Friday 1 May 2009

And Then There Were Three - or Four?

With three peregrine chicks now hatched, we're wondering if we'll have the full clutch of four eggs hatched by the weekend, or whether this is it.


Untitled15

Our local media have been asking the same question, too. Yesterday I was asked to do two live interviews on local BBC Radio Derby and a phone interview with a reporter from our local newspaper. So it seems that interest in Derby's peregrines is still as strong as ever. The advantage of live interviews is that one gets a chance to give credit to all the parners in the project - Derbyshire Widllife Trust who do so much and Derby Cathedral who let us do it in the first place!

The new Flickr photo pool for webcam watchers to upload the moments they capture has already proved far more successful than I could have imagined. So many superb moments have been captured and placed there that its overwhelming. Jenniferwindridge captured the screen shot above at 19:45 and posted it to our Group Pool. At the tme of writing there now 55 pictures had been uploaded. Click on "more" to the lower right of the set of thumbnails to view more images in the pool.

Or turn on your favourite background music, sit back, and enjoy a melange of recently uploaded images using Flickr's Slideshow facility.

Below I have embedded a few of my favourites that you've uploaded so far, making the job of adding images to this blog so much easier and more efective than ever it was before!. Click each image if you want to view the picture on Flickr and see who uploaded them. I wonder how long it will be before we definitely answer the question posed by the last photo.


Three chicks hatched one to go


dont stand so close to me

keeping a close eye on the proceedings

Is this all four?

And finally, here's another chance to see our egg-nibbling stop-motion video which was created from a series of stills yesterday, shortly after the first egg had hatched.

100 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
Terry Herts UK
well said we who have been watching the falcons since 2006 came to know Froona very well.

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
chicks alone on the nest
Nick if you could just get the falcon to move alittle to the left :)

Karen Anne said...

Nick,

Give us a clue about Irfan, thanks. I downloaded it, but don't see directions for capturing a bunch of images from the webcam.

I tried setting up File-> Acquire Batch Scanning on the guess that was it, but it then said TWAIN error. Is TWAIN how I am supposed to tell it the webcam url? I tried Select TWAIN sources, but I wasn't sure whether to feed it the url in that box or what.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
chicks alone again, I can see 3

Ann ( Canada) said...

i give up I give up I give up.

Anonymous said...

dcan't you think of any thing else of anyhing else to say E x X

Roger (AT) said...

The breakfast feeding was very quickly over. There are still 3 chicks, who all seemed very lively and eager to be fed. I was so busy learning how to use Flickr that I missed what happened to the rest of the carcase. Did it get flung overboard? I can see that Flickr will be excellent for sharing the fleeting moments when one or two of us will be hovering over the Screenshot button!

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
maybe no one is up and about to help you, dont give up :)
Good luck with your move

Kishore said...

@ Karen Anne - try this:

Open Irfan
Click on the File Menu, then Select TWAIN Source.

Allows you to choose from the scanners or any other TWAIN compatible device (digital camera, TV card, etc.) installed on your computer (if more than one is available).

Click the name of the device you want to use, then the Select button. To exit without making a selection, click Cancel.

If you have a camera or scanner software installed on your machine then you should have TWAIN drivers installed. The above will bring up the source of the TWAIN drivers. Hope this helps..

Roger (AT) said...

The tiercel seems to like sitting very much. The falcon just arrived, so he made himself very flat on the nest and looked unwilling to move. She has left him to it for the moment.

n1ck said...

any news on the fourth egg yet?
im so glad that nick has been able to use my capture on the blog happy happy happy
come on little one get a move on!!

Roger (AT) said...

@n1ck: Last egg was still an egg a few minutes ago. I posted a screenshot on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/groups/derbyperegrines/

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

Irfanview - don't follow instructions to Select TWAIN source. I dont think this wll work for what we're tryng to do.

Much simpler is to type the letter "C" once Irfanview opens. This is a shortcut to "Capture/Screenshot" in the Options menu. I use both n old and a new version of Irfanview, and they have moved things around a bit. This works in my old versoin 3.95. Typinc C also works in the latest versions too.
From there set select the Foreground window radio button, the interval you want to record at, and the destinatoin. You will need quite a bit of disk space, and I tend to find my PC locks up after about an hour of capture.

PS - have just experienced the webpage freezing up on another PC. I hit F5 and the picture refresh returned to normal. Very strange.

In haste
Nick M.

n1ck said...

food time i think one on nest one on roof

n1ck said...

is there any truth in the rumour that the jury inn is changing its name to the PERIGR INN

Terri said...

