Sunday 3 July 2016

Final Watch Points and still plenty to see.....

Update 10th July: the final Watch Point morning started in torrential rain but our determined volunteers hung on and by lunchtime the sun was out. Jane Tagg, one of our trusty volunteer band reported that the birds were indeed on show and that the juveniles were very noisy. The watch point continued until about 2.30 pm. Huge thanks to Jane, Antony, Sue, Helen and Mark for their dedication to the cause.

Update 7th July: at least two juveniles have been seen from the web cams in recent days. Wendy Bartter has sent this video taken yesterday. The final Watch Point is THIS SATURDAY (9th).
With luck there should be some excellent action to be seen.


The Watch Point on 2nd July was conducted in fine if rather blowy conditions. Our volunteers introduced over 100 people to the falcons and the project.
Much of the time all six peregrines were in view.
For a considerable time all six birds were in view on the cathedral together - something that has very rarely happened in previous years.
Three juveniles were on the ledge above the nest and one was in the nest platform. The male squeezed into a tiny crevice at the top of the louvred window above the nest and the female sat in her 'normal' post fledging perch just below the nest. Apparently earlier in the morning there had been much flying and chasing about.....delighting the folk watching below!
Can you find the three juveniles in this shot by Joyce Sawford?
They're all there.....

Thanks are due to our great team of volunteers for running the show (Joyce and Tony, Andy, Hilary, Jane W and Jane T) ably supported by Marc from DWT.

Only a couple of streets away, the rare white letter hairstreak butterfly was to be seen flying above its favourite elm tree. Well worth having a look for if you are in Derby in the next couple of weeks or so. The elm itself is on King Street (A6 northbound) where it crosses above the inner ring road about 150 yards beyond the Flowerpot pub. Parking is available in the Chapel Street multistorey CP.

The elm looking north as you stand on the bridge over the
Inner ring road. Photo: Ken Orpe.


White letter hairstreak by Colin Bowler

The final Saturday Watch Point is next Saturday 9th July so if you've not been yet, and even if you have, do come along and enjoy watching these magnificent birds before the juveniles begin to disperse.
If you need a coffee or lunch the Cathedral cafe on Irongate will be happy to oblige (try their excellent Bakewell tart!). And if it should be fine and not too windy, do have a look for the hairstreak!

Please note there is NO Watch Point on Wednesday 6th.

The Project Team

13 comments:

Nick Brown (DWT) said...

Sorry Heather: I managed to get three copies of the same post showing so deleted the two that I thought were duplicates only to then find I';d deleted the comments.
I anyone can remember what they had said please comment again. I think there were only 2-3 and one was a link to Wendy's video.
Apols
Nick

Nick B (DWT) said...

Saturday 9th July 10.30am : absolutely pouring down in Derby so suspect the Watch Point will have been cancelled.
Nick B

Nick B (DWT) said...

Saturday 12 noon. Rain has stopped so maybe the WP is running anyway.....sorry I can't make contact with them to find out at the moment.
Nick B
Also very sorry that some comments were accidentally deleted when I discovered that the same post appeared three times! I will re-post them here shortly....though they will be in the wrong sequence.

Nick B (DWT) said...

Comment from Heather left on 7th July:
Just wondered if anyone noticed when the Rutland ospreys fledged as there's only one left in nest now. Loch of Lewis still have three but one looks almost ready to go, the wing span is amazing with lots of flapping on edge of nest.

Have just seen one of our juveniles fly off after calling to either siblings or the parents. Will have a look at your footage Wendy, it's certainly a bonus having them around for a bit longer than usual.

Joyce, it's driving me mad - can only clearly see 2 juveniles with possibly third not so prominent. When are you going to reveal all! :)

Nick B (DWT) said...

Comment from Wendy Bartter also on 7th:
Hi all, I'll start this blog off with a bit of footage from this morning, great to see our youngsters are still visiting the scrape ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VFrkLq0dBw

Nick B (DWT) said...

Comment by me on 7th: Heather: I think Joyce may be away so I can report that the third juvenile is barely visible at the base of the lead gutter on the far left.
Nick B

Wendy Bartter said...

Hi Heather, now that Nick has reposted your comment I can answer your query about Rutland Ospreys fledging, presume you mean Manton Bay nest?
T7 lifted off on 4th July (auspicious date) followed by T6 on the 6th & T8 next day, 7th!
Here is a link to Rutland blog site for a lovely compilation vid ...
www.ospreys.org.uk/category/manton-bay
All the history is here too!

Heather said...

Hi Nick thanks for your comments, glad I'm not the only one who makes mistakes with technology occasionally! Also thanks Wendy for videos and info on the Manton Bay ospreys - especially with T7 gaining its own 'Independence' on 4th July.

Saw two of our juveniles sitting right next to each other yesterday looking inseparable almost as if they were saying 'mates for life'!

Wendy Bartter said...

You're welcome Heather! Dud you see the two juveniles on cam or for real at Watchpoint? Just popped into cam #4 to find two there again today, bonus still!

Heather said...

Hi Wendy, two on scrape at moment almost replicating your video, ie one eating in corner whilst other takes in the view. The two I saw yesterday were on the Webcam as unfortunately live too far away to come to the Watchpoint, much as I'd like to. They were on far end of scrape and sitting right next to each other, something I haven't seen before. Wondering if these two we keep seeing are the same pair but of course no way of telling.

Ann Raynor said...

2 on the scrape they are getting really big now

Ann Raynor said...

One on the scrape tonight

Anonymous said...

One of the parents having a feed on the scrape tonight