Thursday 13 March 2014

Massive fire in Derby does not affect our birds and some new school resources

IMPORTANT NOTICE: last Friday (14th), a massive fire destroyed the top of the Assembly Rooms Car Park near the cathedral. As a consequence, equipment on that building used to relay signals from the cathedral to the internet were damaged and our the web cam connectivity went down. Rest assured the cathedral was NOT affected and that our birds are safe (see below).
Today, by a miracle of technology, the connectivity has been restored back to how it was! However please note that we still have technical problems with streams 3 and 4 and it may be awhile before they are sending out streaming images.
The Project Team

Smoke rise up but stays clear of the cathedral Andy Trenier


View the peregrines had with the fire just out (Andy Trenier)

The scene the morning after the fire. (Nick Brown)

The male looks fine - taken a few days after the fire (Andy Simpson)

For almost a year now, Ian Layton, our Engagement Officer, has been working with a small group of teachers and the county council's environmental studies services manager, Georgina Greaves, to prepare a number of resources boxes for loaning to schools both in Derbyshire and in Derby City.
These are now ready and are FREE for local schools. MORE ON THIS TOPIC IN THE NEXT POST.
Nick B

Update:
A peregrine bathing - a rather good video taken in Somerset is at http://youtu.be/QV1HGxT4dio

First UK (urban) eggs of 2014: a pair of peregrines in London have started to lay their eggs with the first last Friday/Saturday and a second and third during the week....at Charing Cross Hospital: https://www.facebook.com/FaBPeregrines . This pair was very early last year too.....

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

A large and serios-looking fire at Derby Assembly Rooms car park this evening has knocked out our peregrine webcams. We rely on Derby Council's laser link from The Silk Mill to a unit mounted high on the side of the car park which then connects with the Counci...l House. As you can see this is a serious situation which is unlikely to be resolved immediately, and of course we hope no-one has been hurt in the ongoing incident . http://t.co/aK8T29T300 Photocredit: @joeysevern

Nick Moyes
Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project

Nick B (DWT) said...
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Nick B (DWT) said...

I should have added that the cathedral itself is NOT affected and that I'm quite sure our birds themselves are fine. They have wings and can fly off should the smoke drift in their direction...though I don't think it has and the fire is now coming under control in any case.
Nick

Phoebe said...

Sorry to hear about the fire, I do hope there are no casualties.

I was about to post regarding the new blog post. The childrens pictures are wonderful, I especially like the 'menu'!

I watched the video via the link provided, Peregrine in a puddle, what a lovely and rare sight I enjoyed it so much I've watched it three times so far.

The frozen cams at least have both birds in view. I hope it gets resolved sooner rather than later.

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear the horrible news of the fire. Watching the Peregrine's has brought me countless hours of pure joy. My thoughts and prayers are going out to all those affected by the fire.

Nick B said...

Just a bit of good news by contrast: for any of you who have been following The Sanctuary Nature Reserve saga - the council, faced with a Judicial Review brought by DWT, has just withdrawn its plans to build a cycle track on this Local Nature Reserve! Google 'Derby Telegraph' and search for The Sanctuary to read the story.,,or go here: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Controversial-cycle-track-plans-Pride-Park/story-20812796-detail/story.html
Hooray! A famous victory, the result of the work of a coalition of 15 wildlife groups and latterly the legal work of DWT.
Nick

Phoebe said...

Oh I forgot to mention that. That is good news for the Nature Reserve! Hooray!!

Kate said...

Devastating News.Trust Birds will return to continue their rituals as soon as it is safe,Last year it was the Snow and they were resilient, Bless em!!
Thanks Nick for the Sanctuary update, well done.
Kate Devon

Nick B (DWT) said...

Both birds present when I went down this morning. Male on platform, female above. They looked fine.
Did quick interview with Radio Derby who were down there anyway.....partly about the loss of connectivity and the absence of web cam pictures.
Nick B
Fire out and no one hurt.

Norma said...

Dreadfull news, about the fire so thankful no one injured. and the birds were there earlier today, please keep us in the picture of activities whilst the webcams are out of action Nick B. Will miss keeping up with their activities. Kind Regards Norma (yes i am local!) Langley (not Mill) near Heanor.
P.S. Amazing news about The Sanctuary well done to all concerned.

Caroline said...

Hello everyone, so sorry to hear about the big fire. Good news that no one was hurt though --and the birds are OK and the cathedral is in tact. Many tx to all those spending their spare time trying to get the cams back online, especially Nick and Nick. Good news too about the Sanctuary - that's amazing! The original vote was painfully close as I recall. Meanwhile, I love the 'peregrine in a puddle' video and the school packs look like a delight. Well done "peregrine team"! I look forward to everyone;s company here again in the time to come. Best wishes, Caroline

Sue Hetherington said...