I'm still experiencing webcam freezing and have had no success with your left camera since Wednesday evening. Every time I go in, I find the clock at the top of the webcam pic is at least 10 or 15 minutes behind real time and it's only updating very infrequently. Closing and re-opening my browser, hitting F5, all the usual tricks, nothing works. At the moment my webcam pic is stuck at 09:45:04 but it is actually about 10 past 10. I'm not unduly worried about it because I'm using the Streamdays view and that's working fine. That in itself suggests that local IT restrictions such as firewalling have nothing to do with it, otherwise surely any other incoming data stream would also be affected? Incidentally my right camera (pudding cam) view is fine (currently showing 10:04). This is just for your info, I'm not too worried, especially as most of your other viewers are not having the same problem!
P.S. LOVE the three little fluffy cute chicks - would be nice to see the fourth one hatching out but 3 out of 4 ain't bad. Well done mum (and dad).

Terry, Herts UK said...

What's your location, Terri?

I'm still having no problems, except that the adults won't let me see whether the 4th egg has hatched !

Terry, Herts UK said...

Also, have you tried

CTRL+F5 ?

Romney Yeoman Walker said...

Great view of the (presumably new?) Jury Inn on the alternative camera! Have you thought about asking them for sponsorship/advetising revenue????

n1ck said...

look now

Anonymous said...

It's still an egg right now. She was off the nest and it's taken me so long to sign in, she's now back!!

Anonymous said...

I've made a fumbling attempt to capture the picture for myself - successful - but not good enough to add to the blog - I'm sure Nick M will be able to retrieve a MUCH better one so I'll leave it to him!
(I've just managed to save with the IRFAN thingy but am not up to editing yet!!!!)

Anonymous said...

PS - can you tell, this is one of my days off? I have a million and one things I "should" be doing, including working on my law degree studies. It's all well worth while though, wouldn't have missed it for the world. Mustn't forget either, it's what would have been Froona's birthday. Wouldn't it be great if egg 4 hatched for her on this day.

Kishore said...

Feen time - can't make out what they're being fed on.

Anonymous said...

Feeding!

Kishore said...

Looks like a small birds on the menu

Anonymous said...

Fourth egg on view a few times this morning, particularly just now during a feed (I’ve added a pic of that to flickr). Looked fairly pristine, no sign of pipping or anything. Anyone know the normal time between first and last hatching?
RJ

Kishore said...

Is it time to bring back the multiview?

Everyone in favour say AYE ;)

Terry, Herts UK said...

Nope. Nothing much to see on the RHS of the scrape...unless gravel is your thing? :)

When the eyases start wobbling about on their own, then the other camera will come into its own for feeding sequences, etc.

Terry, Herts UK said...

This might be a good time to remind peeps that if you have a recent version of Internet Explorer or Firefox, you can zoom in and out on the webcam pictures.

To do this, hold down the CTRL key and move the scroll wheel on your mouse forwards and backwards.

In Firefox, you can also use the + and - keys. CTRL+0 resets the view to normal.

Terri said...

I'm in Newark, Notts, and my left camera view is now back to normal, goodo! (but I'm just a bit busy watching the snooker right now)

Anonymous said...

RJ, you asked about hatching times - I think Colin is now our acknowledged expert. I'm sure there's been debate on the subject in the past - try looking through the archive blogs. Of course, Froona was the top expert, but she sadly died recently. Hopefully, either Colin or Nick Moyes will post a reply - although you have to bear with Nick (maybe Colin too) as they have other "day job" duties! My "lay person" view is that IF it's going to hatch (might be addled or infertile, who knows) it'll be today or tomorrow. Gosh, I MUST get on with what I'm supposed to be doing too!!!!

Karen Anne said...

Cool, thanks, I got irfan working.

Is there a way in the C mode to limit the disk space the save directory uses? There seemed to be a way when I was mucking with the TWAIN stuff, but I assume that limit doesn't apply in this mode?

I'm going to try to set it up to save to one of my Flash backup sticks, 4 GB, that should keep it busy for awhile without sinking my pc, hopefully.

Colin said...

The last egg was laided 54 hrs plus after incubation started. So if the one remaining egg is the last one to be laided?? There is still hope going into saturday.If it is egg 1 to 3 it has failed.
Regards
Colin

Karen Anne said...

I can get it to save to my Flash drive (you have to create a directory there, it doesn't work for some reason if you just save the images to the top level of the drive itself.)

But I still managed to miss one of the birds who was on the nest edge for one brief moment.

