just left the Web Cams.

Anonymous said...

pax Canada 12.08am
falcon on the pudding cam

Anonymous said...

8.09am

I forgot to say it was really mild here last night 11c.

Anonymous said...

8.47AM Peregrine on Nest Scrape Camera.

Anonymous said...

pax Canada 8.09am
falcon on the pudding cam.
Lots of snow here, unusual for Vancouver, and below freezing temps.

Karen Anne said...

Lynne, Are you in Derby?

I found a Derby weather page and it says now it is 6C. That's crunch numbers crunch numbers 43F. That's a bit nippy, esp. if a bird is settled down for the night.

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen

Yes I'm just down the road from 'Derby Cathedral' on the night in mention it was 11 degrees in the early hours of the morning quite warm for this time of year. Weather expectation for the next few eveinings will be dipping to below freezing.

No peregrines this Morning so far.

Peregrine Project Member (Nick M.) said...

Cameras do generate a small amount of heat. In fact we were advised to leave them powered up all year round to reduce the chance of failure.

As Lynne said, it has been quite mild in Derby for the last few days, though it was much chillier before that. I don't think our peregrines specifically huddle next to the camera - it's just one of a number of convenient look-out places, though when I checked last week, there were the old remains of a prey item lying on top of the anti-perching spikes we put near it. And as I write this, all I can see on the tower-top webcam is the shadow of an adult peregrine against the 280 million year old sandstone, of which the tower is built.

Survey: Yes, it does end rather abruptly, either with a blank white screen, or by closing the browser window completely. Sorry about that.

Seasons Greetings to you all this Christmas Eve.

Anonymous said...

Are the Web Cams down..or switched off for the Christmas Period?

2.30pm

Anonymous said...

Ooops Web Cams back again..must have been my Computer.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the Derby Peregrine viewers all over the world, and best wishes to our birdies. Jennie, HK.

Anonymous said...

HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all the Peregrine Project 'Staff' 'Bloggers' & 'Watchers'

PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO YOU ALL!

xxxx

Froona said...

A very Merry Christmas to you all at Derby and all peregrine friends around the world.

Peace, love and happiness!

Froona

Anonymous said...

I'd like to wish Everyone here and around the World.. 'A HAPPY NEW YEAR!'

And lets raise a Glass to Our 'Precious Pergrines' ...Bless!

xxxxxx

Karen Anne said...

Prospero año nuevo, peeps!

Froona said...

For all my peregrine falcon friends in Derby including the peregrine falcons:

A very Happy New Year. Stay healthy en enjoy the life you where given. It's the only one you've got so make it a wonderful one.

I'm sure we will have another great, wonderful and exciting breedingseason ahead of us, with lots to enjoy: many healthy squawking eyases and vibrant fledglings.

Froona