GOOD GRIEF! What on earth caused that fire? Thank goodness there were no casualties. How very typically stoic of the peregrines to take it all in their stride and be back on site this morning as though nothing had happened. I was delighted to hear that The Sanctuary has been saved. It'll be a perfect end to the story if the cycling fraternity are able to be accommodated in some way that doesn't trash a LNR. It's great to hear that a precident has now been established confirming that special protection for LNRs really does mean what it says on the tin.
Our Bucks birds are back on their sire, incidentally but no news to report at the moment. I send the occasional tweet out @bucksperegrines

Phoebe said...

Notts has an egg!!

Phoebe said...

She is still there so whether she just laid it or is about to lay another, I don't know.

Sorry this is not Derby news but it's still peregrine news.

Sue Hetherington said...

Notts is always an "early bird". Have they won the race this year or have there been any other layings yet? It's lucky we have somewhere else to look at in the aftermath of the Derby fire.

Sue Hetherington said...

2pm on Sun 16 March and the Notts cameras show female has hopped off to the parapet and there's just the one egg on the scrape at present. Watch this space, more will come.

Jayde said...

4pm and still only the one at notts and daddy peregrine is staying close. The derby cameras are not working for me :( But it's still great to see an egg!

Phoebe said...
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Andy said...

Just a quick note to all the web and blog viewers, been down to the cathedral this morning to have a look at the peregrines (mon 17th march) both the adults were up on the tower......managed to take photos, and put them on the flickr site, thought you might like them while the camera's are down....enjoy Andy Simpson

Mo Cole said...

Yipee..... Web cam 1 and 2 working well done to all concerned ....... Mo Cole xxxx

Kate said...

Thank you TEAM!!!! excellent Cam 1 and two AND Both Birds in view whooppee.

Kate

Phoebe said...

Great to see the cams are running again. Thanks to this brilliant team!!

Lorraine said...

So relieved the fire was brought under control with no casualties. Thanks to all involved in restoring cams and to Andy for pics in between.

GREAT news about the sanctuary - team deserve a medal for pulling it out of the bag so efficiently. HUGE respect!

Sooo nice to see the falcon on the tower tonight - all's well with the world again !

Sue Hetherington said...

Not sure if the "today" of cam retoration was the 17th? If so, for me on the 18th, it appears to have gone down again? Either that, or those peregrines don't move about a lot! (lol) Whatever, it's all a miracle whatever is fixed and thanks for the photos. Huge damage but what another miracle that there were no casualties. For all the urban peregrine junkies out there, Notts are now posting info and have an image of their first egg.

Sue Hetherington said...

Actually, just had a quick peep at Notts and there's now TWO eggs!

Bill@L,boro. said...

Just noticed that the Norwich Peregrines now have an egg!

Sue Hetherington said...

LIke Derby, we're still waiting for a "happy event" in Aylesbury!

Lorraine said...
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kate said...
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Sue Hetherington said...
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Phoebe said...
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Sue Hetherington said...

7:45pm and the sites with eggs (Notts and Norwich) have a very attentive birds brooding their eggs (Norwich also giving some vertigo inducing shots way down the steeple!) Derby and Aylesbury have some less than thrilling shots of a tray full of gravel at this point.

Kate said...

Think we may be close to an EGG!! this morning she was starting her turning ritual but then flew off. doh!!!!

Green Class said...

The peregrine has a mstash.
We think the peregrine is going
to ley eggs soon. when the meyul is geting sum food the femeyul will sit on the eggs to keep them worm. We are luking fuwd to seeing the eggs. they are a browny red coler. We can see wher she has maide her scrape it looks like a hol in the grawnd. We like
looking at the peregrine.

Anonymous said...

Hi Green class,
I can see that you have been looking at the birds very carefully. Like you we are all watching the female carefully to see when she will lay her first egg. Have you all tried to guess when it will be laid? I am glad you enjoy watching and writing about them.
Chris

AnnieF. said...
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Lorraine said...
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Lorraine said...

The falcon was on the tower ledge all night last night and I see she is there again just now. She seems to be keeping close to the scrape lately, so she may have an egg forming, ready to be laid any day now. How exciting!

AnnieF. said...
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The Project Team said...
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The Project Team said...
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The Project Team said...
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Sue Hetherington said...

Today is the vernal equinox, the official first day of Spring and of course, it's started raining again (well it has down here in Bucks) and has turned much chillier. I think the Aylesbury peregrines have laid their first egg - they have been sitting tight all day long. At the end of the day when the sitting bird moved a bit, the light was very dim and it's impossible to tell. The eggs are all arriving now, can't be long now for Derby.

Phoebe said...

My guess for the first egg is 27th March, a bit earlier than normal. It is rainy here in Derby too and set to be a little colder. These wise birds will pick the prime time, as always, to lay the first egg. I can't wait!

Anonymous said...

Norwich Peregrine has now laid their second egg at around midnight on the 21st.

Hilary, B'ham said...

Beautiful view just now, 08.18 of a sunny scrape with the Falcon doing a bit of preparation for laying. Lovely clear camera view. Thank you! Much appreciated. Getting excited.