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

@karen ann
Yes, try advanced option in screen capture. I limit file size to 80kb per image.

Must dash - meeting my wife for lunch!

n1ck said...

there IS A NEW SPONSOR on flickr enjoy

Ann ( Canada ) said...

Thanks Pax I am so tired from trying to get all packed up to move in just ONE MONTH. I keep getting distracted by the peregrines. Wish the good fairy would come in and do the rest. Not going to happen though right. It's been lovely to see them again this year. Hope the last egg hatches before we have to pull the computer down to move it. Will be watching on and off all day.

Roger (AT) said...

Just got another clear view. Egg 4 is still there.

Ann, Birmingham said...

He/she was off the nest briefly just now - that egg looks no different from the last time I saw it. A dud?

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, Colin, you make a jolly good point - we have no idea if the 4th egg is the 4th one that was laid - I was just making that ASSUMPTION. I do hope it IS the 4th laid egg though and that it'll hatch - we have a fine tradition of watching the 4th and smallest one grow up (remember "Tidder" aka 007, in 2008)

Ann ( Canada ) said...

If I remember correctly last year the final egg took quite some time before it hatched. We were all worried it was not going to happen. However it finally did. So let's hope for the best again this year. Hurry up little one. Tiddler as we called him last year. Have to dismantle the computer over the weekend for the move.

jo said...

if i can remember tiddler didnt show till about 2 day's after number 3 did so there is still hope yet
just witnessed feeding all three chicks fed well 1433 camera time
jo

Roger (AT) said...

Loaded 4 photos of the Mayday lunch to Flickr. Sorry they are not in correct time order.
The chicks are so funny, after a bout of ardent beseeching to be fed, they flop over flat, but are soon up for another try.

Kishore said...

Feeding time seem to coincide at Derby and Worcester. Is anybody hooked up on Worcester watch?

Here's the link if any1 is interested.

http://www.worcester.gov.uk/peregrine/

Kishore said...

LOL Nick1ee great work on the jury Inn sign board. :D

Kishore said...

I wonder where the meal is stored between feeds. The meal is brought to the nest at feed time then when the feeding is over its taken away.

Roger (AT) said...

@Kishore: I thought the deliveries looked to be a different species each time. I THINK that they had moorhen for breakfast, dove for 11ses, and a lark (very uncertain)just now. I did see the falcon on the pudding cam after the breakfast feed, and she appeared to have moorhen - maybe eating the lftovers? I guess someone will tell us their larder habits :)

Project Member (Derby Cathedral) said...

For anyone still having problems with Fickr: Not only do you need a Yahoo ID but you also need to join the group. When you get to Derby Cathedral Peregrine Pictures you will need to click on 'Join this group'. You can then view all the pictures.
Hope that helps
Tony

Fiona Arrowsmith said...

Yes i too am totally hooked with the worcester pair, between these two lovely families i'm not getting much work done! Still can't make out if there is a fourth chick at Worcester, and yes the feeding does seem to coincide, it's hard trying to watch both at the same time!

Anonymous said...

Chicks visible, mother away.

Anonymous said...

... and back

Colin said...

Looks Like Number 4 has started the hatch process.
Regards
Colin

Roger (AT) said...

@Kishore: Were you watching at 15:28 or so? I think it answered the question, the parent hopped into the "spare" side of the tray, and fed them when she came back.
Also saw a couple of nice zoom shots on the egg and youngsters

Anonymous said...

Yep, saw that. Got a dodgy quality save of the close up of the egg. I'd put money on it that Nick M did the zoom and will have a quality image. I could see no signs of something inside trying to get out!

Colin said...

Have a look on my blog quite clear egg No:4 on the way
http://derby-falco-peregrinus.blogspot.com/
Regards
Colin

Roger (AT) said...

@Colin: I have to say - you are The MAN! Here is the diference between amateur interest and expert knowledge. I put a similar capture of the egg on Flickr, asking if there was the hint of a suspicion of a crack. You say "it's on the way"! Great stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hey Colin, thank goodness there's somebody who knows their stuff - I thought it was just a bit of muck or something! My captured picture isn't very good, but I can see the same thing you've arrowed on your blog entry. I've been thinking that the female has been extremely fidgety all day though, as if she is aware of something happening. So, HURRAH, looks like "Tiddler 2009" is on its way.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Colin (@12.12), logical! And if your latest pipping pic is correct, would fit. Here’s hoping..
RJ

Anonymous said...

16:56 on the camera label and mother just inspected the egg.

Kishore said...

