Tuesday 23 May 2017

Watch Points to start soon and news of Cathy

Update 25th May: news has just reached us that Cathy, a peregrine reared at the cathedral in 2009 has recently died of natural causes. Cathy injured her wing and shoulder soon after fledging and had been in care ever since. More on this in a future post to the blog.
The Project Team

As the chicks grow bigger by the day, they will soon be visible from the ground as they start to peer over the lip of their nest platform. Once they can be seen from below we start our annual Peregrine Watch Points on the green behind the Cathedral.


Telescopes are set up so that anyone passing by (or visiting especially) can get a close up view of the chicks and their parents. Volunteers are on hand to help explain what people are seeing and the background to the project.
This series of events are organised by Emma Wood from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's People Engagement team, assisted by Marc Whitlock.
School groups can visit by arrangement....
contact peregrines@derbyshirewt.co.uk 



The Watch Points will take place (weather permitting) on every Wednesday (11 am - 1.30 pm) and Saturday (10.30 am - 1.30 pm) starting on Saturday 3rd June and running through into July. 

The definite dates confirmed so far are:
Saturday 3rd June
Wednesday 7th June
Saturday 10th June
Wednesday 14th June
Saturday 17th June
Wednesday 21st June
Saturday 24th June
Wednesday 28th June
Saturday 1st July
Wednesday 5th July
Saturday 8th July
Wednesday 12th July
Saturday 15th July

If you've not been to see the birds 'for real' before, then do make the effort to come along.
You need bring no equipment - we supply the telescopes!
If you've not been before then do please come along and meet our friendly volunteers and see the birds that you've watched online 'in the flesh' flying about (just the adults initially!) and finally all five (we hope.....).
Cathedral Green is on the East side of the cathedral, divided from it by Full Street. There's parking on street and at various council and private car parks within easy walking distance.
And the cathedral shop does very good light lunches not to mention their Bakewell tarts!
An added attraction this year will be the Poppy Weeping Window installation at the Silk Mill between our Watch Point position and the River Derwent. This begins on June 9th and runs until 23rd July every day. For more details see here .
The Project Team

35 comments:

Vicky said...

Almost 6 am and all is well. Dad with the chicks and one seems interested in looking out. Egg back under chicks.

Anonymous said...

Just been watching the three chicks, all standing in a orderly row, being fed. No sign of egg number four. Have they eaten it?

Norma said...

The egg was ge tting close to the front edge earlier on, more worrying though so was one of the chicks! I've put photo on Flickr.

Vicky said...

Feeding time and it looks like dad feeding them. One is always at the back and has to put up a fuss for food. One is walking away so the little one at the back is getting up front. All 3 are up front now and all being well fed.

Heather said...

Another feed and mum and three chicks look as if they are feeling the heat today. Hope it won't be too hot for them.

Emerald class said...

The peregrine is protekting the chiks from the sunshine. The peregrine is standing in front of the chiks so they don't get the sun in there eyes and so they do not get sunburn. The femarel bird puts her wings open wide over the chicks. This moning adult peregrin was panting to ceep cool.

Josh said...

Me and my mum have been watching the phone for ages but unfortunately we didn't see the chicks hatch but we did see the mum bring back some food to give to her baby chicks. That was pretty cool I have really been enjoying watching the baby chicks they are cute but rather scruffy thank you for letting me see the live broadcast.
Thank you Miss Naylor for helping my mum so I could comment.Josh

Lucie-Jo said...

We have loved watching the broadcast. We didn't see the chicks hatch but saw the mum feed the chick with some food and that was brilliant. It's so exciting to look and see what they are up too. Now the chicks are hatched I look at them and see how they a growing and they look so cute and fluffy. I love birds and birdwatching so it's amazing to be able to watch this live broadcast

Thank you
Lucie-Jo

Vicky said...

Webcam not working for me right now. Anyone else?

Helen said...

Hi Josh and Lucie-Jo, I am so pleased that you were able to comment and that you are really enjoying watching the chicks. I watch the peregrines every year but I always see something different each time. The chicks are certainly growing very fast and are getting stronger each day. This morning one of them was lying at the front of the platform but it soon managed to make its way back under the wing of the adult bird so that it was in the shade. Look out for their feathers changing! The brown juvenile feathers will soon start to show through the white fluffy down, especially on their wings and tail. Keep up the good bird watching!

Vicky said...

Chicks are getting bigger by the day. All are sleeping and mom is at the other end of the scrape. I sure miss all the people leaving comments like other years. Seems so few this year. I love the videos they have been wonderful.

Unknown said...

Wonder why there are not many comments this year. And when I leave one, it does not appear on the blog. All so different this year; chicks left alone more, seems to be less feeding; and the unhatched egg has disappeared and nobody has commented on where it has gone.

Vicky said...