@ Roger - missed the 15:28. I'd love to just stay at my screen all the time to watch whats happening but there are times when you have to tear yourself away to get other tings done.

Anonymous said...

Know what you mean Kishore, I've got NOTHING done today. Goodness knows when my law studies will get done now! Right! I'm going away from this PC now!!!

Anonymous said...

OOOOO hang on! She's faffing around with that egg again!m

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

In answer to various questions and comments:
@everyone and Sue in Bucks Yes, At15:20ish I did zoom in the camera for a close-up of the egg. It looked perfect to me then, but I didn't get an image of it. I was inside the cathedral burning some super video clips to DVD which I'll try and upload later this evening. Looking at Colin's blog image I accept what he says, and look forward to No 4.

@ann, canada Get off that PC and get packing!! We'd all hate to be blamed for you not moving house on the right day.

@RYWalker - I believe the matter is in hand at a higher level. But thanks for your suggestion.

Could anyone still experiencing frozen images could also check the alternative webcam page and report if that one is also "stuck" then use your back-button to go back to the first page. I've contacted our Council's webteam for advice but my money is still on individual settings on each computer being the cause. I experienced the problem myself this morning on our webcam monitor on display in the Nature Galelry at Derby Museum. F5 caused the image to update - but it's not happened this way before.

Hope I've answered everything.
Nick. M.

Roger (AT) said...

@Kishore: May 1st is a public holiday here in Austria, so I have plenty of free time today. Otherwise yes, duty gets in the way of enjoyment!
@Sue in B: Yep! Lots of fidgeting and inspections. The chicks are also getting quite lively and often poke out a head or "other end".

Fiona Arrowsmith said...

Excellent news! Can't wait for number four! What with a full house at Worcester and nearly one here i'll be getting nothing done, good job the kiddies are just as keen!

Ann ( Canada ) said...

Right O.K. busy packing as ordered by YOU Just having a quick peek. hoping that last egg will hatch to-day. Now I am back to packing PROMISE

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
wonderful shot of feeding time

Roger (AT) said...

What excellent timing! Just zoomed-in before a feeding. I see what you mean about not worrying about equal shares. As soon as the chicks had a good amount they fell over, leaving the field clear for the others.

Ann, Birmingham said...

That's the first feed I've witnessed, what a pleasure! I couldn't see if they all got some. Was it a starling?

Helen (Derbyshire) said...

Thank you for those fantastic close up shots of feeding time - it really made my day! The talons on the chicks looked so tiny and fragile compared to those of the adult. Yet it won't be that long before they are a similar size - amazing really!

Roger (AT) said...

@Ann: I don't think that they had starling for supper the legs looked too robust. A wader? My screenshots were too closely clipped to see, but there is a beauty by l.weaver on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/groups/derbyperegrines/

Anonymous said...

I reckon number 4 is trying ro escape!

Anonymous said...

TO escape even, too much excitement!!

Karen Anne said...

Roger, I don't see a photo labeled l.weaver on the flicker group?

Roger (AT) said...

Hello Ann, It is next to a very narrow one of mine (rejsharp) featuring lots of gravel and 3 well fed chicks. There is a very similar one posted be kath1912.

Roger (AT) said...

Sorry: Last post was to Karen Anne. (eyes and brain not too well coordinated).

Karen Anne said...

Thanks, Roger. I am not seeing any photos with those two names on them. Flicker says there are 56 photos and I counted 56...

Ann, Birmingham said...

@Roger, I can't find them either, though I've done a "search" of both names. Maybe they'll turn up later.

Roger (AT) said...

@ Karen Anne: I see currently 107 pool pictures. But for a while earlier I also saw a reduced count.
You can also look at the members (37+admin=38)and jump to the photo streams from there.

Roger (AT) said...

AHA - Flickr mystery is solved. If you just open the URL without being a logged in member you will only see "open to all" photos. My default security level only lets Flickr members see them. I guess that must be true for several other contributors, and I guess that Ann and Karen Anne are not logged into Flickr. I will reset my security level forthwith :)

Ann, Birmingham said...

@Roger - I've been with Flickr in my own right, so to speak, since April 2008, & thought I'd automatically get access to anyone's pics. Maybe I should have "enrolled" as a member of the Derby Group - if so, how?
By the way, my daughter in Liverpool emailed that her link to the whole site is down, though everything else seems ok.

Ann, Birmingham said...

I've just answered my own question - I clicked on "Join the Group", then on "I agree to these rules", and hey presto, 107 pics!!!

Roger (AT) said...

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I cannot understand it. My Flickr photos are all marked "open" but if I look at the DerbyPeregrine Group without logging in, I only see 56 pictures and none of mine or of certain other contributers like kath1912. Log in and I see them all. All help and advice welcome!
I cannot see any setting to change.

@ Ann: there is a "Join Group" link on the DerbyPeregrines page. I think you must be logged into Flickr first.

Karen Anne said...

Thanks, guys. I started a flicker account a day or two ago, but it got all snarled up with my yahoo and google accounts. I was worried that it would mess me up with yahoo, where I moderate a couple of groups, so I backed out of flicker and plan on staying out except to look at photos. Well, the photos it lets me look at :-)

Ann ( Canada ) said...

Oh my goodness been packing all day totally worn out. Please last egg hatch. I am leaving the computer until the very very last minute. Nick M. it had better happen soon not like last year please. I can't stand the pressure Blood pressure up way too high. Well you will all be asleep soon over the pond. Then we over here can take watch. Sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite.
Thank you all for being such a wonderful distraction.

Anonymous said...

top 20 bird sites well done derby also near to 200k visits bravo chaps

Anonymous said...

Where are you moving to, Ann? (Assuming the PC isn't down yet)

Ann ( Canada ) said...

Hello Sue we are victims of the recession afraid to say. We have to move in with our daughter and son in law. Till things pick up. Just around here in Courtice Ontario. I run a daycare so I take care of her kids as well. Thanks for asking. I love the Cotswolds in England I was born and raised in Derby so this is really special to me. Went up the tower last year. Great set up they have and the guide was wonderful. Thought all those steps would kill me ha ha ha.

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
Ann, when we moved my computer was the last thing into my car and the first thing into the new house,had my son in law hooking it up before the beds went up LOL

Ann ( Canada ) said...

Pax Canada yes I had to laugh at what you said. Funny how things become so important to us. When we got our computer I did not even know how to switch it on. Now I do so much on it and can't be without it. I even gave up soap opera's for it Except for Coronation St. of course. It is my little bit of home. But even that has taken second place to this wonderful site. Just wondering I can't tell from your name if you are male or female I will take a guess female right? The team here is wonderful. I got a nice tour last year I want to go again this year. Tony was wonderful and everyone does such a great job I love the video we bought if the peregrines of Derby.

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
Ann, yes female 72 in June found the falcons in late 2002 after I lost my husband, born and raised in London Eng.

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
sorry that should be 2005

Project Member (Derby Cathedral) said...

Just to let you know that I am hoping to use a computer screen screen in one of the Cathedral's back rooms on Monday (11.00 - 3.00)to show the web pictures. This could be coupled with the chance of a Tower Climb to see the web equipment. Tower Climbs will be £5.00 (children £3.50) and to view the webcams open to donations - money split between the Peregrine Project and the Cathedral. If you are in Derby please support us. Volunteers will be welcome, please email me on tony@thymegraphics.co.uk if you can/want to come along.
Hope to see some of you -please make yourselves known!!
Tony

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada
will be there in spirit if not in body, good luck

Anonymous said...

Wishing you great happiness in your new home, Ann. At least it will be good to have family nearby.
I was born and raised in Bucks (Aylesbury and High Wycombe) and had never been to Derby - until the birds arrived. They certainly are Derby's secret publicity weapon and Tony is a wonderful ambassador for the project and the cathedral. I hope to go on a tower climb this year - I'll let you know how I get on! Time for bed now, I'm whacked! Night all (now it sounds like "The Waltons"!)

Anonymous said...

Pax Canada 3.34pm
Sleep well Sue

Anonymous said...

Pax: do you also post on Orca-live?
Pam (UK)

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

Good luck with the move Ann.
Sorry to hear it's under undesirable circumstances.

To cheer you up I shall be posting three new video clips of the chicks just after midnight UK time.

Ann ( Canada ) said...

Thank you all for the good wishes with the move. It really means a great deal to us. So many people have lost their homes etc. We are so fortunate to have someone to take us in. I am still hoping and praying for a Miracle so I can come again in September To see Cliff Richard and The Shadows perform one last time. He is my dream guy apart from my sweet husband of course. Hope to get to see you one day Nick. Come on chick little fellow hatch. I will be tuned in all day tomorrow it is our rest day so I do not have to pack thank God. Mom looks quite content at the moment. Thanks guys for the good wishes and all and the latest post on the diary is wonderful Nick. This all cheers me up so much. thought I was right pax, sorry you lost your hubby it is my greatest fear. Good job we have sites like this to keep up occupied right?