Hi Lesley, it is usually the female who eats the egg i am told. She usually flies away with it. That is too bad that your comments don't appear on the blog as I am sure everyone is waiting for comments on the blog. I can remember around 50 comments per blog. Maybe it will pick up when they start moving around more. If anyone else's comments aren't ending up in the blog please say so as they will then fix it.

Lisa said...

I love watching these. I flick between these and Nottingham, those are scaring me as they are now walking about on the ledge lol so sad seeing an empty scrape! They are also losing most of their lovely white feathers, not babies anymore! Ill be the same when these start moving about!

On another note i saw a couple of red kites flying over the other day and have learnt there have been a few sightings of them in the local area, so they must be local! More beautiful birds!

I did notice the egg disappear, not sure where it went!

Sara said...

Great observations from Emerald Class. You are right, the adult birds are very good at protecting their chicks. This morning the chicks are sitting right in the corner with one of the adults shading them again. One year I saw the male bird pull one of his chicks back under his wing when it was very warm and the chick was out in the sunshine. It won't be long before the chicks are moving around a lot more. Keep up the good work Emerald Class, you are becoming expert peregrine watchers!

Helen said...

If you are looking at the website on an ipad or phone then you might need to check that you are on the full 'web version' instead of the 'reader view', so that any comments that you add do get through. If you are in reader view I think it will let you type in comments but they don't appear on the website when publish is clicked. If you are in 'reader view' you can scroll right down to the bottom of the page and there is an option in tiny lettering where it says 'view web version', which you need to click on. You can soon tell if you are viewing the full web version as all the menu options for the website appear. I'm not sure if that is the same for all tablets. Hope that helps.

Phoebe said...

Feeding time on the scrape. Three cute chicks all sitting patiently waiting their turn. Lovely!

Heather said...

Just seen them too Phoebe, never ceases to amaze me each year how quickly they grow. Also the differences in temperament, remember the really feisty ones that had us all enthralled.

Sad to hear about Cathy, I remember when she broke her wing but she had good people taking care of her and helped a lot of school children understand about the life of a peregrine.

Vicky said...

The chicks were alone for a few minutes and dad just flew in. The chicks are huddled in the corner. Lots of feathers in the scrape. They used to clean them out faster other years. I can't remember how long before they used to band them. I wonder if they will band the chicks this year.

Nick B (DWT) said...

Hi Vicky: the young won't be banded (ringed) this year because we can't abseil down to the roof below since it is covered in plastic.
Usually it is done when the chicks are about 20 days old, ie big enough for the rings not to slip off their feet but young enough so there's no risk of the birds attempting to run/fly away from the guy who abseils down to collect them. At 20 days they just huddle in a corner of the platform and calmly wait until they are picked up.
And of course, abseiling is the only way to reach the nest.
Hope that helps.
Nick B (DWT)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Nick. As always you are quick to help. I remember watching the picking up of the chicks for banding. One, mom and dad are screeching and flying in the background and I remember the chicks squawking like crazy. It was quite funny to watch and I won't ever forget it. It is a once in a lifetime thing. I missed a couple times and was so glad I got to see it. I love these peregrins. I watch from Canada and love it.

Jill F said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jill F said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nick B (DWT) said...

Hi Jill: all's well, don't worry! Go to page two and from that camera you'll see the other two chicks hiding in the shade and out of the sun....and if you're quick food just brought in!

Nick B (DWT)

Vicky said...

Hi again Nick, i just noticed my thanks to you says anonymous but it was me. Chicks sleeping right now and I think it is dad watching over them.

Heather said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Project Team said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Project Team said...

Hi Heather: apologies for this but please email peregrines@derbyshirewt.co.uk for an explanation of why your comment and a response by us have both been taken down late on Sunday evening.
The project team

Unknown said...

Does anyone else think that the chicks are being left on their own much more this year

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Project Team said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Project Team said...

Hi Anne: please email us at peregrines@derbyshirewt.co.uk concerning your recent comment and our reply which have now been taken off the blog - so that we can explain.
Best wishes
The project team

Vicky said...

Hi Lesley, I have thought they are left alone much more than other years. But other years we could see some of the face of the cathedral and therefore see one of the parents sitting up top or below. I'm sure mom or dad are always close by. Right now the 3 of the chicks are huddled in the corner sleeping and in the dark I can't make out if it is mom or dad sitting on the edge facing them. They are such good parents.

Vicky said...

I have also noticed that this year the parents are leaving prey for the you to pick at themselves where in other years they were fed all the time by mom and day. I thought it was quite funny once when one of the aggressive girls took a pice away from mom and when mom tried to get it back the female really fought for it but mom one. Yet this is the second time I see a chick eating by itself on a piece of prey.

Yang Kuo said...

so that any comments that you add do get through. If you are in reader view I think it will let you type in comments but they don't appear on the website when publish is clicked.
thanks for sharing...

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